National Defense articles from April 2006

National Defense archives from April 2006

The coming challenge for defense.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
April 1, 2006... Last month in this column, I speculated on the fiscal demands resulting from the Quadrennial Defense Review, and whether the plan is affordable. This month, we continue the focus on needs and resources, but begin to consider other factors that...

Army grappling with antiquated buying rules.(for armors)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Army leaders continue to squabble over how best to satisfy, soldiers' immediate equipment needs and simultaneously develop futuristic weapons systems for the decades ahead. At the heart of the problem is an antiquated "requirements"...

Pentagon scrutiny: how much is it worth?(purchasing helicopter by Army)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Too much Pentagon supervision can saddle weapon systems with unnecessary costs, says the Army's top acquisition executive Claude Bolton. A case in point is a light utility helicopter that the Army is buying as a "commercial off-the-shelf" item,...

Massive armor needs trigger industry gold rush.(Washington PULSE)
April 1, 2006... A steady stream of military contracts for armored vehicles has set off a flurry of industry takeovers and lash-ups that would have been inconceivable only a few years ago. Just in recent weeks, the industry has undergone a gradual...

Aerial guard: Drones patrolling the border.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
April 1, 2006... The Border Patrol will fly a second unmanned aerial vehicle over the Arizona desert beginning this June, according to David Aguilar, the agency's chief. The decision to deploy an additional aircraft was made after the first Predator B...

DHS vows to reform disaster response.(Department of Homeland Security)
April 1, 2006... With hurricane season fast approaching, Department of Homeland Security officials are promising to apply lessons learned from last year's Katrina disaster by putting key reforms in place before June 1. At the top of DHS Secretary Michael...

Intelligence CIO seeks to consolidate authority.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
April 1, 2006... Dale Meyerrose, the first associate director of national intelligence and chief information officer, is putting all the task forces, oversight committees, councils and working groups that operate in his domain on notice. Their days are...

Immigration looking for more resources.(Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
April 1, 2006... Among the agencies looking for a boost in resources in 2007 is the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is responsible for apprehending and deporting illegal aliens when they make it beyond the Border...

McQueary leaves DHS, touts accomplishments.(Charles McQueary)(Department of Homeland Security )
April 1, 2006... Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Science and Technology, Charles McQueary announced his resignation effective March 25, making him the latest holdover from former Secretary Tom Ridge's administration to depart. Only...

An army under stress: a tale of two green lines.(DEFENSE WATCH)
April 1, 2006... An upcoming decision on whether to begin drawing down U.S. troops in Iraq sets the stage for yet another round of inside-the-Beltway wrangling on the burdens this war is piling on the armed services. At issue is the long-term impact the war...

Joint logistics: a personal perspective.(VIEW POINT)
April 1, 2006... The logistics capacity, of the U.S. military today is unmatched. However, a constantly changing operating environment and resource constraints demand we optimize joint logistics to enhance our capabilities for tomorrow. We have an opportunity...

Vendors convene in the desert for Army 'Rodeo'.(UPFRONT)
April 1, 2006... YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz.--Informally, it's known as the "truck rodeo," but the Army prefers to call it the more official sounding "expedited modernization initiative procedure," or EMIP. With 65 vendors over the course of five days...

The next Humvee: Army, Marines weigh options.(UPFRONT)
April 1, 2006... The Army and Marine Corps may decide as early as May 2007 to begin searching for a new vehicle that would replace the ubiquitous Humvee. But even though both services have indicated their intent and desire to buy a new light tactical truck,...

Interagency group looking for a few good innovations.(Technical Support Working Group)
April 1, 2006... The interagency organization that fosters counterterrorism technologies and puts them into the hands of military or civilian users has seen a steady increase in funding. "How much money is there? That's always tough to answer," said Jeff...

Battlefield gear: deploying marines tell vendors how to make more useful wares.(TECHNOLOGY)
April 1, 2006... CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- As chief of staff of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force during two tours in Iraq, Col. John C. Coleman processed more than 400 "urgent needs requests"--ranging from computer equipment to protective clothing. As he...

Bomb sweep: soldiers, marines team up in 'trailblazer' patrols.(BATTFIELD TECHNOLOGY)
April 1, 2006... AL TAQADDUM AIR BASE, Western Iraq--The Army and Marine Corps in Iraq are pressing new and adapted systems into service to combat improvised explosive devices. Many of these innovations empower soldiers to tackle the threat without always...

Run silent: special ops sub becomes hub for irregular warfare.(SPECIAL OPERATIONS)
April 1, 2006... ABOARD THE USS OHIO--A short cruise on board this former nuclear-missile submarine off the coast of Washington state offers a glimpse into how the Navy and special operations forces plan to engage in covert military action. During a...

A fragile fence: border patrol wages daily battle against smugglers.(HOMELAND DEFENSE)(Cover story)
April 1, 2006... YUMA, ARIZ.--The six men jump down from atop the fence on the Mexican-U.S, border in broad daylight, with 200 yards between themselves and the American &cam. A dash over the open space would bring them to a housing development in San Luis,...

Dangerous water crossings expected to rise.(HOMELAND DEFENSE)
April 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- BOATSWAIN'S MATE RYAN Rinowski throttles down the Coast Guard response boat a few hundred yards short of the border south of San Diego. On shore in the shadows of a bullfighting ring that towers over the beach, a green and...

Safer skies? Aviation security remains under scrutiny.(HOMELAND DEFENSE)
April 1, 2006... Aviation security, measures adopted since 9/11 have not significantly made passengers safer or have been cost effective, experts contend. They also noted that many weaknesses in the previous system remain, despite billions of dollars being...

Explosives at forefront of airport security measures.(HOMELAND DEFENSE)
April 1, 2006... THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY Agency modified its list of prohibited items in carry-on luggage in December. This marked a shift from the post-9/11 focus of preventing terrorists from taking over airplanes to thwarting would-be bombers. "I am...

Targeting airliners: aircraft missile defense: the debate continues.(HOMELAND DEFENSE)
April 1, 2006... The threat is said to be out there: a terrorist uses a shoulder-fired missile to take down a U.S. commercial airliner. With up to a million man-portable missiles produced since the 1970s, questions remain as to how much should be done to...

Defense procurement: hard decisions 'kicked down the road'.(PROCUREMENT forecast)
April 1, 2006... DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS, the Defense Department has doubled its planned investments in new weapon systems from about $700 billion in 2001 to nearly $1.4 trillion in 2006, according to the Government Accountability Office. At the same...

Spending muscle fueled by emergency funding.(ARMY)
April 1, 2006... A COMBINATION OF BIGGER procurement accounts in this year's budget and war-emergency appropriations puts the Army on course to receive some of the largest levels of funding it has seen in decades. The upshot will be at least $28 billion for...

Guard equipment bill surpasses $100 billion.(ARMY)
April 1, 2006... A commitment by the Army to pour $21 billion into the National Guard's procurement accounts is a reassuring first step, Guard officials say, but it is still not enough to fill equipment shortages that amount to nearly $102 billion. With...

Plans to expand fleet may be unrealistic.(NAVY)
April 1, 2006... AMIDST ASSURANCES BY the Navy leadership that the latest shipbuilding blueprint is on a safe course, several analysts are sounding alarms. Unless the Navy begins to aggressively cut costs from its shipbuilding programs and pump much more money...

Surface combatants dominate future fleet.(NAVY)
April 1, 2006... The Navy's proposed 313-ship fleet is top heavy in combat vessels and low in cargo and support ships, say analysts. "In my estimation, the Navy is putting way too much emphasis on improving strike and not enough on the logistics-on being...

Air Force modernization plans on track.(AIRFORCE)
April 1, 2006... ANALYSTS HAD WARNED IN recent years that the Air Force should brace for drastic cuts in its aircraft procurement programs. The administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2007, however, not only preserves the service's key acquisition...

Marines struggle to begin rebuilding force in '07.(MARINES)
April 1, 2006... THE MARINE CORPS IS requesting a budget of $18.2 billion for 2007, but only a fraction of that will go to buy new equipment, said Lt. Gen. Emerson N. Gardner, deputy commandant for programs and resources. The Corps will need nearly $10 billion...

Green laser device slows aggressive drivers.(TECH TALK)
April 1, 2006... An off-the-shelf device has been found by the Army's Rapid Equipping Force at Fort Belvoir, Va., to stop most Iraqi drivers from speeding by military checkpoints. The first shipment of 2,000 green laser pointers-which are about 50 times...

Armored bus ready for market.(TECH TALK)
April 1, 2006... AN ISRAELI COMPANY with the cooperation of the Ministry of Defense there has developed 53-passenger armored bus. The vehicle is impervious to 7.62 mm armor piercing bullets, grenades and most improvised explosive devices, say officials. The...

Greater procurement role sought for small businesses.(GOVERNMENT POLICY NOTES)
April 1, 2006... The National Defense Industrial Association is placing major emphasis upon expanding small business participation in procurements by the Defense Department and other federal agencies. Nearly two thirds of NDIA's corporate members are...

Companies must avoid "impaired objectivity" conflicts of interest.(ETHICS CORNER)
April 1, 2006... Conflicts of interest entailing "impaired objectivity" typically arise when government contract work involves contractor self-evaluation, or reviews of affiliates, customers or competitors. A presumption exists that individual loyalty to an...

NDIA events calendar.
April 1, 2006... APRIL 10-11 Joint Program Executive Office, Chemical-Biological Defense Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry Washington, D.C. POC: Meaghan Dowd @ (703) 247-2568 13-14 Marine Corps Systems Command ...