Sponsored by Spectra Group
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27 Jun 24. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) are collaborating to provide Net-Enabled Weapons (NEW) capability for GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SeaGuardian® Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The addition of NEW capability for SeaGuardian will bolster the Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISR&T) capability for the aircraft.
The NEW technology provides expanded sensor targeting applications for the precision targeting of long-range weapons. SeaGuardian’s demonstrated persistence coupled with its vast array of precision targeting sensors enables more efficient kill chains, especially in contested environments. GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SeaGuardian® UAS, and SeaVue multi-role radar from Raytheon, an RTX business, will effectively leverage Lockheed Martin’s extensive NEW expertise to further refine targeting capabilities for future theater deployments. Initial testing was completed on June 5, 2024, with F/A-18s on the U.S. Navy’s W-289 test range in Southern California.
GA-ASI and Lockheed Martin have been developing Link 16 messages to communicate with weapons inflight using the SeaGuardian Systems Integration Lab (SIL) in preparation for overwater range test flight.
“This is a very important system attribute for SeaGuardian to enable naval long-range targeting CONOPS against high-end threats at much less risk to manned platforms,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “We appreciate Lockheed Martin’s support in helping us prove out the NEW technology, which is an important component of our ISR&T capability.”
MQ-9B SeaGuardian is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS. Its multi-domain capabilities allow it to flex from mission to mission. SeaGuardian has been used by the U.S. in several recent demonstrations, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, and Group Sail.
27 Jun 24. Comtech (NASDAQ: CMTL) (“the Company”), a global technology leader, today announced the launch of SmartAssist™, an artificial intelligence (“AI”)-backed solution developed to answer low-priority non-emergency calls without engaging a telecommunicator.
SmartAssist is designed to help Emergency Communications Centers (“ECCs”) and Public Safety Answering Points (“PSAPs”) manage call and Internet of Things device volumes by using AI chatbots to answer and triage non-emergency calls. The first of many applications in SmartAssist relies on AI bots programmed using conversational design to understand the natural language of the caller and resolve the caller’s request without the need for human intervention for non-emergency calls.
“One of the most critical challenges ECCs face today is staffing shortages, which can cause delays in 9-1-1 call answering times,” said Jeff Robertson, President of Comtech’s Terrestrial & Wireless Networks Segment. “Our SmartAssist solution solves call volume challenges and staffing shortages by streamlining 9-1-1 workflows with new AI-backed capabilities that can effectively handle most non-emergency administrative calls without telecommunicator assistance. Built on Comtech’s industry-leading public safety solutions, SmartAssist further demonstrates our ability to deliver innovative first-to-market solutions that solve today’s most pressing public safety challenges.”
The SmartAssist solution provides robust AI-backed voice and chatbot capabilities that enable public safety customers to leverage customized response solutions for a broad spectrum of low-priority non-emergency caller inquiries, ranging from text messages and form creation to foreign language capacities and performance metrics.
26 Jun 24. DOD, Partners Find Data Sharing Challenging. The mission of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office is to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence, data and analytics across the Defense Department in an effort to modernize the force.
Bill Streilein, its chief technology officer, spoke today at the virtual Defense One event, “Genius Machines: Understanding the AI Threatscape.”
A major challenge is data sharing among industry and foreign partners who might have a lot to contribute. However, classification of data remains a barrier to sharing, he said.
“It’s not so much a technical challenge, because the ability to share data has been around for a while. It’s more of a policy challenge, to be honest. But getting there requires a lot of conversation, a lot of mutual understanding of what the data is that needs to be shared,” he said.
There are recent discussions about allowing DOD to streamline sharing from a whole data set and which portions need to be specially protected and which ones can be shared as they are, he said.
The crises in Ukraine and Israel have ramped up those discussions since information sharing has been critical to those battlespaces, he said.
Streilein also touched on the importance of talent management and training candidates for AI and other digital technology positions within the department.
There are a number of courses recently launched, including at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University and at the Naval Postgraduate School, where senior leaders can immerse themselves in data analytics and AI, he said.
These courses help to dispel the mystery around it and help them to understand the rationale for why these capabilities are important, he said, adding that “the more the leaders know about it … the better decisions they can make about how to bring the capability to the department.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
25 Jun 24. Pentagon unveils IT modernization plan to tackle talent, tech hurdles. The Pentagon unveiled a new IT modernization strategy dubbed “Fulcrum” on Tuesday that lays out tangible steps for leaders to address workforce shortages, make its networks faster and streamline policies for more efficient procurement and governance.
On June 20, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks approved the strategy, and the department announced it on June 25, coinciding with the 2024 TechNet Cyber conference presented by the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International in Baltimore.
“Fulcrum describes ‘what’ the DoD must achieve with respect to advancing IT for the warfighter and ‘why’ it matters,” according to a department statement.
The strategy offers specifics on broad, sweeping goals by the Pentagon to communicate faster and more securely with warfighters and allies. To date, the government has issued a number of strategic plans and frameworks to double down on cybersecurity and accelerate the military’s development of tools like AI, but this plan takes that a step further by prioritizing user experience and scalable, agile investments.
“It’s called ‘fulcrum’ because it sits at the nexus between our national security strategy, our strategic management plans — our really ‘big thinking’ strategies,” said Leslie Beavers, principal deputy chief information officer, on Tuesday.
With so many tools coming to market from different vendors and small businesses also hoping to break in, the strategy gives leaders guideposts for how to assess what tools and internal resources are needed.
Critically, it also devotes a category to developing the workforce, specifically by broadening the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework to focus more intently on roles for data, AI and software engineering.
The DoD has long said this is an established need.
“There is a recognized shortage of skilled cyber personnel that could potentially impact operational readiness across the Department and put national security at risk,” according to the department’s 2023 Cyber Workforce Strategy. “Despite the vast expansion of cyber educational and experiential opportunities, the nation’s cyber talent pipeline remains limited.”
As in the private sector, government, too, is struggling with too few tech practitioners that make new cybersecurity practices difficult to implement. At the same time, much of the technical guidance handed down by experts in tech shops is written for the actual programmists, not senior executives, so there needs to be an available reserve of workers, DoD officials said at the conference.
“Leadership is a force multiplier and to outpace [adversaries] we have to maximize the talent from our broad array of partners, and recruit and retain our own talent,” said Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, at the conference.
Finally, the new strategy also seeks to streamline governance and enhance use of data to backup decision-making and identify cost savings to deliver joint warfighting capabilities faster amid high-tempo, multi-domain operations.
“We must challenge legacy approaches and move move toward rapid innovation for them,” said Haugh. “We cannot succeed when our existing processes move slower than the rate of innovation change.”
(Source: C4ISR & Networks)
26 Jun 24. Lufthansa Technik Selects Thales For The Pegasus Programme.
Thales will supply its last generation of secured audio/radio management system capable of managing the communications of the flight deck and operators both internally and externally to the aircraft.
This system features full compliance with German military requirements, the highest level of security, and significant weight savings, as well as enhanced reliability compared to traditional technologies.
“Lufthansa Technik’s and Thales Aerospace Communications’ engineering teams have worked very closely to develop the most adapted audio/radio management system for this program. Together we have come up with a highly efficient system that enables the aircraft to fulfill very demanding missions. This new contract confirms our market leadership in terms of audio/radio management systems for missionized single intelligence platforms.” Nicolas Bonleux, Executive Vice-President, Thales Aerospace Communications
25 Jun 24. L3Harris Technologies is expected to unveil new wideband waveforms in September 2024, intended initially for Central and Eastern European (CEE) militaries, Janes learnt.
Speaking to Janes at the Eurosatory 2024 defence exhibition in Paris, held from 17 to 21 June, a company spokesperson disclosed that CEE militaries would be the first international customers for the ‘Vapor’ and ‘Vanguard’ waveforms, designed to increase security and resilience in contested areas of operation.
The spokesperson was unable to disclose which specific armed forces were interested in purchasing the new waveforms, although, L3Harris business development executive Michael Wolfe confirmed to Janes that the new waveforms were being designed to support the Falcon III RF-7850 family of software-defined radios (SDRs).
L3Harris Technologies has been supplying non-Type 1 SDRs to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Special Operations Forces since 2012, where they are used to co-ordinate operations in highly contested, electromagnetic operating environments.
The new waveforms, which operate between 225 MHz and 2.5 GHz and will be made available as a pair, have been designed to support anti-jamming and anti-detection requirements, Wolfe said.
The Vanguard waveform is designed to enable ground-to-ground communications, embedded into RF-7850D vehicular and RF-7850S handheld SDRs. Meanwhile, the Vapor waveform will support video datalink communications from unmanned air and ground vehicles equipped with the RF-7850A-ER Embeddable Modular Radio (EMR).
Wolfe confirmed that the new waveforms are developments from legacy Soldier- and Video-TDMA Networking Waveforms, but will also include frequency-hopping technologies. (Source: Janes)
25 Jun 24. Armed with quantum sensors, France eyes leaps in electronic warfare. The French Navy took delivery of its first serial-produced, quantum-technology sensor this year, a quantum gravimeter used for mapping the seabed, the head of the country’s defense innovation agency AID said. Future uses of such sensors could be for navigation or detecting enemy submarines.
The agency is also working with Thales on quantum sensors for electronic warfare that will allow monitoring of a broad swath of the electromagnetic spectrum, Patrick Aufort, the head of the agency, told Defense News at last week’s Eurosatory defense show in Paris. Those sensors will be available within the next five years, he said.
France in 2022 earmarked €1.8 bn, or U.S. $1.93 bn, to develop quantum technologies, a rapidly evolving field that exploits the laws of quantum physics to create new forms of computing, communication and sensing. Quantum gravimeters measure falling, laser-cooled atoms to detect tiny variations in gravitational pull, which could be used to detect the mass of an adversary submarine. There are no methods for submarines to shield themselves from such sensors, according to a 2020 policy brief from the European Leadership Network.
The gravimeter “is particularly useful for the first applications we’re doing here, mapping the seabed,” Aufort said. “But afterward, we can imagine other uses for the gravimeter, notably for positioning, notably for detecting the existence of a cavity on the seabed.”
French defense-procurement agency DGA has been funding work by the French national aerospace research office Onera on quantum gravimeters since 2006, with a first demonstrator in 2016. The office has worked with France’s Muquans, now part of the technology firm Exail, to industrialize the production of the gravimeter.
The second development France is working on is quantum-based, electronic-warfare sensors, which will allow for a higher probability of intercepting emissions in the electromagnetic spectrum, including radar and communications, according to Aufort.
“Quantum technologies allow you to have both a much better resolution on what you’re going to detect and, above all, to have instant detection over a very wide bandwidth,” Aufort said. “You have access to much greater bandwidths, and so a higher probability of interception, because emissions are in fact fleeting.”
Quantum-based electronic warfare sensors can use laser-cooled quantum bits that interact with any incoming electromagnetic waves, measuring tiny changes in a qubit’s quantum state. Today’s analysis relies on rotating through different bands to monitor the entire spectrum.
France is working in particular with Thales on such quantum sensors, which are “a question of, I’m not going to say months, but years, in the next five years,” Aufort said.
The head of the defense innovation agency said quantum computers are also a “question of years,” and they may be a mix of traditional high-performance computing with a quantum part. The DGA in March awarded contracts to five domestic computer research startups to develop technology that will allow France to have two universal quantum computer prototypes by 2032. (Source: Defense News)
26 Jun 24. Goldilock, the British cybersecurity company behind a unique physical network isolation solution, today announces a series of strategic channel partnerships with distributors and value-added resellers (VARs) to fuel global expansion and empower organisations worldwide with its mission-critical technology.
The increasingly complex cyber threat landscape necessitates a layered security strategy to effectively protect assets from attacks. Goldilock’s innovative “kill-switch” solution fits into this strategy as a powerful yet simple hardware-based approach that uses Dynamic Physical Network Segmentation (DPNS) technology, enabling users to physically isolate their digital assets and systems at the touch of a button.
Goldilock has now forged alliances with a select group of diverse channel partners, renowned for their established customer relationships and deep industry knowledge, to swiftly provide as many industries as possible with access to its physical isolation solution, including to high-risk industries such as defence and healthcare. These partners, listed below, will play a central role in broadening Goldilock’s footprint across new territories and market segments.
- Distributors: Cyber Distribution (UK), Naperto (Mainland Europe), and CreaPlus (Mainland Europe).
- Resellers: Brookcourt Solutions (UK, Enterprise), Sterling (UK & US, Defence and Security), NCS (Singapore, Enterprise), and BKJ Works (US, Enterprise).
These initial and carefully chosen partnerships grant Goldilock access to proven expertise in deployment, integration, and ongoing support, and unlock a vast network of potential customers. While Sterling brings unparalleled knowledge in the specific needs of the defence sector, NCS, Brookcourt, and BKJ Works cater to enterprise customers, with a deep understanding of their regional threat landscapes and requirements. This combined force ensures customers receive not just the technology, but also the expert guidance and industry-specific knowledge needed to maximise its effectiveness and achieve a truly holistic cybersecurity posture.
“Traditional security measures, like reactively patching vulnerabilities, are proving increasingly ineffective” said CEO and Founder Tony Hasek at Goldilock, “Our solution seamlessly integrates with existing technologies like firewalls, routers, and switches, allowing it to easily slot into any multi-layered security approach. We’re looking forward to working together with our new partners to make sure customers have access to tailored and ongoing support, helping them establish a cybersecurity setup that truly works for them.”
“Our commitment to a channel-first approach takes a major leap forward with these partnerships” said Steven Brodie, Head of Channel at Goldilock. “We’ve already established strong relationships with our new partners, and we’re actively seeking more to join our growing ecosystem.” He added “Ultimately, this is about meeting the demand for such a critical cybersecurity solution as quickly as possible.”
Luke Flanagan, Business Development Manager for EMEA at Sterling said “Sterling is thrilled to embark on this journey with Goldilock. Goldilock’s robust portfolio enhances cybersecurity, addressing a top concern for our customers. With Goldilock’s offerings, Sterling can provide even more secure solutions to our clients.”
Rob Leggett, CEO and Founder of Cyber Distribution said “Cyber Distribution is always on the lookout for game changing products which can make a real difference in the crowded cybersecurity market, and Goldilock fits the bill. Goldilock’s ability to physically isolate critical network infrastructure, OT and IT systems, ensures that assets remain secure, invisible, and inaccessible to adversaries, connecting to the internet only when necessary or being truly physically isolated in an instant. Our partners can now offer another level of security to their customers that was previously unavailable.”
26 Jun 26. Mattermost, Inc., a leader in secure collaboration for mission-critical work in complex environments, today announced that it has completed its $1.25m Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, delivering mission-critical ChatOps capabilities for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) and ATAK operating systems.
Built in collaboration with the development team at BrainGu, a leader in mission software solutions, the Mattermost integration for TAK improves distributed collaboration and enhances warfighter efficiency, safety and accuracy. Developed to improve TAK’s tactical chat function by providing secure, enterprise-grade ChatOps capabilities, the plugin also leverages the Mattermost open-source secure collaboration platform’s self-hosting capabilities, enabling teams to retain full data ownership and meet communications security (COMSEC) requirements. Additionally, with support from BrainGu, the Mattermost integration creates an extension for TAK capabilities, laying the foundation for future capabilities such as AI-enabled decision support tools.
“We’re pleased to address a demonstrated capability gap with the delivery of the Mattermost integration for TAK, enabling our operators to leverage streamlined ChatOps functionality that facilitates the mission-critical transmission of intelligence,” said Corey Hulen, co-founder and CTO of Mattermost. “In partnership with BrainGu and goTenna, we’ve developed this integration to satisfy the Department of Defense’s need for primary, alternate, contingent and emergency communications protocol.”
In addition to the secure ChatOps plugin, Mattermost and BrainGu also worked closely with goTenna, the world’s leading mobile mesh networking platform, to develop and deliver transmission-layer integrations for TAK on goTenna’s mesh radios, addressing challenges associated with low-bandwidth communications and providing resilient, decentralized connectivity. The goTenna plugin also offers support for ATAK systems, enabling seamless connectivity with TAK servers and ensuring scalability and reliability in diverse operational environments.
With new collaboration features now available, 350,000 civilian, DoD and partner TAK users can leverage the secure chat integration and low-bandwidth capabilities to effectively communicate mission-critical information between operational teams at the tactical edge and their forward operating bases (FOB) in near-real-time. The completion of this contract marks Mattermost’s second completed SBIR Phase II this year, just three months after the company announced the completion of its first contract with delivery of its message acknowledgment and urgency capabilities for the 618th AOC.
To learn more about how Mattermost enables mission-critical collaboration for government customers, visit https://mattermost.com/solutions/industries/government/.
Supporting Quotes:
“Resilient communication is key to mission success,” said Tim Gast, Vice President, Labs, at BrainGu. “We’re proud to join Mattermost and goTenna in putting innovative software in the hands of warfighters to enhance decision quality and drive positive outcomes, and we’re looking forward to continuing our pursuit of what’s next.”
“We’re pleased to support tactical ChatOps and aid in the transmission of mission-critical intelligence across distributed environments, enabling support to operators working in low-bandwidth conditions via goTenna’s mesh capabilities,” said goTenna CEO Ari Schuler. “The goTenna and Mattermost partnership brings together two operator-focused companies seeking to support hundreds of thousands of airmen and TAK users with the secure communication they need to be successful in their mission.”
About Mattermost:
Mattermost is the leading collaboration platform for mission-critical work. We serve government, defense, aerospace and critical infrastructure in their support of the national security strategy. We accelerate decision advantage through self-sovereign collaboration, critical incident management and DevSecOps workflows to bolster the focus, adaptability and resilience of the world’s most important organizations.
Our enterprise software and single-tenant SaaS platforms are built to meet the custom needs of rigorous and complex environments while offering a secure and unrivaled collaboration experience across web, desktop and mobile with channel-based messaging, file sharing, audio calling and screen share, with integrated tooling, workflow automation and AI assistance.
Mattermost is developed on an open core platform vetted by the world’s leading security organizations and co-built with over 4,000 open source project contributors who’ve provided over 30,000 code improvements towards our shared vision of accelerating the world’s mission critical work.
For more information visit mattermost.com.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About BrainGu
BrainGu is a leading technology provider specializing in mission software solutions for highly-regulated industries including defense, finance, and critical infrastructure. Our mission is to help our customers build higher quality software that is not only scalable and reliable but also secure from the start.
Our flagship developer experience platform, SmoothGlue, accelerates secure software development and deployment in environments with the strictest regulatory requirements, enhancing operational capabilities and ensuring compliance. Our solutions are tailored to meet the unique demands of these rigorous settings, providing a seamless, secure, and superior developer experience across cloud-native, on-prem, and edge deployments.
For more information visit braingu.com.
About goTenna:
goTenna is advancing universal access to connectivity by building the world’s most intelligent and scalable mobile mesh networks. goTenna is the world’s leading mobile mesh networking company, providing off-grid connectivity solutions for smartphones and other devices, as well as augmenting traditional communications networks. This technology enables mobile, long-range connectivity without cell, wifi, or satellite connectivity. goTenna’s drive to create resilient connectivity began during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 when approximately a third of cell towers and power stations in affected areas failed. goTenna’s products are currently used by over 300 law enforcement, military, and public safety agencies worldwide. Based in Brooklyn, goTenna is backed by investors including Founders Fund, Union Square Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Bloomberg Beta.
24 Jun 24. Taiwan: New campaign points to sustained espionage risks from Chinese state-sponsored groups. On 24 June, the cyber security company Recorded Future revealed that the likely Chinese state-sponsored group ‘RedJuliett’ is targeting Taiwanese government, academic, technology and diplomatic organisations in an espionage campaign. The group reportedly exploited software vulnerabilities in internet-facing network edge devices such as firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs) to obtain initial access. They then used an open-source VPN to establish a persistent connection with actor-controlled infrastructure. Additionally, RedJuliett used structured query language (SQL) and directory traversal attacks to access confidential data. They also exploited additional vulnerabilities to escalate privileges within systems. The exploitation of vulnerabilities in network edge devices remains an effective initial access vector, highlighting the importance of network segmentation and strict patch management policies. Chinese state-sponsored actors often target Taiwanese organisations to steal sensitive information. This aims to bolster China’s economic and security posture amid tensions in the South China Sea, pointing to sustained espionage risks to Taiwanese firms. (Source: Sibylline)
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Spectra Group (UK) Ltd
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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