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The United States is going through a major modernization effort, ensuring America can succeed and thrive in this new digital arena, providing an exceptional opportunity for companies to build market share while making a positive impact. In an effort to showcase new and interesting commercial technologies to the federal community, the SDI team is hosting a technology demo competition. The SDI Showcase and Ignite Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the most groundbreaking technologies and solutions throughout the space and defense sectors. The online portion of the competition will take place on Valid Eval’s secure online evaluation platform. Companies will compete based on company size and sector, resulting in two finalists from each category being selected. Finalists will face off in a live demo competition, with the winners being crowned during the Space and Defense Innovation VIP Party, held on March 9, 2024, in Austin, TX, during SXSW. The competition focuses on six of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense's OUSD(R&E) critical technology categories: Integrated Sensing and Cyber Space Technology Human-Machine Interfaces AI and Autonomy Renewable Energy Generation and Storage Quantum Science Wildcard category There is no cost to apply, and there are some great benefits, including prize packages, awards, and recognition in front of industry leaders. With that said, the real benefit is the ability for companies to get meaningful feedback from an audience of acquisitions and innovation leaders throughout the federal government. Applicants will also be shared with federal programs that are looking for technology, opening new opportunities for growth and commercialization after the competition. The demo event will be part of the SDI Showcase and VIP Reception on March 9, 2024, during SXSW. In its third year, we are expanding the invite-only VIP Reception to include a demo competition.   Applications are open through Dec 15th! Apply to demo here: https://lnkd.in/eDtrnTii. You can find more details in the press release about the competition here: https://bit.ly/3FRQiKk  If you'd like to learn more about the event and how you can participate, we encourage you to visit the SDI website: https://lnkd.in/eB5_jyNU Please share with prospective companies/organizations that this may be of interest to.

Final reminder to RSVP for Harpoon Ventures' April Defense Tech Meetup next week! We'll be joined by some great speakers from Astranis Space Technologies, In-Q-Tel, Kodiak, Merlin, and BAE Systems to share insights on their companies and the sector in general. See the comments for the RSVP link - don't miss out! #defensetech #sandiego #defense #nationalsecurity #founders #investing

I had the distinct pleasure of participating as a panel member with Federico Borsari, Florin Tomiuc, Marta Kepe, discussing Transforming C4ISR: The Impact of Emerging Technology and AI in NATO and the Implications for a Strengthened Alliance during the Defense Strategies Institute Integrated C4ISR Systems Symposium 21-22 Feb. The conversation focused on NATO’s top five challenges highlighted within the Atlantic Council’s 2023 publication, The Future of NATO C4ISR. NATO’s challenges are not unique: ·  Share more data and intelligence; ·  transform digitally; ·  implement new concepts, policies, and plans to clarify C4ISR requirements; ·  modernize, augment, and acquire capabilities to meet new C4ISR requirements; and · continue to invest in C4ISR interoperability, readiness, resilience, innovation, and adaptation. When asked, “Where do I see an opportunity for collaboration?” I responded that the most incredible opportunity resides in the commercial space.  We can learn much from how our allies utilize the commercial space to support their national strategic security goals.  C4ISR is about sensors and sense-making, and no national security apparatus can compete with the ubiquitous array of commercially available sensors. Defense Strategies Institute and Emily A. Pandis, thank you for the opportunity.

“An emerging tool in gray zone warfare in space are dual-use satellites developed for in-orbit services that are capable of close-proximity maneuvers. These vehicles — now being deployed by Russia and China — have drawn the attention of the Pentagon because of their sophistication. So-called inspector satellites are used for benign purposes like assessing satellites for damage or debris monitoring. But the same rendezvous capabilities can also enable intelligence gathering and counter-space actions. Some equipped with robotic arms, these vehicles exploit the inherent dual-use potential of most space technologies. In early 2022, it was revealed that China’s Shijian-21 docked with a defunct Chinese satellite in the geostationary belt and towed it to a graveyard orbit. That demonstration raised the specter of counter-space applications conducted under the guise of debris cleanup initiatives. “It’s an example of the co-orbital threats that we face now,” said Saltzman. “We saw them use a grappling arm to take one of their own satellites and pull it out of its operational orbit into an unusable orbit. And if you can do it with one satellite, you can do it with another,” he said. “Those are the kinds of threats that we’re trying to create resiliency against,” he said. “And it’s a daunting proposition.” Slingshot Aerospace, in early October, released its analysis of recent maneuvers by Russia’s Luch Olymp K-2 geostationary spy satellite, suspected of conducting signals intelligence-gathering missions in the vicinity of U.S. commercial communications satellites. “Thinking about warfare in space through an irregular warfare lens or gray zone lens is exactly what we should be doing,” Schaffer said. “Because the very last thing our national leadership wants to do is go to war. We want to deter war.” The U.S. plans to field more advanced spacecraft with maneuvering and proximity-operations capabilities to counter Chinese threats, and virtually all that innovation is coming from commercial companies. However, she noted, “If we’re talking primarily about actions short of armed conflict, we don’t have the doctrine, we don’t have the capabilities, we don’t have the plans, we don’t have the theory to really compete in that realm.” Expert space watchers note that China has made notable advances in rendezvous and proximity operations. Not only did China demonstrate such capabilities in geostationary orbit, but it also has put satellites in lower orbits to perform maneuvers around other Chinese spacecraft. “It used to be that proximity operations with satellites flying close together were rare, and it took immense budgets and many years to build a system,” Ceperley said Oct. 11 at The Economist’s Space Economy Summit in Los Angeles. “We started to see a number of proximity operations by China and Russia over the last few years,” he said. “They are getting quite sophisticated … Satellites are getting a lot more nimble.”

🚀 Emerging Tech Alert 🚨: Space Domain Awareness (SDA) 🚀 Booz Allen Hamilton's latest report highlights SDA as a critical tech for national security. With the United States Space Force boosting its budget, SDA's role in tracking and protecting space assets is more vital than ever. Yet, commercial startups face hurdles due to regulatory barriers and dominance by defense giants like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Success may lie in unique, diversified business models. Notably, Amazon is stepping in, signaling big tech's growing interest. 🌌 ▶ Full version of the report on this link: https://lnkd.in/eC2hYvKZ #SpaceTech #NationalSecurity #EmergingTechnologies #SDA #DefenseIndustry

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#Innovation is a top priority for the DOD. Experts from Space Systems Command the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and NavalX shared how their organizations are evolving during a #NewHorizons2024 panel discussion March 11. Panelists discussed how the "show me model" is helping them work more effectively with industry to transition emerging advanced technology capabilities. “We're looking for demonstrative performance," said Lt. Col. Max Reele, Defense Engagement and Architect Replicator for DIU. "Conceptual can be fantastic, and I'm not saying that it's not, except for when we're trying to transition things as quickly as we are. We want something that industry has already invested their own energy into to make sure this is operationally relevant." Other topics of discussion included top technologies each organization is focused on, what a "useful" #partnership with industry looks like, and how DOD innovation-focused organizations are starting to #collaborate with each other. The panel was followed by a defense industrial base innovation pitch session, which was moderated by MassRobotics. New Horizons, hosted by AFCEA Lexington-Concord, continues through March 13. Mike McGinley Michelle Idle Graham "Gray" Chynoweth

Thanks Tyler Sweatt and team Second Front Systems for having me on the All Quiet pod! This is a movement, and it’s fun to have fellow warriors rowing hard together to revitalize the National Defense technology loadout. Reveal Technology is winning, and it’s not black magic. We learn and adapt and build teams and products that answer the needs of the customer. Let’s do more and do better, together. #defensetechnology #nationslsecurity #allquiet https://lnkd.in/ejDz4QAs