The U.S. Space Force will work to develop a more resilient architecture to continue to deliver critical space-based capabilities, C4ISRNet reported on Thursday. 

Col. Russell Teehan, portfolio director at the Space and Missile Systems Center, said that the Force will need to establish a distributed and maneuverable architecture, with a larger focus on satellites operating in low Earth orbit because of the increased vulnerability to anti-satellite weapons. 

The development and testing of various anti-satellite weapons by adversaries was the focus of several Department of Defense (DOD) reports and statements calling attention to the vulnerability of the nation’s satellites. Teehan added that he would like to see the Space Force ensure space-based capabilities can be delivered through multiple channels, so if a satellite is destroyed, warfighters can be resilient. 

“I know exactly how I would go after our architectures. I’ve known for 20 years how I would go after our architectures,” said Teehan. “As the portfolio architect, I spend a lot of time on, where are we vulnerable? Where do we really not want to take a hit?”

The Space Force has focused on shifting to a distributed architecture, maneuverability and LEO constellations to encourage resiliency and maneuverability. The Space Development Agency was established in 2019 to build a new megaconstellation in low Earth orbit made up of hundreds of relatively inexpensive, replaceable satellites. 

Teehan added the agency’s satellites could be used to deliver space-based capabilities, even if constellations are removed. Teehan advocated for a hybrid approach, where simpler satellites will be backed by a distributed, LEO architecture.

“Most of our strategy back at the [Space and Missile Systems] Center — we’re working with [the Space Development Agency, Missile Development Agency] and multiple others — was looking to get into higher rate productions, simpler platforms, distributed [architectures],” said Teehan.

On March 23rd, Potomac Officers Club will host its 2021 Industrial Space Defense Summit, featuring Gen. John Raymond, chief of Space Operations with the Space Force and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, as a keynote speaker. 

Raymond will address space technology, innovation and private-public partnerships that will expand federal space defense capabilities and help defeat adversaires, as space exploration and defense, space research and technology continues to expand. 

To register for the 2021 Industrial Space Defense Summit, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page. 

Sonny Bhagowalia, acting assistant commissioner for information and technology and chief information officer at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), said managed data centers still play a key role in supporting the operations of CBP, FedScoop reported Wednesday.

“The mission is so big in terms of what we do in safeguarding America and data centers play a very big role in terms of what we provide in high value assets,” Bhagowalia said in a video interview underwritten by Dell Technologies.

He said CBP has implemented a hybrid approach that uses cloud and on-premises data centers as it advances information technology modernization and carry out its mission. He also talked about the agency’s migration of some applications to the cloud.

Bhagowalia joined Mahtab Emdadi, a regional sales director at Dell Technologies, during the video interview to discuss other tech trends and factors CIOs should consider as they pursue data center modernization.

Military leaders and senior executive service members within the Department of Defense met Tuesday at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for a data summit to discuss the Joint All-Domain Command and Control strategy, data standards, access management, data security and application programming interfaces, DOD reported.

The Joint Staff J-6 is working on the JADC2 strategy and one session during the summit focused on the definition of the “common data fabric,” which is critical to creating and implementing the enterprise framework.

"What we've been doing for the last six or seven months is enabling this body [of decision-makers] to have this JADC2 vision and then execute it," said David Spirk, chief data officer at DOD. "We have given [the Joint Services] the path and we're asking them to drive us to this open systems data architecture."

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall, director of the Joint Staff J-6, hosted the summit and called the meeting a “stage-setting event."

"This particular meeting is about making sure that the framework is in place and that we understand who is responsible for each part of the [JADC2] strategy,” Crall said.

The U.S. Air Force has introduced an online tool designed to help recruiters build engagement and provide awareness of potential opportunities within the service branch. Enhanced Cognitive Human Ops (E.C.H.O.) is an interactive gaming tool that seeks to gauge potential airmen's cognitive skills through three different challenges, the military service said Tuesday.

E.C.H.O. features a holographic representation of an airman that will guide users through the missions that they will encounter in the game. Users will be given feedback on how they can use their cognitive skills and to help determine viable career paths within the Air Force.

"While the pandemic has put a pause on live experiences, we are pushing the needle on what is possible with virtual options," said Master Sgt. Zachary Atkinson, events marketing superintendent at the Air Force Recruiting Service. "The mobile asset with the game should be out in the field as soon as we are safely able to resume events," added Atkinson.