Christopher Dufour

🛡️ Driving Innovation and Growth: Expanding the Defense Industrial Base 🚀 As we navigate an increasingly complex global landscape, the expansion of our defense industrial base is more crucial than ever. Strengthening our capabilities not only enhances national security but also drives innovation and economic growth. ✨ Why Expand? Expanding the defense industrial base fosters resilience against emerging threats, promotes technological advancement, and creates high-skilled jobs. It's about equipping our forces with cutting-edge capabilities while bolstering our industrial and innovation base. 🌐 Global Impact In a connected world, collaboration and strategic partnerships are key. By expanding our defense industrial base, we foster international cooperation, enhancing interoperability and strengthening alliances to address global security challenges collectively. 🔍 Opportunities Ahead From cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing, expanding the defense industrial base opens doors to new opportunities in technology development, research, and infrastructure investments. It fuels a cycle of innovation that benefits not only defense but also commercial sectors. 🤝 Collaboration is Key By fostering collaboration between government, industry leaders, and academia, we can drive forward-thinking initiatives that propel our defense capabilities into the future. It's about harnessing diverse expertise and resources to build a secure and prosperous future. At Ombra we embrace this pivotal moment to expand our defense industrial base, driving innovation, safeguarding our nation, and creating a resilient foundation for generations to come. Together, we can shape a stronger, more secure future. #DefenseIndustry #NationalSecurity #Innovation #EconomicGrowth #GlobalSecurity #Collaboration #TechnologyAdvancement #FutureReady

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The Small UAV Coalition applauds the bipartisan FAA reauthorization deal, which includes numerous Coalition priorities. With the Senate’s strong bipartisan vote today to proceed to floor consideration, the Coalition urges the Senate move quickly to a vote to approve the bill. #SmallUAVCoalition #FAA #FAAreauthorization

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Want to know how the United States Department of Defense and the United States Space Force plan to integrate commercial solutions to their space architectures? Check out Becky Leggieri's article in April's Federal Budget IQ report. #space #technology #publicsectorforecast

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Hat tip to Jerry McGinn, Ph.D. for this one, and appreciation for his referencing work the Aerospace Industries Association has done on #AUKUS and defense trade modernization. There's a clear need for enhanced international defense industrial base cooperation with U.S. partners and allies. Some structural change within the United States Department of Defense could lead to more focused outcomes for all stakeholders. There's always debate about what office(s) should go where and report to whom. I'm sure that'll be the case here as we talk about this proposal. But what's important is that enhanced industrial base cooperation (not talking #FMS, but true international armaments cooperation) is imperative as we respond to the global threat environment. #fms #partners #allies https://lnkd.in/ehj_uKhm

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Speed: Marine Corps Systems Command's OTA brings speed, flexibility & collaboration to federal procurements. Like USAF, other orgs can leverage it. In partnership with Consortium Management Group, Inc. S/F https://lnkd.in/edskDXX8

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Recently I had the privilege of joining Miriam McNabb, (Editor-in-Chief at DroneLife.com), Charles Werner (Executive Director of DRONERESPONDERS), and Tim Martin (Director of Training, Unmanned Aerial Systems, The Regional Training Center) for an episode of the Public Safety Drone Review. Below is a breakdown of the topics covered and where you can find them in the video:  News: 5:23 – 7:58: The importance of communication and transparency in building public acceptance of drones. 15:05 – 17:10: Outreach events support public acceptance and can inspire the next generation of drone operators. 18:40 – 23:20: DETECT Act discussion, drone cybersecurity, & the impact of uncertainty on the market and drone programs.  23:21 – 27:45: Drones & Wildland Firefighting – the opportunities they represent to fill historical gaps/limitations and evolve risk mitigation and response.  Webinar Topics: 30:30 – 36:00: Practical Guide to the American Security Drone Act (ASDA) – (https://lnkd.in/epHeFciA) 36:07 – 37:30: U.C. Berkeley Disaster Lab and the FIRE Foundry program discussion (https://lnkd.in/eBWFXpev), (https://lnkd.in/egF5sqDm), (https://lnkd.in/em33DGXA). 37:31 – 40:03: Wildland Fire – The role of an "Operational Technologist" in connecting government agencies and industry to promote collaboration and advancement (https://lnkd.in/eB4KBARk)  41:09 – 42:56: Regulatory support and aligning airspace and regulations to reflect new technologies and expanded commercial markets that are part of this 2nd Golden Age of Flight (https://lnkd.in/eYZsuXkZ). 43:23 – 46:50: Future of eVTOL in wildland fire (https://lnkd.in/eeKieaRw). 47:00 – 50:25: “Drones for Better” – discussion of the new SourceAmerica Mentor-Protégé Program under AbilityOne that provides expanded opportunities for drone and related technology companies, Federal Agencies, wounded warriors and other deserving Americans with disabilities. (https://lnkd.in/eaXeYC5k). Audience Questions: 52:05 – 56:40: ASDA follow-up question. 56:41 – 57:58: MQ-25 question. Closing: 58:05 – 59:11: Future influence in the drone space – military to commercial or commercial to military? https://lnkd.in/ePnaJFSh #dronesforgood #dfr

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Nicholas Nelson, Senior Fellow for Emerging Tech & Policy at CEPA and is a Partner at MD One Ventures. Andrew Stiles, advisor on emerging technologies as a management consultant for nearly a decade. Kyra Terenzio, Management consultant specialising in emerging technology at a leading professional services firm. "Domain awareness is an ongoing challenge in countries with large Arctic land masses such as Alaska, where strained connectivity, power access, and extreme weather all hinder unmanned systems. NASA’s drone, Vanilla, flew for six hours in the Arctic totaling over 130 miles. Unique technology such as its internal heating system and anti-icing coating, if adapted to other robotic systems, could help make them more resilient, durable, and interoperable within the Arctic. Additionally, space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (SB-ISR) sensors are critical. However, satellites historically struggle with connectivity, signal fidelity, and resolution quality due to snowfall, cloud coverage, wind, and precipitation. To tackle these, Canada funded the Enhanced Satellite Communication Project – Polar (ESCP-P), which will enable narrowband and wideband satellite communications including beyond line of sight. Polar-orbiting satellites, and the infrastructure to launch them, are also increasingly vital. Russia launched its Arktika-M satellite in December, the second of nine it plans to send into orbit by 2026. The seven NATO countries in the High North will need to expand their own space-based and ground-based communications, such as durable and portable 5G systems and polar-orbit satellites, to provide ubiquitous, rapid data transmission for NATO activity in the High North."

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📢 The Department of Defense (DOD) has released a new Open Announcement through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Authority(DIBC OTA) 📝 The DIBC OTA will accept unsolicited White Papers to be considered for Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) funding. 🧑‍🏫 DIBC membership is free and is open to U.S. organizations as well as international partners from the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, and Canada. 📈 The Open Announcement will significantly accelerate the timeline to project award, which will bring critical capabilities to the industrial base faster. This effort also supports the critical Supply Chain Resiliency Focus Areas identified as part of President Biden's Executive Order 14017, On America's Supply Chains. ✴️ The critical sectors sought under this Open Announcement include: * Kinetic Capabilities * Energy Storage and Batteries * Castings and Forgings * Strategic and Critical Materials * Microelectronics * Workforce Development 📅The Open Announcement is currently accepting White Papers and will remain open until September 30, 2024. All the information 👇

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The latest from Emergent Defense Magazine: Experimenting with Generative A.I. – AFRL approves initiative with proper safeguards 👉 https://lnkd.in/gPJwmdMd The Air Force Research Laboratory, in partnership with the Department of the Air Force Chief Data and AI Office is accelerating the ability of contractors, civilian employees, Guardians and Airmen to responsibly experiment with Generative AI, provided adequate safeguards are in place.

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"The purpose of the APFIT pilot program is to expeditiously transition technologies into production, and to accelerate the fielding of needed technologies to the warfighter, with priority given to technologies developed by small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors. The benefits of this pilot program will be to deliver war-winning capability earlier than scheduled, while contributing to the viability of small business and nontraditional defense contractor vendors. APFIT is an additional tool the DoD can use to propel innovative capabilities across the "Valley of Death" and accelerate fielding into the hands of warfighters."

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Commerical analytics and data purchased, 100% tracking and totally agree, let industry do its thing. So now how do we ensure dissemination of this sweet, sweet, geospatial insight and data to all of the folks who need it? NGA, DOD, IC, DHS, DOJ, USGS, NOAA, State/Local first responders, etc. Data has to arrive at the right place, at the right time, in the right format, confident in its accuracy. It should be easily discoverable for download, streaming or visualizing the data/results. The tech is not the hard part, we actually have a lot of it already in place. Cloud adoption helps and being able to dictate/define how geodata is delivered will help as well, i.e. cloud optimized geotiff/point (cog/copc) and requisite metadata... We can get this done just all have to row in the same direction, #GCSGeospatial and friends can't stop won't stop until we get there...

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In this article, SolarWinds GVP of Engineering Krishna Sai explores how AI, ML, and observability can help SOCOM and other DoD agencies achieve a multi-domain infrastructure that is interoperable, dependable, transparent, secure, and high performing. Read more in C4ISRNET here: https://bit.ly/3VZypTk

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In this article, SolarWinds GVP of Engineering Krishna Sai explores how AI, ML, and observability can help SOCOM and other DoD agencies achieve a multi-domain infrastructure that is interoperable, dependable, transparent, secure, and high performing. Read more in C4ISRNET here: https://bit.ly/3VZypTk

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ICYMI: a media snippet ✂ Post: Surviving the Push: Legacy Space Companies and the SDA Do excuses matter in a market full of capable competitors (one of them extraordinarily aggressive)? A recent SpaceNews article prompted me to revisit an analysis I wrote nearly two years ago. In it, I asked whether legacy satellite manufacturers, such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, could accomplish something they rarely (if ever) do: build inexpensive satellites quickly, with no delays, for the Space Development Agency (SDA). That agency is attempting to avoid the usual lengthy acquisition death spirals. At the time, I noted that the SDA was nudging legacy manufacturers to buy into its new space technology acquisitions model. At the time, the question I posed was: Could the legacy manufacturers adapt to the SDA’s needs? I thought they might, but it was not a confidence-inspired belief. While both companies offer in-house satellite buses, sensors, etc., neither could build satellites quickly (for reasons listed in the analysis). I assumed their inability was why both companies turned to smallsat manufacturers such as Terran Orbital and Airbus OneWeb to help meet the SDA’s requirements. This seemed to work for them, as Lockheed deployed 10 SDA satellites in 2023, and Northrop is on track to deploy its Airbus-based satellites for SDA in September 2024. Since that article, the SDA has begun pushing instead of nudging. Not all legacy companies appear to be dealing well with these shifts in military space acquisitions. L3Harris, yet another military-focused aggrecorporation, appears to be one of those. The SpaceNews article portrayed it as a company under stress. L3Harris publicly blamed both space industry supply chain and Moog for its inability to meet the SDA’s schedule (despite having over three years to build four small satellites). Why the company felt compelled to... Get it in full: https://lnkd.in/eM87f2H2

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