Weekly GEOINT Community News

Spire-BAE Systems Collaboration Brings AIS Data to GXP Products

Spire Global and BAE Systems announced a new collaboration to deliver more in-depth and more accurate geospatial intelligence. Spire’s Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) data is now available in BAE System’s Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP) software.

GSA to Host Industry Day for Joint Airborne ISR Data Transport 

The General Services Administration (GSA) will host an industry day May 29 to discuss a potential contract vehicle for the engineering, integration, and sustainment of data transport infrastructure for the Department of Defense and U.S. Special Operations Command. GSA said Friday via FedBizOpps the government plans to procure enterprise support services for the Joint AISR system through a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The required infrastructure would help strategic, operational, and tactical users transmit information from manned or unmanned systems.

IARPA Launches Geopolitical Forecasting Challenge 2

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) launched its Geopolitical Forecasting Challenge 2 to encourage breakthroughs in the science of forecasting to help maintain global security, predict economic trends, and direct the need for humanitarian efforts. Participants and teams will earn prizes by creating innovative solutions and methods that can successfully forecast a variety of global events such as political elections, disease outbreaks, and macro-economic indicators. Participants will have access to a stream of data from hundreds of human forecasters and will be encouraged to add their own sources and models.

DARPA Hosts Shakeout Opportunity for Subterranean Challenge Competitors

Ahead of DARPA’s three-part Subterranean Challenge, nine teams had the opportunity to test air and ground systems at the Colorado School of Mines’ Edgar Experimental Mine in Idaho Springs, Colo. The SubT Integration Exercise (STIX), was a two-day experience. On day one, each team tested various operations during multiple runs in the mine. On day two, each attempted a one-hour mock scored run. Teams had to locate, accurately identify, and report artifacts such as thermal manikins, backpacks, fire extinguishers, cellphones, and cordless drills. Groups dealt with low light, high dust, metal rails, irregular terrain, and a smoke machine inside the mine to replicate emergency response scenarios.

Industry-Academia Research Consortium to Advance Machine Learning and AI

Northrop Grumman, in collaboration with several universities, recently launched a research consortium called Research in Applications for Learning Machines (REALM). The consortium is intended to advance research, foster collaboration, and address technological challenges resulting from advances in machine learning and AI. Northrop Grumman selected three research teams, comprised of many universities, to research key customer applications such as multiple sensor track classification, identification, and correlation; situational knowledge on demand; and quantitative dynamic adaptive planning.

Peer Intel

Former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) director Robert Cardillo was named a member of Peraton’s advisory board. Appointed NGA’s sixth director in 2014, Cardillo led the agency through significant changes in both the global threat and technology landscapes, reinforcing its position as a vital component of the country’s Intelligence Community. 

Image Credit: BAE Systems