Death by Many Cuts. America is suffering from a “slow bleed” when it comes to cyber attacks and intrusions against its industry and government computer networks, according to Ron Ross, a fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Ross, speaking at a Meritalk cyber security event on Aug. 2, said a “Cyber Pearl Harbor” is less likely. He said most “devastating attacks are not bringing our capability down, they’re stealing stuff from us,” citing the theft of technology related to the U.S. submarine and F-35 stealth fighter programs, and personnel records from the Office of Personnel Management. We’re just going to continue to see our technology and our capabilities degraded over time because we are just not paying attention and the only way we get out of this box is to apply the best practices of engineering,” Ross said. These best practices include things like reducing the attack surface, understanding where untrusted components are, and improving visibility and transparency into components so that there is “greater trustworthiness.”
DHS Cyber Industry Day. After hosting its first ever Cyber Security Summit last week, the Department of Homeland Security will host a cyber security industry day on Aug. 16 as part of ongoing efforts to improve transparency and network with industry. The event will be hosted by the Office of Cybersecurity & Communications, which is led by Assistant Secretary Jeanette Manfra, and will feature presentations from, and discussions with, the office’s leadership, the DHS chief procurement officer, the Office of Procurement Operations, and the Office of Selective Acquisition Leadership. Breakout sessions will include topics such as election security, cloud migration and updates on the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program. In New York City on July 31, DHS held a cyber security summit to announce a new National Risk Management Center and to strengthen cooperation between government and industry leaders.
Release The Kraken. The commander of Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC), Gen. Carlton Everhart II, told reporters at a Defense Writers Group breakfast this week that the reason he talks so openly and “off-the-cuff” about the possibility of new technologies is because “young airmen, they’ll glom onto it and all of a sudden it starts building a fever and the next thing you know there’s a concept and next thing you know they say we can do this, and build it and they will come.” Everhart was speaking about putting pre-positioned cargo in space. He said that “if you look at the things we’re doing in innovation right now…I released the kraken,” meaning let young airmen visit the labs. He lets them tell superiors what they want and, if it is a viable concept, they will put money into it and get it made and mass produced. Everhart said another example of a technology developing this way is with additive manufacturing, a 3D printing method.
Shifting Carriers. The U.S. Navy said the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) aircraft carriers will all conduct homeport shifts. The Lincoln, currently in Norfolk, Va., will join the Pacific Fleet and be homeported in San Diego. The ship last served in the Pacific Fleet from 1990-2011 before starting midlife refueling in Norfolk. The Stennis is homeporterd in Bremerton, Wash., but will change homeports to Norfolk before it starts its own midlife complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding. The Vinson will change its homeport from San Diego to Bremerton in advance of a docking-planned increment availability (DPIA) at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Japan Aegis. Japan launched a new Aegis missile defense-capable destroyer on July 30, the future JS Maya (DDG-179), in Yokohama. The first ship is a new class. It is expected to be commissioned into the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) in March 2020 while the follow-on ship, DDG-180, is set for launch in 2019 and will be commissioned in 2021. The Maya is 170 meters long and features the Aegis Baseline J7 combat system and Northrop Grumman AN/SPQ-9B radar. The Aegis J7 is a Japanese equivalent of the U.S. Baseline 9 system. These destroyers are being planned to be able to fire SM-3 Block IIA missiles for missile defense, which are being jointly developed by the U.S. and Japan.
LPD-29. Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) started fabricating the 13th LPD-17 San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, the future USS Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD-29), this week at its Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard. Start of fabrication will be announced when the first 100 tons of steel have been cut. LPD-29 will be the last ship of the Flight I San Antonio-class. It will serve as a sort of transition shjip, incorporating some upgrades over earlier ships, before the Navy transitions to the Flight II class. Flight II ships will replace the Whidbey Island (LSD-41) and the Harpers Ferry-class (LSD-49) dock landing ships.
F-35 Air. The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $172 million modification to procure diminishing manufacturing sources redesign activities for low rate initial production Lot 11 F-35 air systems. The work will occur in Fort Worth, Texas and is expected to be finished by January 2024. This F-35 work is split between $69 million, or 40 percent, Air Force, $34 million, or 20 percent, Navy, $34 million, or 20 percent, Marine Corps, and $34 million or 20 percent international partners.
Aquabotix UTIC. Underwater robotics company UUV Aquabotix Ltd. Is joining the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC). UTIC helps manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, academia, non-profits, and other organizations work with the U.S. government to develop undersea and maritime technologies for defense and security purposes. Aquabotix was approved because of its contributions to developing technology supporting U.S. and allied security, the company said. In June the U/S/ Naval Undersea Warfare Center awarded UTIC an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement for undersea technology innovation. That allows the members to engage in a range of maritime development and prototyping activities and may deliver new technology faster that in traditional federal acquisitions processes.
NATO Cyber. The Estonian Center for Defense Investment posted a notice July 30 announcing its competition to provide automated management systems for the NATO Cyber Range is open to U.S. companies. Potential U.S. bidders have to be pre-approved for NATO International Competitive Bidding and must be registered on the Estonian E-Procurement Registry. Interested companies have until Sept. 7 to qualify for the project, including completion of a Declaration of Eligibility certification from the Department of Commerce. A bid phase to submit proposals for the NATO Cyber automated management system will run from Sept.28-Oct. 30.
Kuwait Munitions FMS. The State Department has approved a possible $40.4 million foreign military sale with Kuwait for Mk-series munitions. Kuwait has requested 1,020 Mk-82 500-pound bombs, 1,002 Mk-83 1,000-pound. bombs and 600 Mk-84 2,000-pound bombs. Kuwait is expected to use the munitions on its fleet of F/A-18 aircraft.
Blame Obama. Vice President Mike Pence said last week that the Trump administration “inherited a cyber crisis,” adding that “The last administration all but neglected cyber security, even though the digital threats were growing more numerous and dangerous by the day.” Speaking at the Department of Homeland Security’s inaugural National Cybersecurity Summit on July 31, Pence mentioned a breach of the White House network in 2014 by a foreign government, saying, “in the face of constant attacks like that, the last administration too often chose silence and paralysis over strength and action.” Pence didn’t mention that the Obama administration managed the formation of the Cybersecurity Framework used by the government and private sector to help manage risks, made further enhancements to information sharing about cyber threats such as the Automated Indicator Sharing portal, and the alleged Stuxnet malware attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Counter UAS Award. CACI International received a $48.5 million contract to provide the Navy with counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities to protect sensitive government facilities. The one-year award was made by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division AIRWorks Rapid Development Capabilities Integrated Product Team. CACI will supply its suite of SkyTracker C-UAS solutions that detect, track, identify and mitigate potential threats from UAS. The company will also supply modeling and simulation, and command and control integration services.