Zero trust is increasingly becoming a critical component of cybersecurity as threats resort more to data-centric attacks, said Garrett Yee, General Dynamics Information Technology's vice president and general manager for the U.S. Army and defense agencies sector. In an interview with Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International, Yee shared his short- and long-term outlook for zero trust and how artificial intelligence is impacting tactical decision-making.

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The decrease in military retention rates is a major issue for national defense. The scarcity of seasoned leaders impacts military effectiveness and raises questions about lower job satisfaction in the defense forces.    The U.S.’s overall military retention rate was 55% in 2021, highlighting the need for improvement. Inadequate compensation, toxic leadership, and limited freedom […] More

L3Harris Technologies company Aerojet Rocketdyne has signed a 10-year public-private partnership agreement with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division to increase solid rocket motor production for national defense applications. "Working in coordination with our government partners, we’re increasing our production capability to meet today’s growing demand and to prepare for any surge in support of near peer conflicts," Ross Niebergall, president of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said in a statement published Monday.

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NASA has increased funding for two commercial space stations meant to succeed the International Space Station, which is scheduled to retire in 2030. The agency announced Friday that it added $57.5 million for the Starlab station of Voyager Space’s exploration segment, as well as $42 million to the Orbital Reef station conceptualized by Blue Origin.

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Boeing has delivered to the U.S. Navy an unmanned submarine capable of operating independently of a host vehicle. The company said Wednesday the Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle is a novel autonomous submarine that is purpose-built for extended and critical underwater missions.

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The National Security Agency has granted certification to General Dynamics' mission systems division for its first TACLANE E-Series product designed to protect top-secret government information that passes through ethernet data networks. The TACLANE-ES10 (KG-185A) encryptor is a Layer 2 Ethernet Data Encryption Cryptographic Interoperability Specification-compliant platform that works to secure classified information in high-speed networks at data rates up to 10 Gigabits per second, GDMS said Thursday.

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The State Department is warning U.S. citizens traveling anywhere in the world "to exercise increased caution". In an Oct. 23 travel advisory, the department called for vigilance on the part of U.S. citizens when visiting locations frequented by tourists and recommended that they enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Join the Potomac Officers Club's 2023 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 15 to learn more about the most significant threats to the U.S. and what is being done to address them. Click here to register.

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Unmanned systems have evolved beyond their traditional role of providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in defense missions, according to Amentum Executive Vice President Tim Saffold. During an interview, Saffold discussed the broader applications of unmanned systems in defense, the functions they can perform in critical infrastructure upkeep and environmental surveillance and the role autonomy has in their evolution.

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Brian Rogers, senior director of global launch services at Rocket Lab, said he expects to see an increased demand for the Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron, a modified version of the company's Electron launch vehicle, as the Department of Defense continues to invest in hypersonics, C4ISRNET reported Saturday. The suborbital testbed launch vehicle took its inaugural flight from a launch site at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia in June in support of the Pentagon's Multi-Service Advanced Hypersonic Testbed.

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Advanced IT Concepts has entered into a strategic partnership with FVLCRUM, a private equity firm with extensive experience working with government contractors. AITC, which provides defense and federal agencies with technology solutions, said Friday that FVLCRUM's investment will help bring about the company's continued growth.

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Sierra Space raised $290 million in equity during its Series B funding, increasing its total investment to $1.7 billion. A Japanese consortium led the private capital infusion that elevated the commercial space company’s valuation to $5.3 billion. MUFG, Japan’s largest bank, along with Kanematsu and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, formed the lead investor group in the latest funding round, Sierra Space said.

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Sentient Vision Systems has conducted a live demonstration of its artificial intelligence-powered visual detection and ranging payload on Edge Autonomy‘s VXE30 vertical take-off and landing uncrewed aerial system. ViDAR is a size, weight and power-optimized optical radar system that uses AI, computer vision and electro-optic and infrared sensors to detect very small objects and expand […] More