Signals & Space Monthly Briefing

January 2020

Prepared by the CyberWire (Thursday, January 2, 2020) Grey zone deniability in the Middle East. The US offered additional confirmation that debris from an attack on Saudi oil facilities in fact indicate that the strike was mounted by Iran. Reuters reports that US investigators concluded that the drone attack against Abqaiq originated from the north, and that the debris collected at the site appeared consistent with an Iranian-produced IRN-05 UAV. The strike was claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Tehran backs the Houthis, but has denied that it had anything to do with the attack. The direction from which the drones approached is significant because, of course, the Houthi center of activity is to the south, whereas Iran itself is to the north of Saudi Arabia. Eighteen drones and three missiles were used in the strike, and some of their flight paths crossed either Iraq or Kuwait. The activity is consistent with the sort of grey zone deniability Iran has sought in its increasingly sharp operations against the US and its allies. Attribution can be expected to remain a challenge. Another confrontation took place in Iraq late in December. According to the New York Times, Iran has been moving missiles into Iraq, where it supports a number of insurgent militia groups. A rocket strike against a compound killed at least one American and prompted US airstrikes against militia positions. The militias retaliated by organizing mobs to rush the US embassy in Baghdad, an assault thwarted by US deployment of additional Marines. ("No Benghazis," as a partisan note in the New York Post puts it.) Tehran again denied any involvement in the incident, but it's widely seen, as the Wall Street Journal notes, as Iranian-inspired and quite probably Iranian directed. Russia has also continued its use of deniable forces in the region, in Russia's case "mercenaries" who have deployed to Syria and, more recently, to Libya. Reuters reports that the US has charged Russian forces with shooting down an American reconnaissance drone over Libya on the 21st of November. North Korea's promised end-of-year big show fails to materialize. But that doesn't mean Mr. Kim is done. A New York Times op-ed calls Pyongyang's recent promises that something big was coming (probably a test and demonstration of enhanced nuclear and nuclear delivery capabilities) "trolling," but trolling with the serious purpose of establishing a "new normal" in which North Korea can threaten US cities with incineration and the US will do nothing in response. The National Interest sees the newfound assertiveness as a mistake, and the sort of mistake regimes experiencing severe internal stresses tend to make. Space Force takes shape. Congress finally approved Space Force when it passed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act on December 17th. (Defense News observes that Capitol Hill horse-trading brought Space Force into being in exchange for enhanced parental leave.) Observers have generally welcomed the creation of Space Force, with many stressing, as an op-ed in TheHill does, the importance of getting the new Service's culture off on the right foot. They look in particular for effective, productive alignment with industry, and a procurement system more supple and responsive to emerging needs than traditional Defense acquisition systems have proven. Retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, published an opinion piece in Bloomberg in which he offered one sentimental and three serous recommendations to those who'll be charged with establishing Space Force. He advises them to, "first, study the history," and specifically the history of the creation and development of the US Air Force and Marine Corps. Second, they should "build solid relationships" with both the Air Force Secretariat and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and also with Space Force's principal customers, the Combatant Commanders. He thinks a close working relationship with US Special Operations Command will be particularly important. And third, he advises that the new Service's top leadership should be long-tenured, and here he has the success of Naval Reactors in mind, where the leadership had eight-year tours (much longer, of course, in the case of Admiral Rickover). His sentimental recommendation? He'd like to see the new Service's personnel be given naval ranks and uniforms that evoke the sea services. Competition over commercial satellites. Amazon is looking for a waiver of FCC regulations that would facilitate its plans to fly more than three-thousand satellites intended to deliver Internet access. SpaceX is lobbying against any waiver, Vice reports. Since they had to follow the FCC rules, why should Amazon's Project Kuiper get a break? Amazon isn't the only new entrant into the space-delivered Internet competition. Apple is said, by Bloomberg, to be quietly hiring personnel necessary to building out its own space-based Internet service. Cupertino's goal is to begin deploying satellites within five years. Inmarsat is convinced the US Department of Defense will need more bandwidth to support operations in the Middle East. The company's Global Xpress 5 satellite, launched in November and expected to become operational early this year, is, C4ISRNET reports, designed to enhance the coverage the company can provide for the region. Science and technology priorities. The US Army Research Laboratory looked back at 2019 and selected its favorites from among the past year's science and technology advances. These are, counting down from number ten: "Artificial muscles made from plastic," intended for use in robots. "Monitoring Soldier health and performance with biorecognition receptors." "A water-based, fire-proof battery." "Generating power on-demand with hydrogen." "3-D printing ultra-strong steel." "Human interest detector," a way of tracking neural responses so commanders have a better fix on what Soldiers are actually paying attention to on the battlefield. "AI to identify fuel-efficient materials." "Robotic arrays for directional communication." "Self-healing material." "Soldier-robot teams." Most of these have a familiar look, as they've appeared in the Services' S&T portfolios for some time now. But notoriously science and technology results have proven difficult to transition to the warfighters, and these developments would seem naturals for rapid prototyping. Sponsored by Cosmic AES Do you have what it takes to work for a Best Workplace? Cosmic AES was recognized by the Colorado Springs Gazette as a 2019 Best Workplace, and we’re hiring! See what Cosmic AES has to offer. China prepares a GPS alternative. China announced on December 26th that it will shortly, in a matter of months, complete its Baidu positioning system. The final two satellites in Beijing's new constellation are scheduled to be flown in June, the Nikkei Asian Review reports. The thirty-five-satellite constellation is intended for both military uses and for civilian telecommunications applications. Beijing intends, as Nikkei puts it, to "decouple" itself from GPS, which for all its widespread international adoption is, after all, owned and operated by China's principal economic and geopolitical rival, the United States. So does the US. It's not exactly a replacement, since GPS is so deeply embedded in everyday civilian technologies (consider smart phones alone) but it would amount to a supplement or an enhancement that would introduce capabilities specific to military applications. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Navigation Technology Satellite program, scheduled to fly NTS-3 in 2022, is intended to provide a software-defined experimental platform in which enhanced positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies might be explored, as well as in-orbit mission reprogramming. C4ISRNET reports that technologies developed in the NTS program are expected to find their way into GPS vehicles 14, 15, and 16, which are expected to enter orbit in the latter part of this decade. Congress has also weighed in on GPS alternatives, prodding the Air Force to develop a prototype receiver that could use PNT signals delivered by other nations' satellite constellations. The measure was included in the same National Defense Authorization Act that formally created the Space Force, C4ISRNET says. The low-hanging fruit would be signals from the European Union’s Galileo and Japan’s QZSS systems; the goal is more resilient PNT capability. Satcom complexity. Breaking Defense notes that, while GPS satellites themselves have evolved in an orderly fashion, the ground stations the US military uses to listen to them, and to communicate through other satellites, are more a hodge-podge than a well-structured system. The Government Accountability Office is primly scandalized to find that the Department of Defense currently operates some seventeen-thousand terminals, and those terminals are built to "approximately 135 different designs." The GAO would like to see the Department implement its own recommendations for a future wideband architecture, which were developed in the Defense 2018 Analysis of Alternatives. Commercial satcom providers continue to urge the Pentagon toward adopting a managed services approach in its contracting for wideband satellite communications. Space hacking and crowd-sourced design for security. The US Air Force still plans to offer a satellite up to white hat hackers at this summer's annual DefCon cybersecurity conference, Avionics International says. The exercise is intended to expose vulnerabilities in satellite systems that have gone undetected by conventional quality and security tests and engineering. Boeing's CEO departs. Boeing's board dismissed CEO Dennis Muilenburg on December 21st. David Calhoun, a board member who assumed duties as chair to handle the crisis over the software-and-sensor-related 737MAX crashes, will assume duties as CEO this month, the Wall Street Journal reports. Coverage of Mr. Muilenburg's dismissal have focused on the ongoing troubles of the 737MAX, but the failure of a Starliner flight to accomplish its intended docking with the International Space Station on December 20th (described here in the New York Times) can't have helped. IKEA goes to Mars (in a thought experiment, from Utah). Eventually, if the aspirations of some governments and more private organizations should be realized, people will have the opportunity to live on the moon or Mars, presumably in small, self-contained habitats. IKEA has taken notice of this, and two years ago sent designers to spend some time living in the Mars Desert Research Station, the installation in the Utah desert that seeks to mimic some of the conditions that might be encountered on the Red Planet. The designers have now applied their small-space expertise to the habitat, and have, Fast Company reports, come up with a design that's "brightly lit and well-organized." Their central challenge was to make the habitat feel like a home, and that requires facilitating a sense of "security, comfort, belonging," and privacy. And the greatest of these is privacy. [1660]   Today's edition of the CyberWire reports events affecting China, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Selected Reading Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities (13) Trends (2) Marketplace (25) Products, Services, and Solutions (11) Technologies, Techniques, and Standards (19) Design and Innovation (8) Research and Development (11) Legislation, Policy, and Regulation (33) Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement (3) Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities North Korea’s Kim threatens to resume nuclear, long-range missile tests (Washington Post) Kim Jong Un threatens to unveil a “new strategic weapon” and says his country no longer feels bound by a moratorium on nuclear and ICBM tests. North Korea's Kim to unveil 'new path' in New Year speech after U.S. misses deadline (Reuters) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to make a closely watched New Year addres... Several American troops wounded and a US contractor killed in rocket attack on Kirkuk base (Military Times) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Iran and its leaders in December of a “decisive U.S. response” if the regime or its militias harm American troops or allies in the region. US strikes Iran-backed militia strongholds in Iraq and Syria (Military Times) The U.S. launched strike against Iranian military targets in Syria following a Friday attach in Iraq that killed one American. Exclusive: U.S. probe of Saudi oil attack shows it came from north - report (Reuters) The United States said new evidence and analysis of weapons debris recovered fro... Exclusive: U.S. says drone shot down by Russian air defenses near Libyan capital (Reuters) The U.S. military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Lib... US Air Force chief: The biggest threat posed by China is in space (Defense News) The biggest threat posed by Russia and China lies in advancements in space capabilities, the U.S. Air Force chief of staff said during a panel at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday. Trump says Kim Jong Un risks losing 'everything' after North Korea claims major test (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ... Iran Is Secretly Moving Missiles Into Iraq, U.S. Officials Say (New York Times) The buildup of a hidden arsenal of short-range missiles is the latest sign that American efforts to deter Iran have largely failed. Fresh intelligence points to Iranian threat against US forces and interests in Middle East, officials say (CNN) There is fresh intelligence of a potential Iranian threat against US forces and interests in the Middle East, according to several US defense and administration officials. North Korea looks poised for ICBM tests and a military boost (Quartz) North Korea is about to get more militaristic, if developments this weekend are any indication. North Korea tests likely if they 'don't feel satisfied': Pentagon chief (Reuters) U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday North Korea would likely carry ... China flight systems jammed by pig farm’s African swine fever defences (South China Morning Post) Reports of criminal gangs using drones to spread infection led to installation of jamming device which interfered with planes’ navigation systems. Trends The Space Missions to Watch in 2020 (Space.com) From commercial crew to a flood of Mars missions, 2020 promises to be an exciting year for spaceflight. Not smart enough: The poverty of European military thinking on artificial intelligence (ECFR.EU) Failing to coordinate properly in the AI area could threaten future European defence cooperation, including PESCO and the European Defence Marketplace Boeing CEO Pushed Out as Company Reels From 737 MAX Debacle (Wall Street Journal) Boeing ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg as it struggles to contain the fallout of its biggest crisis in decades, caused by two fatal crashes and the subsequent grounding of its 737 MAX jetliner. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg to step down immediately (Defense News) Boeing's CEO is resigning amid ongoing problems at the company over the troubled Max 737 aircraft. Boeing fires CEO Dennis Muilenburg, as the company struggles with 737 Max crisis (CNBC) Muilenberg is out now, while Boeing Chairman David Calhoun will step in as CEO in January. Can this group become 1-800-AI for the Pentagon? (C4ISRNET) “The JAIC is not just about delivering the products. We’re really trying to work toward becoming the DoD’s AI Center of Excellence,” said Nathaniel D. Bastian, a senior data scientist and AI engineer with the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. “We want to be 1-800-AI.” Companies gear up for next phase in Britain’s Skynet 6 program (Defense News) The British government has ruled that all bidders, except one, must remain unnamed. The Air Force invites the cyber industry to speed date (Fifth Domain) The Air Force wants to hear from small companies about what cyber solutions they might be able to bring to protect data. What to Know About Careers With a Security Clearance, and How to Get There - ClearanceJobs (ClearanceJobs) ClearanceJobs is your best resource for news and information on security-cleared jobs and professionals. Learn more with our article, "What to Know About Careers With a Security Clearance, and How to Get There ". Making a Difference Fuels Retention in Space, Cyber Commands (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE) Making a difference and staying on mission are the keys to retention in the U.S. Space Command and the U.S. Cyber Command. Coast Guard Intel Looking for Help on Cloud (MeriTalk) The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is looking to leverage the cloud for its intelligence unit as the demands of cyber combat and maritime activities are pushing the unit to embrace technology, according to a request for information released November 22. Responses are due by December 20. The Air Force wants help with these technologies (C4ISRNET) A notice is asking for industry white papers on new and innovative cyber and signals intelligence research. CACI Wins $438M Task Order to Aid Air Force C4ISR Program (Yahoo) CACI will provide AI, ML, advanced geospatial intelligence and signals intelligence support, among others, to the Air Force and intelligence community. Navy awards $732M contract for satellite ground systems (C4ISRNET) General Dynamics, who the Navy contracted with to build the ground system for the Mobile User Objective System, will provide sustainment services for the ground system over the next decade. Kratos awarded $39M space-based RF signal contract (Intelligence Community News) San Diego, CA-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced on December 6 that it has been awarded a $39 million sole-source contract for Geolocation Global Support Services.  The a… Mercury Systems Wins Four Awards in Military & Aerospace Electronics 2019 Innovators Awards Program (West) Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com) announced today that four of its products were recognized by the judges of the annual Military & Aerospace Electronics Innovators Awards program. The judging panel consisted of a panel of senior third-party expert professionals. Northrop Grumman Selected for Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor Phase IIa Program (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been selected as one of four Other Transaction Authority awards for the Phase IIa Prototype Payload Design and Signal-chain Processing Demonstration of the Missile Defense Agency’s... Northrop's New Space Contract Is a Very Smart Move (The Motley Fool) Next year, Northrop Grumman could win an insanely valuable Air Force contract. But what if it doesn't? Northrop Grumman Names Lesley Kalan Chief Strategy and Development Officer (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has named Lesley Kalan corporate vice president and chief strategy and development officer, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Kalan will continue to report to Kathy Warden, chairman, CEO... Detecting targets from 70,000 feet above Earth (PR Newswire) Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) will support and sustain the sensor and processor for the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System 2-A under a... GDIT Wins Army IT, Cyber Support Contract | WashingtonExec (WashingtonExec) General Dynamics Information Technology has won an estimated $118 million contract to support the critical information network that is key to Army BAE Systems wins prime position on DIA SIA 3 contract (Army Technology) BAE Systems has secured a prime contractor position on a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) contract to help deliver worldwide military intelligence. This company will keep airwaves clear for military satellites (C4ISRNET) The Air Force has awarded a $39 million contract that requires persistent monitoring of military bandwidth and the ability to track down any electromagnetic interference. E3/Sentinel Buys Operational Intelligence (WashingtonExec) E3/Sentinel has acquired Operational Intelligence, LLC, which provides mission-focused analytical, technical, operational and training services to the Leidos’ acquisition of Dynetics has a future technology focus (Defense News) The deal, worth $1.65 billion, gives Leidos new footholds in the next generation of defense technologies sought by the Pentagon. Why Defense Contractor Leidos Is Spending $1.7 Billion for Dynetics (The Motley Fool) The long-time government services-focused company is moving aggressively toward hardware. Vislink Technologies Appoints Ralph Faison to Board of Directors (IoT Evolution) Vislink Technologies has announced that Ralph Faison has been appointed to its board as a non-executive independent director. Products, Services, and Solutions China Prepping for Comeback Launch of Heavy-Lift Long March 5 Rocket Friday (Space.com) The Long March 5 is critical to China's exploration plans. () Global Hawk arrival to bolster Seoul's ISR capabilities (Flight Global) The Republic of Korea Air Force's (ROKAF) first Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk has arrived in South Korea. The remotely piloted aircraft arrived at an air base near Sacheon during the morning of 23 December, according the official Yonhap news agency. Source: Northrop Grumman The Northrop ... Apple Has Secret Team Working on Satellites to Beam Data to Devices (Bloomberg) The iPhone maker is ramping up hiring, hoping for the initiative to produce results within five years. Apple is reportedly developing satellite technology to beam internet data to users' devices (Computing) But there are some uncertainties associated with the project for now SpaceX Is Lobbying Against Amazon’s Internet-Beaming Satellites (Vice) Amazon is trying to get a waiver to FCC rules that companies like SpaceX and OneWeb had to follow. Here are some early adopters of the controversial JEDI cloud (Federal Times) Department of Defense CIO Dana Deasy offered insight into which components want to move to the Pentagon's enterprise cloud come February. Inmarsat bets the Pentagon needs more bandwidth in the Middle East (C4ISRNET) Responding to increased demand for commercial satellite communications in the Middle East and Europe, Inmarsat is dedicating it's newest satellite to serving military and commercial customers in that region. Saturn Satellite Networks to be first customer of Northrop Grumman’s OmegA (SpaceNews.com) Northrop Grumman announced Dec. 12 that Saturn Satellite Networks will be the customer for the first OmegA launch in 2021. Northrop Grumman Signs Customer for First Flight of OmegA™ (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced that Saturn Satellite Networks has selected the OmegA space launch vehicle to launch up to two satellites on the rocket’s inaugural flight scheduled for spring 2021. OmegA... Northrop Grumman Supports Critical Demonstration Launch for Department of Defense (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) supported a demonstration flight test conducted by the U.S. Air Force, in partnership with the Strategic Capabilities Office, of a prototype conventionally-configured,... Technologies, Techniques, and Standards The 5 most engaging battlefield tech stories of 2019 (C4ISRNET) High-powered radars, the end of floppy disks, defending hypersonic weapons and odd behavior by foreign satellites in space.Readers of C4ISRNET found those subjects most engaging in 2019. Is It Terminal? Mess Threatens DoD SATCOM & Multi-Domain (Breaking Defense) DoD currently maintains 17,000 terminals with "approximately 135 different designs," GAO said. Those terminals operate across diverse platforms—such as ships, backpacks, vehicles -- all with differing system requirements. What the Army wants in a multidomain system (C4ISRNET) The Army wants to know if industry can provide a series of sensors for the service’s largest unmanned platform as a way to help see past enemy defenses. China decouples from US in space with 2020 'GPS' completion (Nikkei Asian Review) 70% of Chinese smartphones now compatible with Beidou Pentagon wants to streamline its counterdrone focus (C4ISRNET) The wild west of counter-UAS systems may be coming to an end in the Department of Defense. A new radar to track space objects is almost ready (C4ISRNET) The advanced system will provide advanced space situational awareness for the Air Force and has already proven effective in testing. The Air Force will need terminals that work with more than GPS (C4ISRNET) A provision in the annual defense policy bill calls on the Air Force to develop a prototype receiver capable of utilizing foreign GNSS, such as the European Union's Galileo or Japan's QZSS satellites. After complex test, is the US Army’s major missile defense command system ready for prime time? (Defense News) The successful test leads the Army's critical command-and-control system for missile defense into an evaluation next year, which will ultimately determine its fate. Who’ll Fix EW? Task Force Gropes For Answers (Breaking Defense) Russian and Chinese jammers could cripple US radio, radar, and GPS. The Pentagon's still wrestling with who should fix that, let alone how. One way the Pentagon wants to improve electronic warfare (C4ISRNET) To help commanders better understand their proverbial terrain in the electromagnetic spectrum, some combatant commands have created cells with planners who specialize in electromagnetic spectrum operations. US Military Should Deepen Its Use of Deception, Pacific Air Forces General Says (Defense One) “Gadget" culture won’t beat China, says Gen. Charles Q. Brown. Satellites for conflict zone monitoring (Geospatial World) Syria, or the Syrian Arab Republic, has witnessed unspeakable devastation in the last decade. Its refugee crisis, next only to World War II, has left over five million people displaced. In the absence of monitoring organizations on the ground, satellite imagery has played a significant role in assessing the extent of damage caused by a … Pentagon Is Searching for Domestic Drone Options (Nextgov.com) Acquisition chief Ellen Lord shared details about the Defense Department's efforts to spark a U.S. ecosystem for small unmanned aerial systems and counter technologies. Official Navy memo on DJI drones noted cheap cost, risk (C4ISRNET) A Navy memo was basis for the Army's 2017 moratorium on the use of DJI drones. Navy letter shows military worried about unknown vulnerabilities in DJI drones (CyberScoop) Weak encryption protocols and limited supply chain visibility had the Navy warning its members about using DJI drones, according to an internal letter. A new kind of satellite imagery for the intelligence community? (C4ISRNET) National Reconnaissance Office Director Christopher Scolese told reporters that the agency is on the verge of issuing more study contracts to commercial imagery providers, and they won't be limited to traditional electro-optical imagery. Griffin: DoD Can’t Rely on Commercial Satellite Communications (Breaking Defense) Griffin's seeming skepticism about commercial ventures to provide global broadband and Internet services is in stark contrast to the enthusiasm bubbling out of the Air Force and the Army.  Misawa Air Force Base’s Draughon Range Fires Up on Northrop Grumman’s Distributed Mission Operations Network (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Joining a scalable and cyber-secure network of over 300 simulator integrations in 85 sites around the world, the Draughon Range, with F-16C simulator, at Misawa U.S. Air Force Base in Japan, is the latest connection to Northrop Grumman’s Distributed... EXCLUSIVE Killing Cruise Missiles: Pentagon To Test Rival Lasers (Breaking Defense) DoD is finalizing contracts for three competing demonstrators, aiming for a 300-kilowatt weapon by 2022 and 500 kW by 2024, laser R&D director Thomas Karr told us. Design and Innovation Yes, a balloon/kite might improve battlefield networks (C4ISRNET) Helikites have carried mobile ad-hoc network relays, expanding the range of connection between human operators and piloted drones, like the Puma. Today’s military data storage goes far beyond rugged (Military & Aerospace Electronics) It’s not just about shielding data drives from shock and vibration; designers also are looking for the latest in speed and capacity, and want encryption to protect data at rest, and security to foil tampering. This Little-Used Area of the Electromagnetic Spectrum Might Be the Future of Battlefield Communications (Defense One) If commercial 5G millimeter-wave gear can be hardened against jamming, the U.S. Army thinks it might gain a real battlefield edge. Scolese: NRO advancing space technology, developing tactics to defend satellites - SpaceNews.com (SpaceNews.com) Scolese said China is a top concern: “They are putting spacecraft up very quickly and we have to stay ahead." The US Air Force wants to network all its weapons together. Will simulators be included? (Defense News) A contract award in 2020 could pave the way for greater interoperability for Air Force aircraft simulators. Now that Ikea has colonized Earth, it’s going after Mars (Fast Company) Ikea sent a designer to live in a research station that mimics a Mars habitat to learn about designing for small spaces. Now, she’s redesigned the station itself. Is synthetic data the key to unlocking automated war? (C4ISRNET) From self-driving cars to space harpoons, synthetic data can iterate learning in novel scenarios. What happens if the Air Force’s command center for all its tankers and cargo planes gets hacked? (C4ISRNET) Here's what happened after the network shut down. Research and Development More than a testbed: How an experimental satellite will help the war fighter (C4ISRNET) Run by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the NTS program launches experimental satellites that test future GPS technology, allowing the military to ensure that future space vehicles have the most advanced technology. NTS-3, the third iteration of this concept, is slated for launch in 2022. The US Army has chosen its top 10 science and technology advances for this year — here are the potential game changers that made the list (Business Insider) These are potentially game-changing developments meant to help Army soldiers fight and win on future battlefields. Come see what made the list. Air Force to Decide Which Satellite to Offer for Test at Defcon Hacker Conference (Avionics) The United States Air Force plans to choose on Dec. 13 which satellite it will offer to a service-selected group of hackers to try to infiltrate at next August’s Defcon 2020 conference in Las Vegas, an Air Force official said on Dec. 11. Indeed, hackers are to be part of Air Force efforts to undertake … Northrop Grumman and US Air Force Research Laboratory Partner to Provide Critical Advanced Technology in Space Solar Power (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman is working with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on a project to rapidly infuse space technological innovations to incrementally develop component technologies needed for a prototype solar energy collection system. The... Recently Retired USAF General Makes Eyebrow Raising Claims About Advanced Space Technology (The Drive) Retired Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast says fantastic technology exists that could transport a human anywhere on earth within an hour. Air Force Aims to Deploy a New Battlefield Weapon: Faster Communications (New York Times) Military officials are trying to develop systems that instantly push intelligence to front-line forces, a development strategists say could help deter aggression by Russia and China. Can a $10M Pentagon project enhance AI cyber operations? (Fifth Domain) The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is looking to a partnership between a civilian agency and the private sector. Boeing Starliner Lands in New Mexico After Clock Error Prompts Early Return (New York Times) The new ride to orbit built for NASA and its astronauts returned to Earth after problems during its first trip to space on Friday. Starliner test flight slips two days (SpaceNews.com) Boeing announced Dec. 3 that it’s delaying the uncrewed test flight of the company’s CST-100 Starliner by two days because of a minor launch vehicle issue. Boeing's Starliner Astronaut Taxi Is 'Go' for Launch on Dec. 20 (Space.com) NASA and Boeing completed the launch readiness review Dec. 12. NASA and Boeing trace roots of Starliner’s bad timing — and prepare for landing (GeekWire) NASA and Boeing have learned more about the glitch that spoiled the Starliner capsule’s trip to the International Space — and they’re getting ready for Sunday’s touchdown. Legislation, Policy, and Regulation Kim calls for measures to protect North Korea's security (The Sentinel Record) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his military and diplomats to prepare unspecified "offensive measures" to protect the country's security and sovereignty, the North's state media said Monday, before his end-of-year deadline for the Trump administration to make major concessions to salvage a fragile nuclear diplomacy. Need not ape the West, can have our own system for joint military commands: Gen Bipin Rawat's vision as CDS (India Today) Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat spoke about his vision for tri-service synergy today. Here's what he said. Trump signs shutdown-averting spending bills, makes federal pay raise law (Federal News Network) With little time to spare before the deadline, President Trump has signed two shutdown-averting spending bills into law and a 3.1% federal pay raise. NATO faces most 'complex security' environment in its history: chief (France 24) NATO faces most 'complex security' environment in its history: chief Washington Debates Role of Satellites in Open Skies Treaty (Air Force Magazine) The idea of using satellites to replace the Air Force’s decades-old OC-135B surveillance airplanes is gaining new life in Washington. But is it feasible? Pentagon chief plans to shift US focus to China and Russia (Military Times) Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday he still plans to shift the American military’s focus to competing with China and Russia, even as security threats pile up in the Middle East. Congress wants more clarity on space-based missile warning (C4ISRNET) With multiple agencies and services developing overhead persistent infrared sensors in space for missile tracking, lawmakers want to see a plan on how the Department of Defense will integrate those efforts and avoid duplication. Lawmakers skeptical of Army’s plan for tactical servers (C4ISRNET) A final bill from both houses of Congress only cuts $10 million to Army server technologies after an earlier draft cut nearly $46 million. Congress reigns in Navy’s electronic warfare programs (C4ISRNET) House and Senate appropriators are worried about delays and premature funding for two of the Navy’s most high-profile EW programs. Op-ed: Stop the rise of autonomous weapons (Navy Times) Our ever-growing appetite for intelligent, autonomous machines poses a host of ethical challenges. When should the Pentagon update its rules on autonomous weapons? (C4ISRNET) A prominent group of national security thinkers is questioning if the Pentagon’s policy on developing autonomous weapons needs to be updated to more accurately reflects current technology and the greater role artificial intelligence is expected to play in future conflicts. NATO declares space ‘operational domain,’ but more work remains (Defense News) NATO must take tangible and urgent collective action to secure the ultimate high ground — space. When do cyberattacks deserve a response from NATO? (Fifth Domain) The biggest concern for the NATO alliance might not be agreeing on a framework for when collective defense is triggered from a cyberattack, but rather, how can the alliance address daily cyber events that fall below the level of armed conflict? NATO struggles with its China conundrum (Defense News) Each of the 29 NATO nations has a different relationship with China. Can the alliance find a coherent strategy for dealing with Beijing? Congress targets OTAs, cyber investments in defense policy bill (FCW) The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act conference report homes in on other transaction authorities, drones and cybersecurity investments. House passes ‘progressive’ defense bill, 377-48 (Defense News) The compromise 2020 NDAA passed the House with a strong bipartisan vote. Congress backs off push for space-based missile intercept layer (Defense News) A space-based missile defense intercept layer takes a back seat to a sensor constellation in the conference report for Congress' FY20 defense policy bill. New US Space Force Hub Renamed ‘SPOC’ (Military.com) The 14th Air Force, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, has been renamed. It will now live long and prosper as Space Operations Command, or SPOC, according to a recent service announcement. Why policymakers must birth the right culture for the Space Force (TheHill) It is critical to look at the threat of this issue and handle it well. May the (Space) Force Be With You (Bloomberg) It may sound silly, but it’s an idea whose time has come. Here’s what everyone should know about the Space Force. Congress creating Space Force with limited headroom (Defense News) Congress is creating a new Space Force within the Air Force, but lawmakers want to make sure its budget doesn’t go to infinity and beyond. Congress adopts defense bill that creates Space Force (Defense News) Congress has approved a defense policy for a 59th year. House passes bill establishing Space Force, parental leave for federal workers (Washington Post) Trump has said he will sign the $738 billion national defense policy bill, which the Senate is expected to take up for a vote next week. US Air Mobility Command wants to work with the Space Force. Just don’t expect space-based cargo ops. (Defense News) Air Mobility Command has some ideas for collaboration with the Space Force. What’s Congress’ end game for unified space acquisitions? (C4ISRNET) While the compromise defense authorization bill would move the Space Development Agency under the new Space Force, it leaves a lot of open questions when it comes to reforming space acquisitions. Space Development Agency a ‘casualty’ of budget gridlock (C4ISRNET) The Space Development Agency has big plans for the future of U.S. national security space, but they need congressional funding, says U.S. Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin. SASC chairman: We must build the national security innovation base our defense strategy requires (Defense News) The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee warns that technological development is accelerating across the globe, changing the very nature of war. Navy Officials Break Ground for New Cyber Warfare Engineering Laboratory (NAVSEA) Navy officials, including Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) leadership, broke ground for a new Cyber Warfare Engineering Laboratory, Dec. 12. Here’s the verdict from Congress on the Pentagon’s enterprise cloud (Federal Times) Restrictions were addressed in the Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill. Give DoD a little credit for its cyber certification program (Federal News Network) The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is moving fast but in a transparent manner. Does the Defense Department’s New Approach to Industrial Base Cybersecurity Create More Problems Than It Solves? (CSIS) Malicious cyber actors increasingly target the defense industrial base for both economic and security gains. For example, in 2018, the Chinese government hacked a U.S. defense contractor and stole 614 gigabytes of sensitive material from the Navy’s Sea Dragon program. DARPA head resigns, moving on to industry (Defense News) Steven Walker, the 21st director of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has announced his resignation, effective Jan. 10, 2020. CNO Gilday Wants Every New Sailor Tested For Cyber Skills Aptitude (USNI News) The Navy needs cyber experts and CNO Adm. Mike Gilday wants the service to test every incoming sailor to ensure no potential digital realm talent is missed. Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement Why DoD may have given Amazon every reason to protest JEDI (Federal News Network) DoD’s alleged failure to give losing bidders detailed justifications in the JEDI case may have sparked Amazon’s protest in federal court. Why Amazon's Allegations of Wrongdoing are Wrong (The National Interest) The notion that presidential suggestions or guidance can influence a Pentagon procurement decision betrays a fundamental lack of understanding of how the acquisition processes work within the Defense Department. Amazon Bid Protest on JEDI Claims ‘Improper Pressure’ From Trump (Wall Street Journal) Amazon.com said President Trump exerted “improper pressure” on the Pentagon to keep a lucrative cloud-computing deal from going to his perceived enemy, company founder Jeffrey Bezos.

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