Rick Smith

🌟 Meet our incredible members! This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Tom McDaniel from L3Harris Technologies. Tom discusses how DII has helped him and his organization. What is one way that you and your organization use DII? To me the most valuable part of DII is networking with other members offline using Member Connect and in-person during the annual Best Practices Forum (BPF) to share ideas and learn how others are implementing their respective ethics programs. Check out his full spotlight at www.dii.org #DIICommunity #ethicsandcompliance

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Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone RTX Corporation's RTX business segment, Raytheon, has secured a significant contract worth $590.8 million from the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. The contract is for the production of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) ship sets. Under the terms of the deal, RTX will undertake the development and manufacturing of the NGJ-MB ship sets. This contract win highlights the company's capabilities and expertise in the defense industry. The NGJ-MB is a crucial component for naval operations, providing advanced jamming capabilities to counter threats in the electromagnetic spectrum. This contract is a significant milestone for RTX, demonstrating its ability to secure high-value defense projects. As an Investment Advisor, I believe this achievement showcases the company's potential for future growth and profitability. Investing in companies like RTX can offer investors an opportunity to participate in the defense sector's expansion. Take action now to build your wealth and secure your financial future. Don't miss out on potential investment gains by delaying your decision. Start exploring the possibilities of investing in RTX and other promising companies within the defense industry. Stay ahead with your Health Savings Account (HSA) investments and enjoy the benefits of long-term financial stability. #hsa #investing #healthcare #health #family #wellness 💪📈💰🚀🔒

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It is becoming increasingly apparent that many of our U.S. citizen’s fundamentally do not understand our Federal and State governments - how they work, what they do and why. To add to that dilemma it is also becoming increasingly apparent that many are not, as a collective, intellectual curious and independent in our thinking. And the third problem is that we largely do not know what we don’t know, think we know far more than we do, have staunchly held beliefs based on initial impressions and feelings vice deep inquiry, facts and data, and we appear highly vulnerable to what others (with an agenda) tell us to think including wild conspiracy theories. One would think with the internet, access to phenomenal search capabilities, and a minimum level of critical thinking we would be fairly well informed and willing to have meaningful dialogue around critical issues that we all care about. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be the case. I would suggest there is a lot going on here but it all comes down to basic human nature and our natural defaults to self preservation driven by fear and insecurity. (This drives Putin, Xi and Kim too as well as the behavior of toxic leaders) This is why we are so entrenched in our “echo chamber” tribes and the self-reinforcing social structures around them that protect one’s self identity and avoid cognitive dissonance - the discomfort one feels when their behavior or observations do not align with their values or most importantly their beliefs. We need to create a culture where people can feel safe in expressing their views w/o judgment and where we all can admit what we don’t know, have humility (nice hubris), and be able to ask well-considered questions. The more one know the more one knows how much they do not know. This leads to a sense of both enlightenment and humility - the basis of wisdom, with enormous benefits in learning, exploration, discovery and innovation. In other words we need to instill a “Learning Culture” that is pervasive and that continuously grows and evolves, communicates snd collaborates, and changes and transforms at a pace and scale that rides the waves of change at the leading edge, instead of, as surfers say losing the waves and wiping out.

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For over 45 years, SwRI has supported the USAF ASIP program to ensure aging aircraft remain structurally viable. This image shows finite element analyses overlaid on a T-38 Talon to indicate areas experiencing higher (red) and lower (blue) stress. #TechTuesday

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Exciting news from the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO)! The #RSO is teaming up with industry partners to standardize data formats across the USAF fleet with the Common Open Data Exchange (#CODEX) standard. 🛫🚀 https://lnkd.in/e3CbyGz3

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Government contracting is hard, and here's the difficult truth for most product-oriented people: It is a challenge of people and money, not of technology and motivation. While the biggest prime contractors do have their own pool of business for large-scale systems integration, the theme of financial health across decades-long time horizons is something that all business leaders in this space are painfully familiar with. "[The Lockheed CFO] said factors such as 'technical milestone achievement through the balance of the year, discussions with our customers [and] visibility of funding' could all impact the size and timing of future losses, but that the company currently expects the program to become profitable on an annual basis around the 2028 timeframe." 10 years from now, will companies serving national missions face the same challenges? Or will new paradigms and tools emerge to better meld industry and government in the delivery of public sector solutions? https://lnkd.in/gDWmvr8w

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NSPA Awards Raytheon a $478M Patriot GEM-T Missile Contract Raytheon, an RTX business, was awarded a $478 million contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to supply additional GEM-T missiles to Germany. This contract supports the replenishment of Patriot missiles donated by Germany to Ukraine. Showing their strong support for Ukraine, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have agreed to participate in the financing of this procurement. "Our customers are already realizing the benefits of bundled, multi-national procurement of Patriot missiles through NSPA, including the economies that offer greater affordability and the pre-negotiated contracting framework that shortens the acquisition timeline," said Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. "As a result, not only can we better support the missile inventories for these European partners, but also strengthen our cooperation, their interoperability, and their contribution to an essential NATO mission." Ms Stacy A. Cummings, NSPA General Manager, confirmed: "This contract demonstrates once again that NSPA, as NATO's lead organization for multinational acquisition, support and sustainment, delivers effective and cost-efficient multinational solutions to nations, while reinforcing European industrial capacities. Through close Euro-Atlantic cooperation between allies and industry, customer nations have achieved economies of scale, reduced their logistics footprint, and are obtaining capable solutions and support through a proven turnkey legal framework."

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Having been a long time aviation nerd, it's not my intent or desire to jump on the Boeing bashing bandwagon, but recent events have provided a critical opportunity for the industry to reflect and redirect. To all my colleagues at Boeing- please use this as an opportunity to lead the way out! Take away the names of the companies involved and these three key points stand out to me: 1) There is no substitute for floor walks. Leadership (especially Quality Leaders) should be a reassuring presence on the shop floor, not an alarming one. There is no power point, email or meeting you can have in your office that will inform you as much as walking you shop floors on a regular basis. 2) "Off-loading" is a self-deceiving approach to risk management. Regardless of who you sub parts production out to, if your logo is going on the final product, you still own all the risks associated with that part. If your brand is important, why would you ever put it in the hands of the lowest bidder? 3) The Share Holder Supremacy model (and the executive incentives that drive it) needs to change. Focus on delivering quality to your customer and the customer will take care of the share holders. I don't blame the executives here- they did what they were incentivized to do. Companies need to decide if they want to play by finite game theory or infinite game theory. There are great examples of both and how they work out in the long run. Quarter to quarter is no way to run a railroad...

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The 2024 Defense Acquisition Workforce Writing Awards recognize original ideas and innovative approaches to tackling challenges and implementing acquisition flexibilities. The award winners showcased exceptional skill in enabling acquisition and achieving the goals set out in the National Defense Strategy (NDS) and were awarded at the event. “I’ve never seen a defense strategy that had so many phrases that tell you we need to do things differently,” noted DAU President Jim Woolsey. “Organizations don’t change easily,” Woolsey remarked. However, the acquisition community must innovate and adapt to address new challenges arising from the evolving global environment, near-peer competitors and rapid technological advancements. DoD has received “massive wake up calls” with lessons learned from evolving conflicts. These awards highlight the value Congress places on the workforces’ innovative ideas. The winners received their awards and presented their publications to program management students and guests during a ceremony at DAU on June 12, 2024. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eg7RmckU

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🚀 Task Force Phoenix has officially taken flight! This new initiative involves forming fusion teams that synchronize cross-agency talent and unify operations to develop data-driven solutions. DISA Global Field Command Technical Director Drew Cooper led the launch of the first fusion team, stating, "This kickoff brought together talented people passionate about making a difference for DISA and our customers. We homed in on Authorized Service Interruption innovations and laid out a solid foundation with clear next steps to drive the expansion of Task Force Phoenix." Future fusion teams will focus on other data-centric challenges identified by Task Force Phoenix, to ultimately deliver the competitive advantage to Warfighters at the tactical edge.

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Two highly experienced military professionals have joined ASKA’s Defense Strategy Advisory board. Lt Gen (ret) Andy Croft, United States Air Force and Eric Edwards, former Director for the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC). Andrew and Eric served at senior military positions prior to taking retirement and are contributing their expertise to help ASKA identify and act on new defense-related opportunities and expand the company’s leadership role in multimodal development. During Andrew Croft’s distinguished military career, he served in roles that tapped his strength as a leader and his innate ability as a negotiator to create collaborative partnerships. Andrew excelled in high-level roles that leveraged his skills in strategy, planning, negotiation, acquisition and requirements. In senior leadership positions, he engaged with government, interagency, and embassies to build and improve key partnerships. In Andrew’s last role as Military Deputy Commander, he was responsible for DoD security and defense cooperation. As a highly experienced fighter pilot, Andrew is well-versed in a wide array of combat aircraft and weapons systems. Eric Edwards is a scientific and engineering expert on research and development for aviation. In his 31-year career as a Department of the Army civilian, he served in director-level roles and achieved top ranking as a Tier 2 member of the Senior Executive Service and was decorated for numerous Civilian Service Awards. Eric was the Director of the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), which had an integral role in the Army’s Future Vertical Lift initiative to design and develop the next generation of vertical lift aircraft. He exercised direct line authority over all activities to assure adequacy of budgeting, planning, conduct, and effectiveness of projects and a balanced and competent technical capability. Today Eric also works with Advanced Technology, Incorporated (ATI) as the  Executive Director for the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC). ASKA is well-positioned for strategic growth with an advisory board that consists of two sets of experts; technology and academic advisors who are focused on our existing private sector business, and the recently formed group of advisors with military experience to support our expanded focus on the defense sector.  ASKA™ A5 is the world’s first electric-hybrid roadable VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. Multimodal vehicles with surface and air capabilities will expand mobility options, reduce risk, lower transportation costs, minimize environmental impact, and improve overall logistics and supply chain effectiveness and resilience. We deeply value Andrew and Eric’s expertise and insight, and are grateful for the opportunity to work together. Welcome Andy and Eric!  #defense #technology #military #aviation #startups #innovation #dod #vtol

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The USAF is rethinking NGAD’s integration w/ Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), focusing on autonomy, affordability & advanced control. Here’s how to leverage cutting-edge strategies to redefine next-gen air dominance. CRG’s SME-Based Opportunities, INTERIM Advice & Differentiators: Opp - Autonomous, Decentralized CCAs: Develop CCAs with AI-driven autonomy & decentralized control systems, enabling them to operate across multiple platforms without relying solely on NGAD. - Differentiator: This approach equips clients w/ adaptable, future-proof unmanned systems that reduce dependency on specific manned aircraft, enhancing flexibility and operational reach. Opp - Innovate Line-of-Sight Communications: Invest in laser-based & advanced RF technologies for reliable, secure CCA control in contested spaces, w/ redundancy & anti-jam features. - Differentiator: By mastering resilient comms, clients can offer solutions that ensure tight control under hostile conditions, setting them apart in mission-critical scenarios. Opp - Modular Design & Digital Engineering: Apply modular design principles & digital engineering to minimize development costs & accelerate production cycles through virtual prototyping & agile methodologies. - Differentiator: Clients using modular designs can quickly adapt to new requirements & reduce costs, offering high-performance solutions that meet stringent budget targets. Opp - Enhance Autonomous Decision-Making: Implement advanced AI for CCA autonomy, allowing mission continuity under predefined conditions even when comms are degraded or lost. - Differentiator: Clients stand out by providing CCAs that maintain effectiveness despite disruptions, delivering robust, adaptable solutions that meet USAF’s operational needs. Opp - Cross-Domain Synergy: Develop CCAs & NGAD w/in an integrated, network-centric approach for enhanced data sharing & collaborative targeting across air, space, cyber & ground assets. - Differentiator: Clients gain a strategic edge by delivering interconnected systems that amplify situational awareness & combat effectiveness across multiple domains. Opp - Explore Alternative Funding Models: Recommend modular upgrades, PPPs & agile acquisition strategies to manage costs & reduce financial risk. - Differentiator: Clients who adopt flexible funding approaches can spread development costs & secure more stable, long-term project funding, making their solutions more viable & attractive to USAF. By applying these advanced, innovative approaches, clients can lead in next-gen air dominance with NGAD and CCAs. CRG assists clients in executing these strategies, ensuring alignment with USAF’s evolving needs. Connect with us at crgroupinc.com I contact@crgroupinc.com. #CRG #NGAD #CCA #Aerospace #DefenseInnovation #DoD #USAF

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“While the goal of making [Defense Acquisition] more modern is to drive better applications for the warfighter, the only way you get there is by making your day to day jobs better.” At Missile Defense Agency’s Industry Innovation Summit, CEO Tara Murphy Dougherty outlines how Ark can strengthen defense readiness and improve warfighting capabilities.

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New Raytheon team to focus on defense program sustainment which, according to VP Joseph DeAntona, is the biggest discriminator on the battlefield. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewG6RKDv ___ #DOD #GovernmentContracting #SustainmentServices

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