Signals & Space Monthly Briefing

February 2021

Prepared by the CyberWire (Monday, February 1, 2021) At a glance. Satellite vulnerabilities to hacking. Solorigate ("SolarWinds") updates. US Cyber Command recommends patching Baron Samedit vulnerability in Sudo. Alphabet cancels its Loon satellite surrogate program. Space situational awareness. Rapid technology acquisition. US Space Force under President Biden. The US Navy and space operations. US Space Command headquarters to move to Huntsville, Alabama. US Space Force gets its rank structure. Satellite hacking. Interest in satellites' vulnerabilities to cyberattack has grown, with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Hack-a-Sat white hat hacking competition marking a milestone in the field. Freethink offers an overview of some current thinking about the technology that could be applied to disrupting space operations by cyberattack. Solorigate (the cyberespionage campaign commonly called "SolarWinds") update. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the threat actor behind the SolarWinds supply chain compromise  (by consensus a Russian intelligence service, probably the SVR) will touch a very large number of victims. About a third of those affected by the incident don't use the afflicted SolarWinds Orion platform. CRN quotes industry sources to the effect that there's "no finish line"; for cleaning up after this campaign. Acting CISA Director Wales said, according to the Journal, that the attackers "gained access to their targets in a variety of ways. This adversary has been creative. It is absolutely correct that this campaign should not be thought of as the SolarWinds campaign."; The threat actor was able to move from one cloud to another, exploiting small features of the various ways software authenticates itself on the Microsoft service. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published updated information on "several malicious artifacts, affecting the SolarWinds Orion product, which have been identified by the security company FireEye as SUPERNOVA."; Supernova, remember, isn't the malicious backdoor inserted into and propagated through the supply chain of SolarWinds' Orion platform. Rather, as CISA points out, "SUPERNOVA is not embedded within the Orion platform as a supply chain attack; rather, it is placed by an attacker directly on a system that hosts SolarWinds Orion and is designed to appear as part of the SolarWinds product. CISA's assessment is that SUPERNOVA is not part of the SolarWinds supply chain attack described in Alert AA20-352A."; Their Malware Analysis Report includes descriptions and indicators of compromise that security teams should find useful. And, as usual, CISA concludes its report with a long list of best practices, briefly stated and easily understood. US Cyber Command strongly recommends patching Sudo vulnerability. US Cyber Command strongly recommends that organizations patch the Baron Samedit bug in Sudo, disclosed this month by Qualys researchers. Sudo is a widely used utility ("nearly ubiquitous,"; as Qualys puts it) found in Unix and Linux systems. Fixes for Baron Samedit are available, and Cyber Command advises companies to apply them. Loon may have been technically sweet, but it seems to have been a business lead balloon. Alphabet, Google's corporate parent, has shut down its Loon project, a technically successful demonstration of the potential for long-duration balloon-borne satellite surrogates to provide connectivity into remote, otherwise inaccessible locations. Seeking Alpha says that Loon's services were simply too expensive to be attractive to users. It's not the first case of the early cancellation of alternatives to communication satellites: Facebook's drone-based Aquila program, for example, was cancelled in 2018. Satellite surrogates seem unable to compete with the more promising small-satellite constellations coming online, SpaceX's Starlink being the most prominent example.  Loon, under development since 2013, enjoyed technical successes culminating in last year's demonstration of its ability to deliver Internet connectivity to users in Kenya. WIRED summarizes some of those accomplishments, and suggests that technologies developed for Loon may find application elsewhere. But for now it seems unlikely that companies will be able to send atmospheric systems to do a satellite's job. Space situational awareness, Space Force, and the Intelligence Community. Federal News Network describes the two squadrons that will form the core of Space Force's forthcoming National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC). The NSIC's core responsibility seems to be space situational awareness, which would be complementary to the National Reconnaissance Office's focus on earth observation. "One of the priorities is the matter of trying to develop capability that gives us a confirmation and competence and calls that we're making on the attributes of who's making an activity on orbit,"; Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, Air Force director of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, told Federal News Network. That mission will require more satellites and more ground-station capacity. "I just want to be able to make a more confident call and in a faster manner, so that I'd say one of my high priorities is being able to characterize the threats out there,"; Lauderback said. The perennial challenge of rapid technology development and acquisition. The Space Development Agency has put out a BAA (Broad Agency Announcement) "National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA), Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC)" seeking input from industry on emerging technologies, SpaceNews reports. Proposals will be due on January 24th, 2022. The focus areas in the announcement afford a useful overview of Defense R&D interests in space technology: "Real-Time Global Awareness and Connectivity. This vector is primarily aligned with the NDSA's Transport and Navigation Layers and features capabilities enabling global access to low-latency communications and navigation information for Joint warfighters and warfighting systems, including but not limited to: "Optical intersatellite links (OISL) – low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C), freespace OISL terminals capable of high-bandwidth (>1 Gbps) data rates at relevant ranges (~5,000 km) that are compatible with the SDA OISL Open Standard (or identify known deviation(s) and recommended modification(s) to the open standard) and are capable of establishing and maintaining space-to-space, space-to-ground, and space-to-airborne for low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity and precise and accurate ranging measurements "Multi-beam / multi-user tactical data link connectivity – low-power antenna technologies enabling tactical data link connectivity with multiple users, especially in L Band, and including but not limited to active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) "Flexible software-defined radios (SDR) – low-SWaP-C tactical data link SDRs with such capabilities as support for trusted on-orbit reconfiguration and multiple tactical data links within a single hardware and software architecture "Advanced communications encryption – miniaturized, low-power NSA-approved Type I (Suite A) encryption solutions "Direct-to-weapon data links – implementations of direct, low-latency connectivity to high-speed weapons, enabling receipt of weapon telemetry and transmission of in-flight target updates "GPS-denied positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) – capabilities required to enable navigation and timing in GPS-denied environments, including communication systems, mass-producible low-SWaP atomic clocks, inertial navigation systems, star trackers, and other space navigation sensors" Novel communication modalities – concepts and implementations involving novel communications phenomenologies or novel applications of mature communications techniques "Tactical data link interoperability – concepts and implementations enabling tactical data link message translation and rebroadcast via alternate communication networks, including but not limited to Link 16 / Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) translation "Advanced modems and networking – low-SWaP-C modem, router, and switch designs and implementations capable of high-throughput (>50 Gbps) modulation/demodulation and packet forwarding "Optimized control of modulation techniques – dynamic, adaptive optimization of communications modulation technique selection and employment "Comprehensive Space-Based Sensing. Aligned primarily with the Tracking, Custody, and future resilient space sensing layers of the NDSA, this vector enables detection, tracking, and targeting of adversary systems spanning multiple domains, with an emphasis on advanced missile threats and time-critical land and maritime targets. In addition, this vector spans the range of possible complementary missions with space-based sensors, including but not limited to space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM), space domain awareness, and battle damage assessment (BDA). "Wide field of view (WFOV) overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) missile tracking – WFOV OPIR sensor technologies, including focal plane arrays, and processing techniques designed for operation in low Earth orbit "Multi-INT fusion – algorithms, concepts, and systems that fuse multi-modal sensor data from systems spanning multiple domains to develop and maintain targeting solutions against time-sensitive targets, especially space-based fusion implementations "Heterogeneous missile tracking architectures – OPIR missile warning and tracking architectures featuring sensors of different sensitivities, operating in different infrared bands, and deployed in different orbits "Electronic support and protection – passive radio frequency (RF) sensing and processing implementations enabling spacecraft to gather intelligence from adversary  emissions; electronic protection implementations that mitigate the effects of adversary electronic warfare techniques "Automatic target recognition – automated, refined or emerging processes that classify objects of interest in sensor data feeds using trusted artificial intelligence and machine learning implementations "Novel remote sensing phenomenologies – innovative distributed sensing concepts, novel sensing modalities, with applications to missile threat detection and tracking and surveillance of time critical targets. "Space-based sensors in complementary missions – disruptive sensor system designs or dual-use applications of existing sensor payloads that enable valuable support missions, including the body SBEM missions (space weather, theater weather imagery (TWI), cloud characterization (CC), ocean surface vector winds (OSVW), etc.), space domain awareness, and BDA. "Omniscient Command, Control, and Execution. This vector is aligned primarily with the Battle Management and Support Layers of the NDSA and includes algorithms, frameworks, and hardware supporting advanced processing, command and control, and seamless interoperability of architecture elements. "Cyber defense of space data networks – architectures, protocols, and tools for layered cyber defense of the ground and space segment, with emphasis on adaptable, lightweight systems for malware and network intrusion detection, authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA); and security incident and event management (SIEM) "Open interfaces and standards – open system interfaces and standards supporting integration of NDSA components developed by multiple vendors, as well as interoperability with external systems and users "Software frameworks enabling on-orbit reprogramming – flexible software frameworks that enable software updates and reconfigurations to be published to space vehicles on orbit, including mechanisms for publishing and applying updates via existing communication links "Automated, dynamic, and resilient networking and routing techniques – intelligent network management tools and routing policies that adapt to the current network topology and environmental conditions to maximize performance "Radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant advanced processing – highperformance, low-SWaP-C on-orbit processing capabilities such as rad-hard or radtolerant GPUs, CPUs, FPGAs or other components, hardware / software / firmware architectures, storage, and algorithms, including implementations supporting distributed processing "Automated schedule optimization and sensor tasking – optionally AI-enabled algorithms and systems providing for automation of resource allocation and scheduling, including the prioritization of software processes, tasking of missile tracking and surveillance resources, and power cycling of payloads "Seamless multi-level security (MLS) operations – robust MLS solutions that protect NDSA operations across heterogeneous platforms, multiple warfighting domains, and at multiple levels of security "Cooperative maneuver – coordinated autonomous control of space vehicles and/or payloads to achieve a desired mission effect "Distributed command and control in contested environments – distributed implementations of command and control capabilities supporting the development of operational plans and courses of action, selection of courses of action, and real-time adjustments to employment strategies" Software, as usual, is an area in which rapid advance outpaces the speeds the acquisition system is normally capable of. C4ISRNET discusses the challenge with the Hudson Institute. OTAs have long been seen as an avenue for bypassing the slow-moving, requirements-bound, and heavily litigated Defense acquisition system. But Other Transaction Authority awards, up 712% since 2015, according to Breaking Defense, are now receiving hostile scrutiny as a court case against Space Force contractor NSTXL proceeds. Biden Administration likely to keep Space Force. Military Times sees the bipartisan support Space Force has attracted in Congress as a strong indication that President Biden is unlikely to undo one of President Trump's signature policies. (The creation of Space Force was one of the achievements the former President discussed in his farewell address, Military Times reports elsewhere.) Space Force is also not the clown show some of its portrayals in popular culture suggest, but an organization intended to address serious national security challenges with significant capabilities. Defense News thinks the new Service fundamentally has a PR problem, and such problems often go into spontaneous remission. The US Navy's interests in space operations and technologies. With coverage of Air Force and Space Force dominating DoD space news, and with even the Army attracting attention for the mud service's efforts to bring connectivity from orbit to the warfighter, it might be easy to overlook the US Navy's long and continuing involvement in space technology and space operations. A quick look at PEO Space Systems, housed in the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, suggests the nature of the Navy's interests. These include "a legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) SATCOM system and is in the process of replenishing and replacing the legacy UHF SATCOM constellation with the Mobile User Objective System's (MUOS) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) cellular technology." The Navy also supports work in nanosatellites and a variety of space science and technology programs. Space headquarters' locations prove (inevitably) controversial. Colorado's Congressional delegation has written President Biden to urge him to reconsider his predecessor's decision to move US Space Command's headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. The move has been covered as surprising and unwarranted, but Huntsville, ancestral home of the US Army's Redstone Arsenal and Aviation and Missile Command, has a long history in rocketry and space operations, with an extensive infrastructure in place. There's been some confusion in the coverage as well. Space Command is not to be confused with Space Force. The former is a unified combatant command, the latter a military Service. Guardians get their ranks. US Space Force has announced its rank structure. It's imported, except for the four most junior enlisted ranks and the forms of address for the two most senior noncommissioned officer ranks, from the Air Force. (Specialist is an Army rank, and "Chief" as a term of address suggests the Navy.) And the abbreviations are all in the Air Force style. The new rank structure takes effect today, February 1st, 2021. Enlisted ranks (shown by grade, rank, abbreviation, and preferred forms of address). E1, Specialist 1, Spc1, "Specialist" ("Spec 1," "Spec 2, "etc., are acceptable, but not preferred.) E2, Specialist 2, Spc2, "Specialist" E3, Specialist 3, Spc3, Specialist" E4, Specialist 4, Spc4, "Specialist"  E5, Sergeant, Sgt, "Sergeant" E6, Technical Sergeant, TSgt,"Sergeant" or "Technical Sergeant" or "Tech Sergeant" E7, Master Sergeant, MSgt, "Sergeant" or "Master Sergeant" E8, Senior Master Sergeant, SMSgt, "Senior" or "Senior Master Sergeant" E9, Chief Master Sergeant, CMSgt, "Chief" or "Chief Master Sergeant" E9, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, CMSSF, "Chief" or "Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force" Commissioned officer ranks (shown by grade, rank, abbreviation, and preferred forms of address). O1, Second Lieutenant, 2d Lt, "Second Lieutenant" or "Lieutenant" O2, First Lieutenant, 1st Lt, "First Lieutenant" or "Lieutenant" O3, Captain, Capt, "Captain" O4, Major, Maj, "Major" O5, Lieutenant Colonel, Lt Col, "Lieutenant Colonel" or "Colonel" O6, Colonel, Col, "Colonel" O7, Brigadier General, Brig Gen, "Brigadier General" or "General"  O8, Major General, Maj Gen, "Major General" or "General" O9, Lieutenant General, Lt Gen, "Lieutenant General" or "General" O10, General, Gen, "General" A few things to note. First, Space Force went for anodyne, traditional ranks: no Sky Marshalls, no Millenars, no Spacecraft Riggers Second Class, alas. Second, there's no five-star rank in the table, no "General of the Space Force," which suggests that for the US military as a whole, five stars are firmly relegated to an artifact of the Second World War. And, finally, there are no warrant officer ranks, which seems a shame: if ever a Service seemed made for warrants, that is, for highly skilled specialists permitted to spend a career refining their craft as opposed to picking up generalist skills, it would seem to be Space Force. One more note on Space Force culture: the Service's official march is still under preparation. [2561]   Today's edition of the CyberWire reports events affecting NATO/OTAN, Russia, and the United States. Selected Reading Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities (1) Marketplace (30) Products, Services, and Solutions (11) Technologies, Techniques, and Standards (20) Design and Innovation (14) Research and Development (7) Legislation, Policy, and Regulation (34) Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement (5) Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities Hacking Satellites with $300 Worth of TV Gear (Freethink) There are nearly 3,000 satellites in orbit, and all of them are subject to a breach in satellite security. Here's how white hat hackers can help. Marketplace AFRL launches MUSTER program (Intelligence Community News) The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) launched the Multi-Spectral Sensing Technologies Research and Development (MUSTER) program. MACOM and AFRL form CRADA (Intelligence Community News) Under the agreement, AFRL and MACOM will work together to transfer AFRL's production ready 0.14 micron GaN-on-SiC semiconductor process to MACOM's Massachusetts-based U.S. Trusted Foundry. NGA to host Industry Strategy Summit (Intelligence Community News) The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) announced plans to host its 2021 Industry Strategy Summit. SDA seeks National Defense Space Architecture tech (Intelligence Community News) The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) posted a broad agency announcement for National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA), Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC). APG to host AI in DoD acquisitions symposium (Intelligence Community News) ACC APG's Source Selection Support Center of Excellence (S3CoE) will host its FY 21 Q~2 virtual symposium entitled Artificial Intelligence (AI) in DoD Acquisitions. Space Force officially ends launch partnerships with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman (SpaceNews) The U.S. Space Force on Dec. 31 officially terminated launch technology partnerships signed in October 2018 with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman. SpaceX, Amazon spat pits world's richest men against each other over space real estate (MSN) SpaceX and Amazon — companies run by the two richest men in the world — are sparring over their competing satellite-based internet businesses, with SpaceX accusing Amazon of "stifling competition" and Amazon accusing SpaceX of looking to "smother competition in the cradle." Axiom Space names first private crew to launch to space station (Space.com) They'll launch on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2022. Colorado Springs defense contractor completes second acquisition in a week (Colorado Springs Gazette) Vectrus has acquired HHB Systems, a Virginia-based defense contractor specializing in systems engineering and technical assistance that employs more than 50 people. Teledyne to acquire FLIR Systems (Intelligence Community News) Teledyne will acquire FLIR in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $8.0 billion. General Dynamics secures $695m US Army contract (Defence Connect) The prime is set to continue delivering critical mission support to the United States Army in Europe after being awarded a new $695 million contract. General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a Space Force awards Lockheed Martin $4.9 billion for missile warning satellites (C4ISRNET) The contract modification provides for the manufacturing and delivery of three Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellites. $5 Billion for Rocketdyne? Why Would Lockheed Martin Pay That? (The Motley Fool) Buying Aerojet Rocketdyne seems a gamble on the future of ULA's Space Launch System. SpaceX wins $150 million launch contract (C4ISRNET) The company will put the Space Development Agency's first satellites on orbit in 2022. Boeing's Space Business Delivers the Only Good News in a Grim FY 2020 Report (Via Satellite) Despite The Boeing Company's COVID-19 and 737 MAX aircraft-related woes, it's Defense, Space & Security division posted a 2020 Fourth Quarter (Q4) revenue increase of 14% year-over-year. The division brought in $6.8 billion in revenue from various fighter aircraft and satellite manufacturing contracts. This is Boeing to close its storied Seattle manufacturing R&D center (The Wenatchee World) From outside the Boeing security fence, the giant windowless, box-like building across the road from the Museum of Flight looks unremarkable, if mysterious. Northrop Grumman Awarded $3.6 Billion ID/IQ Battlefield Airborne Communications Node Contract (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) The U.S. Air Force recently awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a $3.6 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for continued Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) operations,... Northrop Grumman gets $3.6B for work on Air Force communications node (UPI) The Defense Department announced a $3.6 billion contract with Northrop Grumman on Friday for support of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node. ESA, Thales Alenia Space sign contract to build European module for upcoming Lunar Gateway (Tech2) The module will have a small, pressurised workspace for the crew and large windows offering 360-degree views. The Tiny Satellites That Will Connect Cows, Cars and Shipping Containers to the Internet (Wall Street Journal) In the shadow of giants like SpaceX, more than a dozen startups are building their own globe-spanning networks of nanosatellites, enabling a new kind of everywhere, all-the-time connectivity for people, animals and assets on Earth. Army Selects Palantir, Raytheon To Support Development Of TITAN Intelligence System (Defense Daily) The Army has awarded a pair of deals to Palantir Technologies and Raytheon Intelligence & Space to support development and software maturation for the Mercury Systems Earns IPC-1791 Qualified Manufacturer's Certifications (GlobeNewswire) Receives coveted "Trusted Supplier"; designation; only U.S. OEM with multiple sites certified Parrot chosen by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) for the supply of micro-drones with ANAFI USA (StreetInsider.com)   PRESS RELEASEJanuary 11, 2021 7:30pm CET... Mercury CTO Dr. Bill Conley Appointed to National Defense Industrial Association Central Georgia Chapter Board of Directors (Yahoo) Mercury Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical technologies for aerospace and defense, announced that that Chief Technology Officer Dr. Bill Conley has been appointed to a six-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Central Georgia Chapter. A CEO resigned after national security reviews threatened a space SPAC (Quartz) Mikhail Kokorich and his investors faced questions about their connections to Russia and Vladimir Putin. CACI to Support NGA 'SAFFIRE' Program Under Potential $376M Contract (GovCon Wire) CACI International (NYSE: CACI) has received a potential $376.4 million contract to help the Nationa Envistacom wins $235m US Army contract for communications and IT services (Army Technology) Communications, cyber and intelligence operations solution provider Envistacom has secured a $235m prime contract from the US Army. Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine joins Acorn private equity firm (Space.com) He'll join Acorn's Aerospace and Defense Fund V. Taiclet adding chairman to his title at Lockheed Martin (Washington Business Journal) Marillyn Hewson is moving to an adviser role. Lockheed Martin board elects chairman, strategic adviser, and Aeronautics executive VP (Aerotech News & Review) The Lockheed Martin Corporation board of directors has elected President and CEO James D. Taiclet as chairman of the board, effective March 1. Executive Chairman Marillyn A. Hewson informed the board of directors of her intention to retire as executive chairman and as a member of the board. "Marillyn provided leadership that helped us to implement a smooth and successful [ …] Products, Services, and Solutions Watch live: Astronauts are spacewalking outside the International Space Station (Space.com) Liftoff is set for 10:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT) SpaceX has two Starship prototypes on the pad at the same time (Space.com) Behold, Starships SN9 and SN10. Musk Targets Telecom for Next Disruption With Starlink Internet (Bloomberg) SpaceX's satellite-based service wins over some early adopters. Coverage so far includes rural areas in U.S., Canada and U.K. Exclusive: Alphabet Is Grounding Loon—but Won't Call It a Failure (Wired) Plus: The moonshot's launch, health care for the maskless, and a new era's inaugural meme. Alphabet shuts down Loon internet balloon project (NASDAQ:GOOG) (SeekingAlpha) Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) is pulling the pin on Project Loon, a decade old venture that planned to beam internet to Earth via giant balloons. Virgin Orbit launches 10 satellites to orbit in landmark test flight (Space.com) LauncherOne has reached orbit for the first time. SpaceX rocket launches on record 8th flight carrying 60 Starlink satellites, nails landing (Space.com) It's the most-flown Falcon 9 ever. SpaceX targets bold new 'catch' strategy for landing Super Heavy rockets (Space.com) Super Heavy apparently won't need landing legs. SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype fires up rocket engines three times in one day (Space.com) SN9 will fly soon, if all goes according to plan. China kicks off a busy 2021 in space with communications satellite launch (Space.com) The launch of the Tiantong 1-03 communications satellite on Tuesday (Jan. 19) marked the start of a very busy year in space for China. Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes Validation Test of New Rocket Motor for United Launch Alliance (Northrop Grumman Newsroom) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) conducted a validation ground test of an extended length 63-inch-diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63XL) today in Promontory. This variation of the company's GEM 63 strap-on... Technologies, Techniques, and Standards Army Seeks Security For 'Smart' Base Networks (Breaking Defense) How can the Army bring the Internet Of Things and 'Smart Cities' technology to its bases, without opening new avenues for cyber attack? Army Needs 'Unified Network' Linking Tactical & Home-Base Systems: G-6 (Breaking Defense) The Army must link its tactical networks with its "enterprise" networks at home base, Lt. Gen. Morrison said, passing data on everything from artillery bombardments to cyber attacks. US Army's future battle command system is cleared for production (Defense News) The Army can now move full-steam ahead into low-rate initial production of its Integrated Battle Command System that will connect missile defense sensors and shooters on the battlefield. Getting away from 'anything goes': Military leaders set data standards for joint war fighting (C4ISRNET) The CIO/J-6 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called top data leaders to Aberdeen Proving Ground to set data standards and boost cooperation on Joint All-Domain Command and Control. Military Eyes AI, Cloud Computing in Space in a Decade (Defense One) Physics keeps the Pentagon from orbiting a computer powerful enough for machine learning. So they're building a network in space. COVID helped teach Army how to build classified networks, both on and off bases (Federal News Network) The Army is finding ways to use tools initially developed for telework to accelerate the deployment of classified networks on its bases. JUST IN: U.S. Space Command to Leverage AI to Maintain 'Digital Superiority' (National Defense) United States Space Command wants more artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to stay ahead of adversaries, the organization's top officer said Jan. 26. Interview: How the US plans to improve its missile warning satellites (C4ISRNET) Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt, commander of the Combined Force Space Component Command, explains how the Space Force is working to improve its space-based missile warning capabilities. Army working on strategy to prepare networks, workforce for digital transformation (C4ISRNET) The first Army CIO outlined his priorities as the service prepares its networks for multidomain operations. EXCLUSIVE: 'Do-Or-Die' JADC2 Summit To Crunch Common Data Standards (Breaking Defense) "Standards, in many cases, provide everything but standards. Interoperability is a word normally tagged on something that is not interoperable," says Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall, head of Joint Staff J6 responsible for C2 and cyber issues. Northrop Grumman Successfully Tests Its New Solid Rocket Motor (Interesting Engineering) Northrop Grumman conducted a successful test of its GEM-63XL solid rocket booster which will power ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket to the Moon. Read it here. Exclusive: How the Space Force foiled an Iranian missile attack with a critical early warning (C4ISRNET) Members of the 2nd Space Warning Squadron explain what it was like providing the crucial early warning that allowed war fighters to seek cover from a barrage of Iranian missiles. As new member of IC, Space Force is looking for a clearer picture of orbit and beyond (Federal News Network) The new service will set up an intelligence center within a year, that will develop from the two core space squadrons. Hyten outlines future steps to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum (C4ISRNET) The future of electromagnetic spectrum superiority will land mostly on the shoulders of the services, not the joint community, according to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. NASA will fire up its SLS moon megarocket in final 'green run' test this month (Space.com) The hot-fire test could happen as early as Jan. 17. Pentagon's weapon tester pushes for better assessments of offensive cyber tools (C4ISRNET) Annual DOT&E report says realistic simulations aren't routine or rigorous enough. Military intelligence agency wants to understand customers' needs better (C4ISRNET) Negative feedback prompted the new strategy, which promises accessible data and technology updates Testing Concerns Won't Delay Tactical Network Upgrades: Army (Breaking Defense) The Pentagon's top tester, DOT&E, had urged the Army to take more time. But Army leaders said today they've got plenty of field tests scheduled with real soldiers. NGA Faces Tech, Policy Hurdles To AI For Target Recognition (Breaking Defense) The IC has major policy questions to decide "before we just go off and build Skynet," says NGA's AI guru Joe Victor. As 5G auction continues, Pentagon turns to safety planning (Defense News) The Federal Aviation Administration and commercial aviation trade group have raised concerns that 5G deployment could cause interference to civil and military aircraft. Design and Innovation How the intelligence community is tapping into commercial radio frequency data (C4ISRNET) HawkEye 360's satellites can detect radio frequency emissions, allowing analysts to identify and geolocate various signals. Army connecting tactical and enterprise networks for multidomain operations (C4ISRNET) The U.S Army is changing its approach to network modernization to prepare for future fights in multidomain environments, focusing on unifying its tactical and enterprise networks. Army names new director for tactical network modernization team (C4ISRNET) U.S. Central Command's CIO/J6 is heading over to the Network Cross-Functional Team at Aberdeen Proving Ground. To Defeat Enemy Drone Swarms, Troops May Have to Take a Back Seat to Machines, General Says (Military.com) All branches of the U.S. military have expressed interest in using artificial intelligence for faster target recognition. Space Development Agency asks industry for input on available technologies (SpaceNews) A "broad area announcement"; Jan. 25 asks companies for information on emerging technologies that the Space Development Agency might be interested in funding if they meet specific needs. Top Navy IT office planning how to speed up software development (C4ISRNET) The Navy CIO wants an How UVA Engineers Help to Prevent Cyber Espionage by Adversarial Governments (UVA Today) UVA Engineering researchers have developed a unique concept to protect our digital world. Pentagon testing office finds problems — again — with network security system (C4ISRNET) The Defense Information Systems Agency's Joint Regional Security Stacks still has challenges 2 years after suggestions to eliminate the platform. AFRL's Golden Horde 'Swarms' Would Increase Fighter Lethality (Breaking Defense) "The Air Force has been quite open about the need to develop a new generation of weapons that are smaller and better suited for stealth aircraft operations," says Mitchell Institute's Mark Gunzinger. Pentagon's first demo of small counter-drone tech set for spring (Defense News) Industry will get its first chance to bring technology to demonstrate to the joint force for an enduring solution to counter small drones. Defense research director has a vision to connect with new, innovative companies (C4ISRNET) The DARPA leader wants to launch an accelerator and an Apple store-like storefront. Embrace new ways to buy software or the Pentagon will fall behind (C4ISRNET) Bryan Clark and Dan Patt from the Hudson Institute argue the U.S. military needs to evolve how it buys hardware and software or risk losing the tools required to defeat adversaries. Raytheon, Palantir Secure Tech Maturation OTAs Under Army's Tactical Ground System Modernization Program (GovConWire) The U.S. Army has awarded Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) and Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR) other transaction agreements to mature system design and software for the branch's intelligence ground station modernization effort, Signal Magazine reported Monday. Intelligent Artifacts wins USAF SBIR award (Intelligence Community News) Intelligent Artifacts announced on January 20 that it has been selected for a Phase I SBIR contract award by the US Air Force. Research and Development NASA probe leaving asteroid Bennu in May to deliver samples to Earth (Space.com) The Bennu samples will arrive here on Sept. 24, 2023. afrl air force research laboratory quantum computing (Intelligent Aerospace) Researchers will test quantum computing at an upcoming military exercise with Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, reports Brandi Vincent for Defense One. Dream Chaser space plane's first flight slips to 2022 due to pandemic-related delays (Space.com) Sierra Nevada, the spaceship's maker, is also building the LIFE space habitat. NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe could make a 2nd stop at infamous asteroid Apophis (Space.com) The space rock comes incredibly close to Earth in April 2029. The 'mole' on Mars will dig no more, NASA says (Space.com) The heat-seeking probe won't reach its target depth. NASA's Mars rover Perseverance lands on the Red Planet in less than a month! (Space.com) The big day is Feb. 18. Navy "UFO Patent" Documents Talk Of "Spacetime Modification Weapon," Detail Experimental Testing (The Drive) The Navy spent three years and considerable sums of money testing the "Pais Effect" and may have transferred the program to another agency. Legislation, Policy, and Regulation NATO to grow pooled Space Centre in 2021 (Janes.com) NATO plans to grow its recently established Space Centre, with the alliance telling Janes that further allies and personnel will be added throughout this year. Biden pledges US commitment to collective defense in call with NATO head (TheHill) President Biden spoke Tuesday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and emphasized the United States's commitment to the alliance, the White House said. Biden Calls Putin 'To Make Clear' Where US Stands (Defense One) In a marked change, the president read off a list of grievances — and discussed the potential for additional nuclear arms controls. Biden Proposing to Extend U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Deal by Five Years (Wall Street Journal) President Biden vowed during the campaign to extend the New START treaty, the nuclear arms deal with Russia that is scheduled to lapse on Feb. 5, but hadn't said how long he wanted to retain the agreement. The Faultline Between Futurists and Traditionalists in National Security (War on the Rocks) It's been boom times for national security and technology futurists. The dozens of articles on AI in War on the Rocks over the past few years are the tip 'War in space' would be a catastrophe. A return to rules-based cooperation is the only way to keep space peaceful (Space.com) In 2019, US President Donald Trump declared "space is the new war-fighting domain";. 2021: A Space (Force) Odyssey: Norms, Arms Control & Warfighting (Breaking Defense) "I will be very curious to see how the Space Force shakes out in the next year or so. It's not going away but how it manifests itself could be different," said Victoria Samson, Washington Office director for Secure World Foundation. Biden seen likely to keep Space Force, a Trump favorite (Military Times) Bipartisan congressional support for Space Force makes it likely that Biden will not push for its undoing. McMillin: The Space Force isn't the U.S. military's first space program. Let's hope this one sticks around. (The Denver Post) The U.S. military was had a space program in one form or another for a long time. Let's home the most current iteration — Space Force — sticks around. Creation of Space Force among achievements highlighted in Trump farewell video (Military Times) Trump is set to leave Washington early Wednesday morning after a grand farewell event at nearby Joint Base Andrews. Can Biden solve the Space Force's public relations crisis? (Defense News) President Trump made the U.S. Space Force a pet project. To some, that's been a bad thing. Air Force chief: Electromagnetic spectrum could be cheaper option to defeat enemies (C4ISRNET) The Air Force's top officer says the electromagnetic spectrum operations could cut costs for defeating enemies. Austin confirmed as new defense secretary in historic vote (Military Times) The former head of U.S. Central Command is the first Black defense secretary in American history. Austin Signals Shift Back To Focus On Space Resilience (Breaking Defense) The Biden team wants to "start to lean away from ... the pugilistic aspects" of Trump-era space policy, says one well-placed insider. USAF Space Acquisition Office Prepares for Handoff to New Leaders (Air Force Magazine) The future Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration will need to hit the ground running. DOD Formalizes Program Giving Companies More Access to Classified Info (Air Force Magazine) The Pentagon has formally created a group of defense companies with broader visibility into Special Access Programs. Exclusive: J6 Says JADC2 Is A Strategy; Service Posture Reviews Coming (Breaking Defense) The upcoming JADC2 Posture Review "will show the department exactly where we are deficient in executing our mission or missions," Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall says. Space Force Reaches Out To New Partners– Eye On China (Breaking Defense) "Other areas we're looking for opportunities are also out in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, to develop new and different partnerships in space that we may not have enjoyed in other domains in the past," Gen. DT Thompson, vice chief of the Space Force, says. Trump Administration adds Pentagon 'Space Force' to U.S. spy agency group (Reuters) President Donald Trump's Space Force established in 2019 will become a full member of the U.S. intelligence community, the administration said on Friday. US intel community expands with Space Force unit (Air Force Times) The Space Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Enterprise became the 18th member of the intelligence apparatus. US Space Force announces its rank system (Space.com) Sorry, William Shatner: They're not using Navy ranks. Nebraska bid to attract Space Command to Offutt Air Force Base includes $107 million (Air Force Times) Nebraska's bid to attract the U.S. Space Command's headquarters to Offutt Air Force Base includes $107 million of public and private money. Colorado Politicians Vow To Fight Huntsville Choice For SPACECOM (Breaking Defense) Several experts said the decision shouldn't be that big of a surprise, given that Huntsville had been poised to win the first contest -- in part due to its much lower cost of living, as well as plenty of available office and housing space. US Space Command site to be located in Huntsville, Alabama (Air Force Times) The U.S. Air Force is expected to announce Huntsville, Alabama, as the location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters, according to Alabama's governor. Space Command makes unexpected selection for new HQ (Houston Chronicle) The U.S. Space Command announced Wednesday that Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., is the preferred location for its new headquarters. New law is first to protect Apollo sites from future moon missions (Space.com) Preserving the historic sites where humans first landed on the moon is now not only a good idea, it is also the law. Pentagon announces new acting CIO as Deasy departs (C4ISRNET) The department's principal deputy CIO takes over from Dana Deasy until President Joe Biden's eventual pick gets confirmed. Roth takes over as acting Air Force secretary (Air Force Times) Former Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett received the traditional farewell clap-out for departing Pentagon officials on Tuesday. Intelligence and the Biden Administration (War on the Rocks) After four...strange years, what can we expect from the Biden administration on the intelligence front? From key appointments to the strategic context, After huge hack, Biden security picks want more cyber coordination with industry (C4ISRNET) Nominees for defense secretary and director of national intelligence say more government-private information sharing is needed to prevent breaches. Barrett's legacy: an influential, if quiet, Air Force secretary (Air Force Times) Standing up the Space Force could have gone wrong in many ways, experts said, but Barrett ensured its creation was a success. DARPA Changing Directors Again in Third Recent Shuffle (Air Force Magazine) The Biden administration is reportedly tapping Stefanie Tompkins to run the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Pentagon Has 6 Months to Disclose What It Knows About UFOs (Military.com) Lawmakers are demanding answers from U.S. intelligence agencies and the DoD on the potential existence of UFOs. Pentagon UFO unit to publicly release some findings after ex-official says 'off-world vehicle' found (Intelligent Aerospace) 'If it's something from outside this planet — that might actually be better than...the Chinese or the Russians' said Marco Rubio, reports Gino Spocchia for the Independent. Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement Did The Space Force Just Ruin OTAs For Everyone? (Breaking Defense) Other Transaction Authority awards have soared 712 percent since 2015, helping jumpstart R&D, including on COVID vaccines. But now the Space Force's OTAs have been derailed by a court case against contractor NSTXL – and the whole OTA system is under fire. Space Development Agency confirms SpaceX, L3Harris awards following protest (C4ISRNET) A stop work order has been lifted, allowing the companies to continue with their hypersonic weapon tracking satellites. Iridium, Lockheed Martin Join Group Calling for FCC to Stay Ligado Order (Via Satellite) Update: On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the FCC denied a request to stay the Ligado decision. " order imposed stringent conditions in order to protect incumbent users, including GPS services and Pentagon operations that operate outside this band, and the technical evidence in our record continues to demonstrate that the FCC 'Delete all phones' — How one man killed communications at an Air Force base for weeks (Task & Purpose) Alan Daniels' sabotage at Whiteman Air Force Base took 702 man-hours at the cost of nearly $27,000 to fix over several weeks Pentagon could reassess future of JEDI cloud, depending on court action (C4ISRNET) The future of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud may depend on a court's decision whether to dismiss allegations of interference by former President Donald Trump.

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