John Walsh III

This week in Defense Tech: 1️⃣ Pentagon announces new reciprocity guidance to streamline software adaptation. “We’ve heard you loud and clear on this within the DoD. I’m not going to say this is going to solve every bit of it, but it’s going to help us a bit,” Office of the DoD Chief Information Officer John Sherman said. 2️⃣ United States Department of Defense surpasses $600M in JWCC task order awards. Google, Oracle, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft compete for task orders under the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability enterprise cloud program. 3️⃣ The Defense Information Systems Agency has launched a new cloud service management platform called Olympus to help defense agencies develop and mature their cloud environments. 4️⃣ Switchblade 600 drones in the running for Replicator mass production. With a 24-mile range, 40 minutes of loitering endurance and the ability to fly at speeds of up to 115 miles per hour, Switchblade 600s are built to destroy armored vehicles and other targets in multi-domain military operations. 5️⃣ Embracing and incentivizing digital methods in design and manufacturing can help the U.S. match or outpace its adversaries, a new report from the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argues—and top Pentagon and industry officials say they are working to do just that. 6️⃣ The Wall Street Journal covers how America is getting ready for space warfare. Pentagon officials open up about potential threats as China’s presence in orbit grows and Russia shows interest in gear that can destroy satellites. 7️⃣ United States Space Force is getting a cloud-based, classified environment for industry collaborations. The Space Force recently extended General Dynamics Information Technology's contract to expand Project Enigma, adding more stakeholders and cloud service providers to the digital environment. 8️⃣ US Army lays out strategy for new $1B contract vehicle for modern software development. The service is seeking feedback from industry. 9️⃣ Losing hearts and minds: The desperate state of US influence operations. The United States is surrendering ground to Russia and China’s propaganda machines. That has key officials increasingly worried. 🔟 Anduril Industries is building out the Pentagon’s dream of deadly drone swarms. The US military aims to maintain its dominance by building autonomous attack drones that collaborate with humans and overwhelm defenses in swarms. 🔗 Links in comments below 👇 #DoD #DHS #defenseinnovation #defense #defensetechnology #technology #tech #nationalsecurity #jadc2 #army #navy #airforce

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What's missing from this Defense Innovation Board recommendations report on Data? This is a comprehensive report and set of recommendations from the DIB on improving data access and quality across the department. Would highly encourage you to read. One other recommendation I would recommend adding is a CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE SUB-TIER SUPPLIER INFORMATION, STARTING WITH TIER 1, to enable better monitoring of supply chain risks and ultimately improve supply chain resilience. Getting this information after a contract has been set up is quite difficult for many reasons including lack of incentives for a contractor to provide it. At a minimum, Tier 1 information is something that contractors have at their fingertips as they know who their next tier suppliers are. Information beyond that into next Tiers is more difficult and requires them to reach out to their next tier of suppliers. It can be done through solutions like Resilinc as we have seen at DLA and other agencies. But it takes time and effort. Recommendation: Add a requirement, for contracts of certain size and above, to provide Tier 1 supply chain data, based on part #s, products, service offerings being delivered. Anthony Di Stasio Brooke Pyne Peter Guinto Brandon Hodges Dr. Marina Theodotou G. Nagesh R. Ryan Connell John Ferry Rob Handfield #emergingtech #supplychainresiliency

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Reviving the Spirit of the OSS for a New Era Robert Greenway's recent report advocating for consolidating strategic assets within the DoD resonates deeply. As someone who's been championing and has attempted this type of organizational restructuring on a smaller scale, I wholeheartedly agree. The strategic landscape has shifted dramatically. We need a more agile and integrated approach to effectively counter the rise of the Axis of Upheaval (China, Russia, Iran, DPRK) and manage an increasingly complex global threat environment. Consolidating special operations, strategic influence, and sensitive activities under a unified command structure reminiscent of the WWII-era OSS offers a compelling solution. Central to this effort is a renewed focus on the cognitive domain. Wild Bill Donovan, the visionary leader of the OSS, wisely asserted that psychological considerations are as important in devising wartime strategy as any other factor considered in planning a military campaign. Deterrence in the 21st century requires both military might and a sophisticated understanding of how to shape perceptions and influence decision-making. This isn't about warmongering; it's about deterrence and adaptability. By streamlining our capabilities, we can buy precious time to rebuild our conventional forces and strategic deterrents, ultimately making large-scale conflict less likely. It's time to move beyond fragmented organizations and embrace a more cohesive strategy. The future of our national security may depend on it. #Defense #NationalSecurity #GeopoliticalRisk #StrategicCompetition #Innovation #Leadership #OSS #SpecialOperations #China #Russia #DPRK #Iran The OSS Society Joint Special Operations University Special Operations Association of America Michael Waltz

Hey, small business defense contractors: Have you read the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) Reporting Requirements Proposed Rule yet? Let me oversimplify for you: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is adding their name to the list of agencies that businesses across multiple sectors must report cyber incidents to - even if your business is small, and even if the business already has mandatory reporting requirements to their sector agency. Rather than remove barriers, streamline, and "harmonize," government policy continues to get more and more complicated for small business owners. The world wonders why small businesses are resource-strapped and confused about government requirements, but with each layer of new policy, it's really no wonder. ----- Comment period ends June 3, 2024: https://lnkd.in/eRgSn3fk Win-Tech submitted comments to the Federal Register, comments shared below. Check out posts by Jacob Horne, Glenda R. Snodgrass, CCP/CCA, and B. Stephanie Siegmann for analysis on the rule and what it may mean looking forward. #DIB #cybersecurity #smallbusiness

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Old datasets can sometimes throw a curve ball at you ⚾! ⚾I usually receive datasets that are CSV (meaning they have comma separated values). But I have received very old datasets that use other delimiters – such as pipes, dashes – and even spaces! I do not recommend 😦! ⚾Most datasets I receive have “headers”, meaning the first row of the dataset has the column names in it. But some do not – and then you have to figure this out when you are importing the data into your program! Better go get your offline documentation 😬! ⚾Believe it or not, I have seen old datasets with columns that are little 255 characters long! They often contain full sentences. These sentences unfortunately tend to include special characters that like to give import engines indigestion 🤢! Are you suffering through trying analyze old datasets – or new datasets in old formats? Register for our upcoming workshop, “Application Basics: Dealing with Legacy Systems”, get the necessary background on legacy applications, and be regarded as an expert who can analyze both old and new data formats! #R4sasUsers #DethwenchLive #healthcare #dataanalytics #rstats Wendel Cabillo Vincent Batza Amarjit Gunjal Filippos Admasu Sravan Kumar Dandu David Townes Nirali Vadodaria

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📣 Amazing opportunities ahead with the #AirForce for #SmallBusinesses. #USAF Seeking Small Businesses to Support Major Reoptimization Effort This plan focuses on four main areas – developing people, generating readiness, projecting power and developing capabilities. https://lnkd.in/gWhAwWfF #GovCon #SmallBusiness #Accounting #GovernmentContracting #GovernmentContractor #FederalContracting #FederalGovernment

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It is happening. L3Harris Technologies is the first Prime to buy into a Commercial instead of Cost plus business model. I wrote about why we need our Primes to be more valuable if we are going to win back in May: https://lnkd.in/gVMCpZwY L3's CEO lays out that he is all in on the Commercial business model (i.e. invest your own capital, not the taxpayers, to build products. Charge a price based on the market, not based on expensive, onerous, and anti-innovative cost accounting).

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DISA's new hot off-the-press five-year strategy prioritizes providing “resilient” capability for warfighters and "strategic command, control, and communications.” Lt Gen Skinner says what he needs from industry is not more cloud options, but help pruning outdated software and consolidating redundant applications to make it easier to migrate to the cloud, instead of just carrying everything over indiscriminately." https://lnkd.in/eZD28heF

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Want to know how the United States Department of Defense and the United States Space Force plan to integrate commercial solutions to their space architectures? Check out Becky Leggieri's article in April's Federal Budget IQ report. #space #technology #publicsectorforecast

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The results on Defense Innovation Board's study on Aligning Incentives to Driver Faster Tech Adoption" are out! Some great insights. #emergingtech #defenseinnovation #defensetech

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"If what you want is modernization, call it that, and then be more specific about what you mean by modernization. But don't call it innovation and hope that you get better operations." - Jennifer Pahlka in the comments.

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The Army is seeking to consolidate two of its major contracting vehicles into a single super contract, the Army Contracting Command’s Enterprise for Sourcing Services (ACCESS). ACCESS would channel $50 billion into the defense sector over the next decade, offering opportunities for vendors in professional and IT services. The Army is considering creating ACCESS to merge the $37.4 billion Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) and the $12.1 billion Information Technology Enterprise Solutions 3 Services (ITES-3S) contract. ACCESS would be a Multiple Award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (MA IDIQ) contract aimed at enhancing the procurement of professional services and staff augmentation, including a new scope of IT services not currently covered RS3. The Army issued a Request for Information (RFI) on April 11 to obtain market research and seek industry feedback to shape the acquisition strategy for ACCESS. Responses are Friday, May 3, 2024, at 4:30 PM. #army #bd #businessdevelopment #coaching #contractproposal #govcon #ostglobal #ostglobalsoutions #procurement #usarmy #winmorebd

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One has to wonder if this was the plan all along for China to not just gain a foothold but gain a strangle hold. This highlights yet another focal point, that our leadership is often times asleep at the wheel when it comes to national security and are focused more on finances and lining their own pockets than with the greater good. Politics is perhaps the best business for someone to go into if you have an entrepreneurial spirit but no independent ideas to monetize. It used to be about serving....now its about self-serving. Regardless, if you are in the space, as difficult as it is financially, we must take a stand against anything and everything that poses a risk to America and our national security. Like any business or product, quality doesn't come cheap. Cheap is Cheap and comes with a whole slew of issues and problems. You may not realize it today and in the moment. But the consequences will come soon enough. Hats off to ZeroEyes for standing the line and not caving to what is easier and cheaper. credit to Kieran Carroll for the post. U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityFox2Sierra, LLCShane GiblinMike MatrangaTom MarbleEMDSafer Schools TogetherKyle McCauley Belokopitsky, Esq.Mark BartmasRichard GolodnerChristian Johnson

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Speed: Marine Corps Systems Command's OTA brings speed, flexibility & collaboration to federal procurements. Like USAF, other orgs can leverage it. In partnership with Consortium Management Group, Inc. S/F https://lnkd.in/edskDXX8

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You had to know this day would come... DOD is now implementing a DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS across the DoD SBIR/STTR Program Office Programs... Per the recent memorandum: "The Air Force Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA), pursuant to funding support agreements and oversight of the Secretary of the Air Force, will conduct a business review based on publicly available information (PAI) and commercially available information (CAI) for each small business concern (SBC) that submits an SBIR or STTR proposal to identify potential security risk indicators; the PAI/CAI business review will be used to develop a business security risk indicator report." The memo states that, "The PAl/CAI business review will be performed IN PARALLEL WITH THE TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSAL." That said, my hypothesis is this will significantly slow down time to award, since the government will likely want to make sure they are making a "clean" award. Though I appreciate this effort in spirit, I believe it could hurt our ability to prioritize mission over risk and slow us down further. Time is the main thing working against us right now... not the risks startups present. As always, I'd love to hear others' opinions. MEMO LINKED 👇 #nationaldefense #executionmatters #onwards

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This week in Defense Tech: 1️⃣ DoD Chief Information Officer announced the official release of DOD’s new Fulcrum: IT Advancement Strategy, a plan to guide military and civilian components’ sprawling information technology activities and objectives in fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 2️⃣ U.S. Army PEO EIS releases its latest PEO Perspective, covering leadership changes, ATIS, AEISP Hub, and AIE Industry Day. 3️⃣ Is NGAD slipping off the table? United States Air Force chief declines to confirm plans to build next-gen fighter. “We're going to have to make those choices” in the next few years, Gen. Allvin says at an AFA event. 4️⃣ Honeywell is beefing up its defense business by buying advanced electronics firm CAES for $1.9 billion. The all-cash transaction deepens Honeywell's push into aerospace tech months after announcing it would acquire aircraft component maker Civitanavi Systems. 5️⃣ The UK Ministry of Defence is overhauling its internal cloud with a secure by design approach. With the goal of consolidating its internal network, the MoD has turned to automated threat detection and questioning the effectiveness of practices such as air gapping. 6️⃣ More on NGAD... Air Force likely weighing several factors as it contemplates its future. Analysts told DefenseScoop that a number of variables are likely shaping the Air Force's decision on the fate of its sixth-generation fighter jet, including new technologies, budget constraints and more. 7️⃣ US Army is embarking on a strategy to implement a digital engineering environment meant to speed the pace, lower the cost and reduce risk in weapons systems development, according to DASA (DES). 8️⃣ United States Air Force Force is evolving how it does capability development as part of its effort to reoptimize for great power competition, prioritizing the underlying systems rather than the platforms carrying them. 9️⃣ United States Department of Defense working on continuous assessment process for deployed zero-trust solutions. “What we need is a tool … that is constantly going after [zero trust] infrastructures, that is constantly testing against that configuration that was passed,” Randy Resnick said. 🔟 The Pentagon wants to make it easier for its organizations to use data analytics, so it’s overhauling its Advana platform to pull data from disparate sources instead of pooling it in one place. 🔗 Links in comments below 👇 #DoD #defenseinnovation #defense #defensetechnology #technology #tech #nationalsecurity #jadc2 #army #navy #airforce

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