Short Takes – 2-4-23

Terror suspect charged for damaging power plant outside Las Vegas found incompetent. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Mohammed Mesmarian, 34, faces terror-related charges for allegedly ramming a car through a fence at the [solar] facility on Jan. 4 and setting the car on fire next to a transformer, Nexstar’s KLAS first reported last month.”

Attrition: Barrel Wear Eliminates Remaining Russian Tanks. StrategyPage.com article. Pull quote: “Russian tanks in Ukraine appear to have used about 100,000 of these [high explosive] shells and in doing so discovered another problem. These shells caused barrel wear on the 125mm tank gun liners. These liners are common in tank guns and tube artillery. It’s cheaper to replace a worn-out liner than to replace the entire barrel and attached loading mechanism. Tube artillery barrel liners are good for 5,000 to 6,000 shells fired. On Russian tanks the liner wears out after about a thousand shells are fired. Most of the Russian tanks in Ukraine used for firing HE shells found that their barrels already had a lot of wear on them and heavy use of HE increased liner wear to the point where all shells (anti-tank or HE) were much less accurate.”

Protecting Against National Security Threats to the Communications Supply Chain Through the Equipment Authorization Program. Federal Register, FCC, Final Rule. Summary: “In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends its rules related to equipment authorization to further secure our communications networks and supply chain from equipment that poses an unacceptable risk to national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons. The Commission implements revisions to the equipment authorization program to prohibit authorization of equipment that has been identified on the Commission's Covered List—published pursuant the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019—as posing an unacceptable risk to national security of the United States or the security or safety of United States persons, and the Commission prohibits the marketing and importation of such equipment in the United States.”

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Two-Day Hybrid Conference at the Department of Commerce. Federal Register, BIS, Meeting Notice. Summary: “The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is announcing a two-day hybrid (in-person and virtual) conference with industry and other experts from academia on Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology (hereinafter, the BCI conference). This document describes the purpose and scope of the BCI conference and the procedures for attending or requesting to speak. In an advance notice of proposed rulemaking [link added] (ANPRM) published on October 26, 2021, BIS requested input from the public and industry concerning the potential uses of BCI technology, particularly with respect to its impact on U.S. national security. While the comments submitted in response to the ANPRM increased BIS's understanding of BCI technology, the BCI conference is intended to further both BIS's and the public's understanding of the current status of BCI technology and anticipated future developments in research and applications.” February 16^th and 17^th, 2023.

Why would the Chinese government be flying a large stratospheric balloon? ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The balloon's flight raises several questions—such as, just what the heck is it doing there? This story will address what is known and not known about the flight. The information below is based on public statements, other news reports, and an interview with a stratospheric balloon expert, Andrew Antonio, whose company, Urban Sky, is developing the world’s first reusable stratospheric balloons for remote sensing.”

U.S. Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off the Coast of the Carolinas. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: “Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana, a Democrat, said that he did not believe national security had been at risk because of the balloon, since satellite espionage is so advanced. “Being worried about balloon technology in the age of satellites doesn’t make sense,” he said. “If the Chinese look at missile sites with a satellite, they can see a jackrabbit next to the missile silo.” Still, he said downing the balloon sent a signal: “Don’t be peeking at us.””

FAA resumes flights at three airports after Chinese balloon shot down. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “The FAA said in a statement on Saturday that it paused departures and arrivals at Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina and Myrtle Beach International and Charleston International airports in South Carolina to support the Defense Department in a “national security effort.” They also closed additional airspace.”

Tougher [DOD] Cybersecurity Rules May Be More than a Year Away—But Don’t Wait to Get Ready. GovExec.com article. Pull quote: “The CMMC program, which aims to force contractors to implement a minimum level of cybersecurity, published interim rules in 2020. After an internal review, the Pentagon revamped the effort in 2021. Officials are currently weaving the new version, dubbed CMMC 2.0, into the federal rules—including CFR 32 and CFR 48—that govern defense contracts.”