IBM Tapped to Provide Cognitive Computing Infrastructure for Australian Defense Dept IBM‘s Australian unit has secured an estimated $3.1 million contract to provide cognitive computing infrastructure and support to Australia’s defense department, ARN reported Monday. IBM Australia will furnish the Watson artificial intelligence platform to the department over three years under the limited-tender contract, the publication said…

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Kirsten Nielsen Named Cubic Investor Relations VP Kirsten Nielsen, former director of investor relations at global engineering and manufacturing company Arconic, has joined Cubic as vice president of investor relations. She will be responsible for implementing Cubic’s investor relations program that covers strategic positioning, messaging and communications functions, the company said Monday…

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Report: Japan Eyes Stand-Off Cruise Missile Devt Japan aims to develop its own stand-off cruise missile that can be launched from aircraft, warships and land-based defense systems to engage targets on land and at sea, The Drive reported Tuesday. The Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, said that Japan’s defense ministry would study the addition of a land-attack capability to existing anti-ship missile development programs and that research and development would begin in fiscal year 2018…

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DLA Lands DOE 2017 Federal Energy and Water Mgmt Contracting Recognition The Defense Logistics Agency Energy Installation Energy team has received the 2017 Federal Energy and Water Management Contracting Award recognition from the Energy Department during a ceremony in Washington, D…

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Navy Rear Adm. James Bynum Named OPNAV Assessment Division Director U.S. Navy Rear Adm. James Bynum, former chief of Naval Air Training, has been appointed as director of the assessment division (N81) within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Defense Department reported Wednesday…

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NDIA Urges Congress to Reach Deal on Defense Budget Caps The National Defense Industrial Association has called on Congress to reach a deal that would raise or suspend defense budget caps. NDIA said Nov. 20 it commends the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which would authorize $700 billion in defense spending, but Congress still needs to address the $549 billion defense budget cap set by the Budget Control Act…

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DroneShield Releases Counter-Drone System Demo Video Droneshield has released a video that features the company’s new multi-method systems designed to detect and counter unmanned aerial system threats. The company said Sunday its DroneSentry employs software and user interface designed to integrate acoustic, optical camera, radar, radio frequency, thermal camera and optical sensor detection functions…

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Marine Corps Fields Updated Anti-Tank Weapon Systems Members of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Marines have fielded four updated anti-tank weapon systems updated by the Marine Corps Systems Command Light Armored Vehicle Anti-Tank Modernization program team in September…

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Air Force Aims to Increase B-52 Weapon Carrying Capability With Conventional Rotary Launchers The U.S. Air Force used a C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft on Nov. 6 to transport conventional rotary launchers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for deployment to a combat zone for military use. A CRL is designed to increase the Boeing-built B-52 Stratofortress bomber’s capability to carry smart weapons by 67 percent, the Air Force reported Nov…

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WidePoint to Continue USCIS Wireless Mgmt Services WidePoint Corporation has received a one-year, $4.4 million task order option to provide managed wireless services to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The company said Nov. 20 the exercised option falls under the Department of Homeland Security‘s Cellular Wireless Management Services Blanket Purchase Agreement…

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DoD IG Report Lists Top Department Mgmt Challenges for FY 2018 The Defense Department Office of the Inspector General has released a report that outlines the top management and performance challenges that DoD currently faces. DoD IG said Nov. 20 it determined the challenges based on the office’s oversight work, research and judgement, oversight work from other DoD components, oversight missions from the Government Accountability Office and information from DoD officials…

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NASA-Created Board: Lack of Adjustments, Additional Funds Could Impact WFIRST Mission Implementation A NASA-established independent review board has released a report saying the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope mission is “not executable” without additional resources and modifications to the spacecraft, Space News reported Sunday…

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VIDEO: USS Fitzgerald Departs Fleet Activities Yokosuka The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) departed Fleet Activities (FLEACT) Yokosuka, Nov. 24, to meet heavy lift transport vessel Transshelf and begin her journey to Pascagoula, Mississippi for further repairs…

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