WASHINGTON — Mitre, which operates federally funded centers that assist the U.S. government with science research, development and systems engineering, said it will open a facility in in Hawaii to bolster security and national defense operations in the Indo-Pacific.
This site in Honolulu will support Hawaii and Indo-Pacific priorities of the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the intelligence community and international allies, while fostering “whole-of-nation” technology collaborations in cybersecurity, transportation, healthcare, veterans services and law enforcement, the not-for-profit said.
The U.S. sees the Pacific as a key strategic region, as Washington works to counter China’s growing influence. The White House Indo-Pacific Strategy, published in February, pledges an extended role in the area, including establishing more resilient command and control and increasing the scope of joint exercises and operations.
“We’re immersed in nearly every aspect of global strategic competition—from countering aggressive military actions by adversary nations, to safeguarding supply chains, accelerating maritime research and innovation, and preparing for the next global health crisis,” said Keoki Jackson, senior vice president, general manager, Mitre National Security, in a statement.
Mitre, which works across six federal R&D centers and more than 200 individual labs, also said it entered into a partnership with UH to identify opportunities for collaborative analysis, engineering and research. The partnership will focus on advancing marine technology, enhancing cyber defense, strengthening climate resilience, addressing natural resource management and testing energy technologies.
The organization has been operating at Ford Island and Camp Smith in Hawaii for almost 50 years. Developing the site at the Kaka’ako Innovation District will double its local workforce, advance STEM education and bolster security in the region, it said.
Last month, Mitre named Cedric Sims to the new role of senior vice president, enterprise innovation and integration, and Austin Y. Wang as vice president, intelligence center, Mitre National Security.
Sims will develop strategies to foster enterprise-wide innovation, drive cross-cutting integration to benefit government sponsors, and oversee corporate strategy, Mitre said. He joined the organization from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he served as senior vice president leading the justice, homeland security and transportation business and has more than 25 years of experience in acquisition, risk management, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence/machine learning, program governance and systems engineering.
Sims also served in leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service.
Wang will drive whole-of-nation, joint, and multi-agency services through integration across the intelligence community and Mitre’s national security enterprise. He worked for more than two decades at the CIA, most recently as a senior executive and clandestine technical operations lead, and served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps working signals intelligence and ground electronic warfare.
