National Defense articles from February 2002

National Defense archives from February 2002

Editor's Corner.(special operations forces)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... The term "defense transformation" so far has been only a buzzword, much like "asymmetrical warfare." Ongoing events in the U.S. military campaign against the al Qaeda organization, however, suggest that some sort of transformation in the way...

Assault on the Small Arms Industrial Base. (President's Perspective).(gun control in commercial market has impact on military)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... The U.S. defense industrial base--which our military services depend on to get their weapons and equipment--is composed of hundreds of industrial sectors. Some industries are healthier and wealthier than others, but all are equally important to...

Pentagon programs plagued by 'Over-Optimism'. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Pentagon must sometimes cancel defense programs because of cost overruns and schedule slips. However, the real problem often is not the performance of the program, but rather "over-optimistic" expecrations, said the Deferise Department's...

Army, Air Force to reorganize headquarters. (Washington Pulse).(acquisition process changes)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Army acquisition process will undergo significant changes as a result of the service's restructuring plan. The Army Acquisition Executive will have authority over all program managers and acquisition functions currently under the Army...

Adm. Clark: More 'Simulation Breakthroughs' needed. (Washington Pulse).(Admiral Vernon Clark)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vernon Clark said that improvements are needed in digital simulations that can help aviators and ground controllers train for close-air support missions. "I believe that there are areas that we can do as well...

Rumsfeld: What transformation means. (Washington Pulse).(Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Asked how his transformation initiatives are playing out in the war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he thought that was a "fascinating question." The issue of transformation, he said, is more than just about new...

DD-21's Demise attributed to program risk. (Washington Pulse).(naval surface combatant program)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Navy had to kill the DD-21 surface combatant program, cause had too much risk, said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vernon Clark. "The main issue with DD-21 was that there was so much new in that program... So there was inherent risk in...

New Hampshire Senator kills gun "Demil" provisions. (Washington Pulse).(Bob Smith removes demilitarization provisions from bill)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., declared victory in his efforts to delete the anti-gun "demilitarization" provisions from the Senate version of this year's Defense Department authorization bill. The provisions, he said, would have allowed the...

USO entertains troops on U.S. soil. (Washington Pulse).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... For the first time in recent history, large numbers of U.S. active and reserve troops have been deployed to carry our operations in the Washington, D.C. area. As a result, the United Service Organizations (USO) last November kicked off its...

Erratum.
February 1, 2002... In the January 2002 edition of Washington Pulse, the title of retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey was incorrect.

Portable Computers operate in 'All Terrain'. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... DAP Technologies of Vanier, Quebec makes an "all-terrain" mobile computer, called the Microflex, designed for collecting data in the harshest conditions, according to company vice president of sales and marketing, Antonio Lara. The...

Laser tool probes global warming. (Tech Talk).(carbon content of soil)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... At Los Alamos National Laboratory, scientists have developed a small, portable laser-based instrument to provide a better understanding of terrestrial processes that could accelerate or retard global warming, said James Rickman, a laboratory...

Navy develops wireless Ammo-Tracking System. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Time Domain Corp., of Huntsville, Ala.; CACI International, of Arlington, VA, and CYTEC Corp., of West Paterson, N.J., are developing a prototype radio that would provide the exact position and condition of stored ammunition and monitor leakage...

Faster Supercomputer available to researchers. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, operated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., has made its newest supercomputer--a 3,328-processor IBM RS/6000 SP system--accessible...

More accurate target visualization. (Tech Talk).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Honeywell International, of Morristown, N.J., has granted an exclusive license to Santa Barbara Infrared Inc., of Santa Barbara, Calif., to incorporate Honeywell's infrared emitter technology into SBIR's MIRAGE IR Scene Projector product line....

U.S. fears proliferation of 'Orphan' nukes: Experts say current military spending priorities fail to address nuclear threat.(lost, stolen radioactive materials)
February 1, 2002... The United States today finds itself at greater risk of a radiological attack than at the height of the Cold War, according to government officials and independent experts. Concerns that had emerged way before the September 11 attacks have been...

Commander fears 'Simulation Atrophy': Distributed Mission Training moving 'technologically in right direction'.(General Hal M. Homburg)
February 1, 2002... Air Force pilots are not receiving enough high-quality training, largely because some flight simulators lack the sophistication needed to practice realistic warfare missions, said the chief of the Air Combat Command. Gen. Hal M. Homburg,...

Army simulator to fill gap in combined-arms training.(related article: Training Instrumentation Made Deployable)
February 1, 2002... The U.S. Army is investing $300 million in a new aviation trainer missions collectively with ground that will allow aircrews to practice forces, in a digital environment. Army officials said this flight simulator would fill a long-existing gap...

Role of special ops evolves over time. (Unconventional Warriors).(special operations forces)(related article: Special Operations Policy Shop Realigned)
February 1, 2002... Special operation forces have been a part of the U.S. military since the colonial era. The Army Rangers were first organized in 1756 by Maj. Robert Rogers, who recruited nine companies of American colonists to fight with the British during...

Will special ops success, 'Change the Face of War?'.(unconventional warfare and use of special operations forces)
February 1, 2002... Although deployed in small numbers, U.S. special operations forces played a key role in the war in Afghanistan, one that could reshape the way that the United States uses its armed services in future conflicts, according to experienced...

Who's who in U.S. Special Operations Forces. (Unconventional Warriors).
February 1, 2002... U.S. special operations forces consist of approximately 45,000 Army, Navy and Air Force commandos. That represents about 1.3 percent of all U.S. military personnel. The U.S. Special Operations Command receives nearly 1.3 percent of the nation's...

Special Operators: Savvy buyers of survival equipment. (Unconventional Warriors).(commercial sources of combat gear)
February 1, 2002... The U.S. special operations forces don't leave anything to chance when it comes to their personal survival gear. They are astute buyers of tactical equipment and often shun military standard-issue supplies in favor of more functional,...

Why special ops prefer C-130s for many missions. (Unconventional Warriors).(C-130 Hercules air transport)
February 1, 2002... The venerable C-130 Hercules air transport turned up almost everywhere in the special-operations war in Afghanistan, with different versions of it performing a variety of gritty functions. For example: * In the early days of the war, when...

Helo upgrades focus on Special-Warfare Missions: Non-traditional operations challenge capabilities of rotary-wing aircraft. (Unconventional Warriors).(helicopters)
February 1, 2002... From the mountains of Afghanistan to the confines of America's cities, vertical takeoff-and-landing mobility will be essential to U.S. special operations forces. By definition, special operations are missions with high risk and high...

Special ops equipment: Newest-and Oldest. (Unconventional Warriors).
February 1, 2002... In their shadow war in Afghanistan, U.S. special operations troops exhibited their ability to use a wide variety of technology, ranging from some of the most modern equipment available to some of the oldest known to man. While some special...

New Mini-Sub gives SEALS extra speed, range, payload. (Unconventional Warriors).(Navy SEALS)
February 1, 2002... If the ongoing U.S. campaign against terrorist groups expands to places like Somalia, Iraq or Indonesia, that could result in more missions for the U.S. Navy SEALs, who have seen their role in land warfare grow in recent years. To improve...

Joint Tactical Radio expected to meet special-warfare needs. (Unconventional Warriors).
February 1, 2002... The next-generation tactical-communications technology--the Joint Tactical Radio System--will provide conventional military units with capabilities that typically are associated with special warfare. Currently in the early states of...

Officials push French-U.S. industry cooperation: European firms are seeking 'level-playing field' in U.S. weapons market.
February 1, 2002... French and U.S. defense industrialists recently met to discuss how they could increase cooperation between both nations. In an open letter to the Franco-American defense industrial community, Edward C. "Pete" Aidridge Jr., U.S....

Recommended readings on special ops. (Book Shelf).(special operations forces)(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
February 1, 2002... The central role played by U.S. special operations in the war in Afghanistan has many people looking for information about that particular military speciality. The following reading list might help: * "Green Berets, SEALs and Spetsnaz: U.S....

Brass Tracks.(recent defense appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Government Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld established the office of force Transformation within the office of the secretary of defense and appointed retired Navy Vice Adm. Arthur K. Cebrowski as its director. Cebrowski will report...

Capability maturity model proves valuable in weapons system development, fielding. (NDIA News).(National Defense Industrial Association)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In the late 1980s, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), of Carnegie Mellon University, developed and fielded the Software Capability Maturity Model[R] for software process improvement, sponsored by the Defense Department. Over the last...

WID assists USO drive in Nation's Capital: A National Security Organization. (Women in Defense).
February 1, 2002... Women In Defense supported USO of Metropolitan Washington's efforts to deliver special greetings and care packages to service members during the holiday season. The USO sent personal holiday greetings from individual donors and care packages...

NDIA Events Calendar.
February 1, 2002... FEBRUARY 20 event Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) Advanced Planning Brief to Industry (APBI) Event #2090 Marriott Crystal Forum, Arlington, VA Regular Registration Fees: Industry $40 Government/Academia...