National Defense articles from December 2005

National Defense archives from December 2005

Military not the only solution to gaps in disaster response.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
December 1, 2005... At a time of tightening budgets and competing priorities for defense and homeland security funds, one of the most contentious issues being debated at the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill is whether the Defense Department should take primary...

What's in a Brigade?(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... In the August 2005 article, "Army Brigades Will Deploy With Hundreds More Trucks" National Defense reported that, "The plan is to morph the Army's 10 combat divisions into 77 self-deployable brigades." That statement could be easily...

Marines are not troopers.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... In reference to your October 2004 article, "Marines Probing New Ways to Fight Future Insurgencies," thank you for writing this story and it was very informative. I would like to point out one small item concerning Marine Corps personnel. The...

Slat armor or bar armor?(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... You published an excellent article in October 05 issue ("Stryker Units Win Over Skeptics") describing soldiers' impressions of Stryker. I did muse at Maj. Mullen's comment: "I was here when they came up with the slat armor." Just to...

'Arsenal of Democracy'.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... The September issue of National Defense had a number of articles which made me wonder exactly what happened to our "Arsenal of Democracy." As a World War II veteran and experienced designer and provider of defense equipment I really want...

Iraq likely to split three ways?(Washington PULSE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The conflict in Iraq consistently is mischaracterized as a "war on terrorism," when in fact it is a civil war, says Mark Herman, vice president of the global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. The struggle is really about how much...

U.S. industrial capacity found lacking.(Washington PULSE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The shortage of suppliers of critical war items continues to be a source of consternation for buyers of military equipment, says the Army's senior procurement official. "The service economy is great if you don't have to field an army,"...

Truck fleet will be 'common' for Army, Marines.(Washington PULSE)
December 1, 2005... The Army and the Marine Corps appear to be at odds on what type of truck they would like to buy to replace the ubiquitous Humvee. The Army is seeking a "light utility" truck, while the Marine Corps envisions a "combat tactical vehicle." But...

NATO chief worries about China.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Marine Gen. James Jones, military chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and head of the U.S. European Command, is worried about growing Chinese influence in Africa. "It's beyond question that China is the most aggressive country...

Disaster response: Pentagon can do better.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
December 1, 2005... Pentagon Can Do Better, McHale Says Lessons learned from the military's response to Hurricane Katrina showed too many ad hoc solutions and not enough pre-disaster planning, said Paul McHale, the Defense Department's assistant secretary of...

Army: war duties should warrant a bigger budget.(DEFENSE WATCH)
December 1, 2005... The Pentagon's annual budget ritual is just about complete, and despite rampant rumors about draconian cuts and program cancellations, it appears that next year's spending plan will reflect the status quo. That is bad news for the Army,...

Mock 'IEDs' help soldiers prepare for war.(UP FRONT)
December 1, 2005... Devices that replicate Iraq's roadside bombs are in such high demand at U.S. military training ranges that the Army recently doubled its orders for so-called "IED simulators." Improvised explosive devices are the number-one killer of...

Controlling Iraq's crowded airspace no easy task.(UP FRONT)
December 1, 2005... An untidy web of unmanned drones and helicopters hovering over combat zones in Iraq has created dangerous flying conditions, prompting the Army to create a specialized cadre of air-traffic controllers whose job is to prevent collisions between...

Medical breakthrough could help 'repair' wounded soldiers.(UP FRONT)
December 1, 2005... Wounded troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan could, in time, benefit from potentially groundbreaking medical research in tissue repair. A newly created form of protein known as "elastin" may one day be used to build...

Defense dept. courts commercial vendors to help defeat WMD threats.(UP FRONT)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2005... The Pentagon is seeking "non-traditional" commercial suppliers of chemical and biological defense products. Of particular interest are vaccines, long-range sensors that can detect unknown deadly agents and warning systems that can alert...

Erratum.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2005... In a Tech Talk story on page 48 of the November 2005 issue "Concept Vehicle Points Way for the Military") the name of the agency that developed the Ultra armored patrol vehicle was incorrect. It is the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

Logging on: Army's web portal expanding under new management.
December 1, 2005... As the Army continues to move toward becoming an information-age force, its demands for networking tools and training have increased at a commensurate rate. To keep up with those needs, the Army in July awarded a $152 million contract to...

Free web-based foreign language courses available to soldiers.(ARMY KNOWLEDGE)
December 1, 2005... The Army signed a $4.2 million contract with Fairfield Language Technologies to offer computer-based Rosetta Stone language courses free of charge to Army Knowledge Online users. "We looked at those areas and put together a program to...

Smart weapons: services focus on fielding munitions for close combat.(URBAN WARFARE)
December 1, 2005... The Army, Navy and Marine Corps are rushing to field an array of munitions that are designed to be precise enough for close urban combat operations. Munitions have been developed to counter decidedly different tactics that the United...

Pentagon eyes growing short-range missile threat.(URBAN WARFARE)
December 1, 2005... Defense Department officials are warning that terrorists soon could strike U.S. cities with short-range missiles. "The department is worried about asymmetric threats, for example, terrorists with a missile or two on a tramp freighter off...

Special operators setting pace for new small arms.(URBAN WARFARE)
December 1, 2005... The U.S. Special Operations Command is accelerating efforts to develop a new generation of small arms, asserted Donald P. Schulte, director of ordnance engineering at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Ind. Schulte's department...

Osprey's cargo capacity driving weapon designs.(EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE)
December 1, 2005... As Marines get closer to begin operating the V-22 Osprey, they are finding that making weapons systems small enough to fit in the aircraft's undersize cabin can be a formidable challenge. A case in point is the so-called "expeditionary fire...

Virtual maneuvers: games are gaining ground, but how far can they go?(TRAINING & SIMULATION)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2005... When it became clear that insurgents would interfere with reconstruction efforts in Iraq, Pentagon technophiles thought it would be a good idea to develop a videogame to help guide soldiers through the messy business of rebuilding war-ravaged...

Navy video game targets future sailors.(TRAINING & SIMULATION)
December 1, 2005... With the Army and Air Force using video games as recruiting tools, it was only a matter of time before the Navy followed suit. The Navy Recruiting Command last summer released its own public relations game. "Strike and Retrieve" is an...

Simulator eases night-vision goggle dangers.(TRAINING & SIMULATION)
December 1, 2005... In the surreal world of amplified light, things aren't as they appear. That's why a new simulator for fighter pilots will ease the dangers of training with night-vision goggles. Instructors said the simulator will enable them to teach...

Joint staff officers often unprepared for new jobs.(TRAINING & SIMULATION)
December 1, 2005... Military officers assigned to newly-created "joint staff" jobs arrive with little or no training on how to function in a multi-service environment, asserts a study commissioned by the Defense Department. Regional commands around the world,...

Training of U.S. soldiers poised for major realignment.(ARMY READINESS)
December 1, 2005... FORT MONROE, Va. -- Military training and education programs in the U.S. Army are bound for significant changes. The impending transfer of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command headquarters from this historic facility to nearby Fort Eustis...

Navy faces expanded mission portfolio, declining resources.(OVER MURKY WATERS)
December 1, 2005... In preparation for future shifts in military priorities and resources, Navy officials have gone to great lengths to spell out their vision for the service's roles in protecting U.S. interests and bolstering global security. Only a few...

Navy must close budget gap to build future fleet.(TRAINING & SIMULATION)
December 1, 2005... Amid budget constraints and rising shipbuilding costs, the Navy faces a significant challenge in building its future force, according to naval analysts. There's some expectation that there will be a "very substantial gap," measured in...

Service pondering future roles.
December 1, 2005... Articulating the role of air power has been a high priority for Air Force leaders during the past several years. But exactly what assignments the Air Force will be required to carry out and what systems will be needed to execute the missions of...

Would you believe space weather forecasts?(TECH TALK)
December 1, 2005... The Air Force Weather Agency has perfected a space weather modeling capability that offers 72-hour forecasts from near earth to 40,000 miles out in space. These graphical depictions, officials say, will help minimize disruption on satellite...

For the consumer who has everything.(Clarks Precision Machine and Tool flight simulators)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Want your own F-18E flight simulator? Clarks Precision Machine and Tool of, Azle, Texas, is offering its "micro" simulator for $68,000. All you need is a high-end home theater system and you are good to go. "This is a risky move on CPM&Ts...

Commercial transport warning system unveiled.(aircraft missile warning system )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... An aircraft missile warning system that relies on infrared "superlattice" detector technology is being outfitted by EADS Defence Electronics, of Ulm, Germany, for the A400M European transport aircraft. A key component is MIRAS, or...

Robot allows safe recon in hot areas.(TECH TALK)
December 1, 2005... A new robotic vehicle--called Avant Guard--just entered an increasingly crowded market for systems that can conduct surveillance and reconnaissance duties in risky urban battlefields. Built by Elbit Systems Ltd., of Haifa, Israel, it also can...

Guard's tank, Bradley trainers receiving upgrades.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Abrams main battle tank and Bradley fighting vehicle conduct-of-fire trainers owned by the National Guard are slated for significant enhancements. Raydon, of Daytona Beach, Fla., has been commissioned to employ state of the art graphics...

Defense budget process is broken and needs a fix.(GOVERNMENT POLICY NOTES)
December 1, 2005... Members of Congress involved in the annual authorization and appropriations process for the Department of Defense take their responsibilities--as spelled out in Article I, Section VIII of the U.S. Constitution, to "... provide for the common...

Pentagon revises program performance regulations.(GOVERNMENT POLICY NOTES)
December 1, 2005... The Defense Department is attempting to simplify the complex and conflicting rules that govern program performance management. Program performance, or earned value management, has been a requirement for major defense programs for more than 35...

'Tis once again the season to be jolly, but wise.(ETHICS CORNER)
December 1, 2005... It is that time of year again when experts and pundits issue their annual holiday advice on assorted topics from toy purchases, to stress management tips, how to deal with visiting family and see those New Year's resolutions through. It...

NDIA events calendar.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... JANUARY 24 Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Conference Washington, D.C. POC: Christina Buck @ (703) 247-9478 FEBRUARY 5-7 Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference Monterey, Calif. POC: Angie DeKleine @ (703) 247-2599 ...