Defense Department
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Katrina McFarland, the assistant secretary of Defense for acquisition, said senior officials review solicitations before they get Milestone A approval to move into the technology development phase. This type of analysis had been missing previously or only done after it was too late.
October 29, 2014 -
The Defense Department published its first-ever joint doctrine for military operations in cyberspace a year and a half ago. But the document was kept secret. Now, the Pentagon has released a declassified version. Much of it repeats what DoD officials have said in public, but there are some eyebrow-raisers. Federal News Radio's DoD Reporter Jared Serbu writes about it in this week's Inside the Reporter's Notebook. He joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive with details.
October 28, 2014 -
For 50 years, the TechAmerica Foundation has presented a detailed forecast for Defense spending. It's one source of information contractors use to plan their marketing and sales efforts. This year's forecast team has shown one eternal truth. Pentagon budgets reflect more than just what military leaders say they need. They're buffeted by the economy and politics too. Rick Ashooh leads TechAmerica's DoD forecast team. He spoke with Tom Temin on the Federal Drive at this year's Tech America Vision Conference.
October 28, 2014 -
Armies run on food, fuel and information. That last part is why the Defense Department spends so much on information technology and services each year, and why contractors spend a lot of time reading the DoD tea leaves. Gerry Robbins is the team lead for this year's TechAmerica defense IT market forecast. He's spoke with Tom Temin on the Federal Drive at the TechAmerica Foundation Vision Forecast Conference.
October 28, 2014 -
The Defense Department wants to maintain its technological advantage in warfare. To do so, it relies on the U.S. industrial base. Next month, DoD will launch a competition to develop a new Institute for Manufacturing. But not just any manufacturing, in this case the work will have to involve photonics. The awardee will receive $110 million to jump start the institute. Adele Ratcliff is director of Manufacturing Technology in DoD's Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy. She joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss the objective of the new institute.
October 24, 2014 -
The Marine Corps will begin a small scale pilot in the next several weeks to determine whether commercial-grade security containers on mobile devices can meet DoD's security demands. If it's successful, Marines envision a BYOD strategy that begins implementation as soon as next year.
October 24, 2014 -
On this week's edition of On DoD, an update on the Army's efforts to modernize its tactical networks.
October 22, 2014 -
The Army's network integration exercises will emphasize more lab testing and less integration during the NIE itself. Future NIEs will be biased toward programs of record, not off-the-shelf technologies.
October 22, 2014 -
Knowing and appreciating the industry side of the acquisitions process is key to training the acquisition workforce of the future, according to two acquisition experts.
October 21, 2014 -
Arlington County officials have transported an ill woman found Friday in a Pentagon parking lot to a local Virginia hospital. According to a DoD spokesperson, the woman told first responders she had recently traveled to Africa.
October 17, 2014 -
Analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows R&D took the biggest hit, dropping by 21 percent in a single year. But payments to large firms and spending on large contracts got some degree of protection.
October 17, 2014 -
A new analysis of federal procurement data confirms what Defense Department vendors already experienced. During the first year of sequestration contracting dollars fell abruptly, dropping 16 percent in 2013 compared to the year before. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu reports.
October 17, 2014 -
Embedding cybersecurity into the Defense Department's design, manufacturing, and supply chain is a goal the Pentagon sees is possible. Mike Papay is Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President at Northrop Grumman, and Frank Cilluffo is director of the George Washington University Cybersecurity Initiative and the Homeland Security Policy Institute. On In Depth with Francis Rose, they offered steps the DoD can take to address the issue.
October 16, 2014 -
The Defense Department's Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell is responsible for coordinating the department's effort to fill its crucial and often unanticipated operational needs. These are requirements combatant commanders and warfighters often discover they need after yearly budgets have been set. As part of our special report, The Missing Pieces of Procurement Reform, Tom Temin spoke with Andrew Hunter, director of the cell, on the Federal Drive. He explained how rapid acquisition works.
October 16, 2014 -
Congress has repeatedly tried to eliminate the problem of defense acquisition programs that cost more than they're supposed to and take too long to deliver. After several decades of attempts, it might be time to admit that lawmakers can't solve all of the Pentagon's purchasing problems. As part of our special report, The Missing Pieces of Procurement Reform, Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu explains.
October 16, 2014