Space-Based Sensors. The Defense Department is exploring options to build a constellation of small satellites that could detect and track hypersonic weapons. The MDA is expected to complete a systems engineering assessment of the sensor requirements involved in such a system by this fall, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Paul Selva said Friday at a Mitchell Institute breakfast. That will include the expected size of the proposed constellation and a projected cost to build it, and whether it can be connected to a command-and-control defense system to deter weapon-carrying vehicles traveling at a speed of Mach 5 or higher.

Drone Exports. The White House is examining ways to better regulate the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles as part of President Donald Trump’s new U.S. Conventional Arms Transfer policy, released in April. State Department officials said Wednesday at a think tank event in Washington that the missile technology control regime (MTCR), established in 1987 and designed to prevent the proliferation of missiles, “never took into account the role that unmanned aerial systems now play in the military and commercial realms.” The administration is developing options to open the market space for drone manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, and officials said to expect an update on those efforts by fall 2018.

Mexico Missiles FMS.The State Department said Aug. 9 it has approved a possible $41 million deal with Mexico for six Evolved Seasparrow tactical missiles and two Evolved Seasparrow telemetry missiles. Mexico’s government also requested one MK 56 VLS launcher, eight MK 30 canisters and eight MK 783 shipping containers. The weapons systems and missiles will be used on Mexico’s Sigma 10514 Class ship. Raytheon is the prime contractor for the deal.

Greaves On AT&L. Missile Defense Agency Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves spoke positively about the split of the office of under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics (AT&L) at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Ala., this week. He said his unique authorities at MDA means he reports both to under secretary for acquisition and sustainment Ellen Lord and undersecretary for research and engineering Michael Griffin. “It’s not more complicated, it’s better. I like the work that we’ve done, what the Congress has done, what the administration has done.”

…Russian Hypersonics. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin told reporters at a roundtable at the symposium that he doesn’t see a real threat from Russia developing nuclear-armed hypersonic missiles. Since both countries have such large nuclear arsenals already and are deterred by Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), “I don’t, frankly, maybe I’m missing something…but I do not see what a hypersonic nuclear missile brings to the strategic missile posture.” He saw Russian President Vladamir Putin show off such a system and reacted with “Ok, so what?”

…On Digital Engineering. During the roundtable Griffin also said last month’s new digital engineering strategy is just an attempt to push the government to catch up to where industry is already going and is part of overall modernization efforts. He said it may not be flashy, but the way the world of engineering works today and he is pushing the Defense Department to join it. He added his office has not had a lot of responses to it yet from inside or outside the Defense Department, but those that have responded are “along the line of what took you so long?” and most comments in industry have been “thanks for finally joining the parade.”

…On Moving Faster. As a keynote speaker at the symposium’s Wednesday night dinner, Griffin said he has never seen a Congress more on the side of helping DoD move faster in his whole career. “In every meeting on the Hill I am asked ‘what relief does the department need, what legal remedies do you require, what can we do to help you move faster?” Griffin told the audience largely of defense contractors that if they feel bound by legal impediments to bring it forward since he is “perfectly willing” to go to Congress to get relief.

…Eliminate Waste. Griffin also wanted attendees to think about what steps can be eliminated to move faster. “Whatever we are doing, something is wrong because we are being outpaced by the Chinese,” particularly regarding hypersonic weapon tests, he said. While the Chinese are not inherently more skilled, “they are not doing a lot of things that just do not need to be done. They are not consulting people who just plain do not need to be consulted.” Therefore, he urged the officials to start work the following day “thinking about what step you can eliminate to move the ball forward.” He endorsed getting help if an official cannot eliminate a wasteful step on their own, even if it means changing a law.

EPF-11. The U.S. Navy held a keel authentication ceremony for the future USNS Puerto Rico, the 11th Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship in Mobile, Ala., on Thursday. The ship is being built in Mobile at Austal USA’s shipyard. The ship’s sponsor for this formal recognition of ship construction is Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

RQ-7B Retired. The last RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in use by the Marine Corps was retired after a final flight during the last event for the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in Hawaii on July 29. The final squadron to use the vehicle was Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 3 while other Marine Corps UAV squadrons earlier transitioned to the RQ-21 Blackjack. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Madhur Sawhney, an air crew chief with operations and training for Marine Aircraft Group 24 noted during RIMPAC “the Shadow provided real-time footage of the objective area for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force commander to guide his decisions.” The Shadow is being replaced with the lighter and smaller Blackjack, which can be launched from San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks in amphibious ready groups and Marine expeditionary units.

Biometric Milestone. Customs and Border Protection and Mineta San Jose International Airport in California this fall will deploy facial recognition technology to verify the departure and arrival of passengers on international flights, making the airport the second in the U.S. behind Orlando International to install biometric technology as part of international entry and exit processing. For exit processing, San Jose will deploy the camera systems at seven gates. CBP is under congressional mandates to deploy biometric technology to better verify the departure of all foreign nationals from the U.S. in accordance with their visas.

Executive Announcements. Carla Provost, who has been acting as chief of the U.S. Border Patrol since April 2017, has been named chief. A 23-year veteran of the Border Patrol, Provost became deputy chief of in 2016. The Border Patrol is responsible for border security of the nation’s land ports of entry. Leidos has named Randy Phillips as senior vice president for Corporate Development, leading the company’s strategic development and growth strategy through mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Leidos, Phillips was led corporate development at Ellucian, a software technology firm serving colleges and universities, and before that he was at Boeing, with responsibilities for strategic planning, M&A activity, minority investment and joint ventures. Leidos said he has been doing corporate development for more than 30 years.