National Defense articles from January 2004

National Defense archives from January 2004

Editor's corner.(Proliferation Security Initiative)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Navy is taking a leading role in the enforcement of a Bush administration initiative, aimed at curtailing the spread of weapons of mass destruction around the world. The Navy is preparing to tackle increasingly more complex "maritime...

Corporate self-governance remains an imperative.(president's perspective)(defense industry initiative)
January 1, 2004... The ethics-related issues that have put the defense industry on the front pages in recent weeks obviously have prompted concerns among business leaders. As the industry prepares to deal with the long-term implications of these latest...

Defense against WMD.(readers forum)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... After reading the article "Chem-Bio Defense Needs Common Standards" (National Defense, Dec. 2003), I felt the need to seek clarification on a few facts mentioned. I am the detachment sergeant for the 91st Civil Support Team, which specializes...

State volunteers.(readers forum)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I recently read the December 2003 feature, "State Volunteers Eyed for Greater Security Role." I would like to make a comment or two. The Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary should not be compared to a state military defense force....

Pentagon to assess defense industry capabilities.(Washington Pulse)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Pentagon is undertaking an assessment of the defense industrial base's capabilities to respond to the military services' needs, according to Suzanne Patrick, deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy. Her office is...

Industrial base study to be briefed in 2004.(Washington Pulse)
January 1, 2004... The Center for Strategic and International Studies plans to brief senior Pentagon officials on its most recent research work on the defense industrial base. CSIS is hopeful that this study, unlike many other studies produced in recent...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2004... In the December 2003 story, "Littoral Combat Ship Sensors Pose Integration Challenge," National Defense reported that Congress directed the Navy to spend $51 million in fiscal 2004 on a study. That is not entirely correct. Congress...

NorthCom faces growing need for information.(Washington Pulse)(Northern Command)
January 1, 2004... Sharing information across government agencies and obtaining a "common operational picture" are key goals for the U.S. Northern Command, said Air Force Mat. Gen. Dale W. Meyerrose. As director of architecture and integration at U.S....

More attention urged for maritime defense.(Security Beat)
January 1, 2004... The United States should rely more on naval reserve forces to help boost domestic maritime defense, Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, mid a luncheon gathering of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the National...

Security needs spawn small business programs.(Security Beat)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) has issued its first Small Business Innovation Research program solicitation. The agency is seeking proposals for new technologies to detect low-vapor-pressure chemicals,...

TSA to step up training of armed pilots.(Security Beat)(Transportation Security Administration)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Transportation Security Administration, starting this month, plans to double the number of pilots that it trains each week to provide armed security on airline flights, TSA Administrator James M. Loy told a recent congressional hearing. ...

Task force eyes 'early warning' cyber protection.(Security Beat)
January 1, 2004... Private companies and government agencies need "early warning" capabilities to help avert cyber-attacks, said Guy Copeland, vice president of information infrastructure advisory programs at Computer Sciences Corp. "Corporations have...

DHS reaching out to university students.(Security Beat)(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Department of Homeland Security is providing scholarships for students pursuing degrees in physical and social sciences. The Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program will support the development and mentoring of the next...

Terrorists strive on 'perverse hopes,' says official.(Security Beat)
January 1, 2004... Contrary to popular belief, many suicide bombers come from middle-class, well-off families rather than from destitute ones, according to a Pentagon official. Therefore, the solution to stopping this kind of terrorism is not economic in nature,...

Military displays getting brighter.(tech talk)(Astra Products Inc. Baldwin, N.Y.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The challenge in shrinking the site of flatscreen digital displays for rugged military electronics is to keep the images sharp and easy to read. Astra Products Inc., of Baldwin, N.Y., has developed filter materials--cast in lightweight...

Drivers eye improved night-vision sensors.(tech talk)(Nightdriver)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A night-vision sensor originally developed for the military drivers see in the dark up to five times farther than headlights can reach. With more reaction time, vehicle operators can avoid dangerous situations more easily. The system,...

Army shifting aviation focus from unmanned to manned.
January 1, 2004... The role of Army helicopters in Iraq as combat workhorses has bolstered the notion that rotary-wing aircraft, for most missions, are unlikely to be replaced by unmanned vehicles. The upshot is a renewed emphasis on long-term investments in...

Army catching up with demand for track.
January 1, 2004... Scrambling to meet a colossal surge in demand for armored vehicle track in Iraq, the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command says it will complete a crash program to expand production capacity by March 2004. "The trends are positive,"...

Canadian Army snipers gain from Afghanistan experience.
January 1, 2004... Drawing from their combat experience in Afghanistan, Canadian Army snipers are taking steps to improve their organization and equipment. Canada has approximately 2,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty, Organization...

Military bases at sea: no longer unthinkable.
January 1, 2004... Staging a military campaign the size of Operation Iraqi Freedom entirely from ships at sea--with no access to land bases--would seem inconceivable to most defense planners. Nonetheless, the notion of "sea basing" forces has gained momentum...

DARPA sketches futuristic 'virtual schoolhouse': although the technology does not yet exist, DARPA believes the concept can work.
January 1, 2004... The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is trying to solve a chronic problem for the military services: the shortage of training facilities and the difficulties in making time to train. Under a program called DARWARS, the agency is...

Contractors competing for chem-bio defense dollars.
January 1, 2004... A small credit-card size device that can be installed on unmanned drones could be used to detect airborne nerve and blister agents. The technology was developed at the Sandia National Laboratory, in New Mexico, and is being marketed by Lockheed...

Military vehicles could benefit from hybrid electric engines.
January 1, 2004... Hybrid trucks that blend electric motors with internal combustion engines promise fuel efficiency, as well as plentiful, stealthy sources of electrical power for battlefield sensors, weapons, and command and control systems. The National...

Army wants trucks that 'survive' combat: competition under way for $42 million concept technology demonstration.
January 1, 2004... Repeated attacks on truck convoys in Iraq have prompted the Army to revisit its requirements for future logistics vehicles. Notably, the conflict challenged the traditional notions of tracks as support vehicles that stay out of the line of...

Marine vehicle upgrades reflect combat demands.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... Immediate needs for equipment repairs and upgrades--rather than long-term plans for transformation--are the dominant forces in Marine Corps vehicle programs today, officials said. The focus is on fixing war-torn equipment and accelerating...

U.S.-led coalition seeks to block weapon shipments.
January 1, 2004... The United States and 10 other nations have embarked upon a controversial plan to limit the spread of weapons of mass destruction by blocking suspect shipments by air, land or sea. Since May, when President Bush launched the effort--known...

Navy upgrading sea-mine sweeper helicopters: budget cuts could slow development of airborne mine countermeasures.
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Navy intends to deploy the first MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters equipped with organic airborne mine countermeasures with carrier battle groups in 2005. Although the service has not yet designated which carriers will receive the...

Uncertainty remains about U.S. landmine policy: alternative technologies not yet ready to replace landmines, U.S. claims.(analysis)
January 1, 2004... The Bush administration is expected not to meet a 2006 deadline to commit the United States to the terms of the 1997 Ottawa landmine ban treaty. Meanwhile, there is mounting criticism from arms-control advocates about the U.S. failure to ratify...

Defense Finance and Accounting Service.(Government)(Defense Finance and Accounting Service )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Defense Finance and Accounting Service has named Air Force Brig. Gen. Jan D. Eakle. as its deputy director. Eakle will assist DFAS Director Thomas R. Bloom in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the world's largest finance and...

Vernon M. Bettencourt Jr. has been selected to serve as deputy to Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle, the Army's chief information officer, G-6.(Government)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Vernon M. Bettencourt Jr. has been selected to serve as deputy to Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle, the Army's chief information officer, G-6. Previously, Bettencourt was director of analysis and chief information officer of the Army's deputy chief...

Military Traffic Management Command.(Government)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Army Col. Mark E. Scheid, previously chief of the Joint Movement Control Center in Kuwait City, Kuwait, has been promoted to brigadier general and assigned as deputy commanding general and director of operations of the Military Traffic...

Tiltrotor.(Industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Engineer Robert Dompka has been appointed director of Tiltrotor UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Programs for Bell Helicopter, a division of Textron Inc., in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Boeing Company.(Industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Boeing Company has named Senior Vice President James M. Jamieson as its chief technology officer. Jamieson most recently was senior vice president of airplane programs for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, Wash. Also, Boeing...

Lockheed Martin.(Industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Lockheed Martin has named Edward S. Taft senior vice president of human resources for the firm, which is headquartered in Bethesda, Md Taft will oversee all of Lockheed's human resources functions and initiatives. Lockheed also has...

FKI Logistex Alvey Systems.(Industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... FKI Logistex Alvey Systems, in St. Louis, Mo., has appointed George Reyher as account manager for Latin America. Reyher will focus on expanding the company's presence in the Latin American marketplace, including establishment of a new office in...

Booz Allen Hamilton.(Industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The board of directors for Booz Allen Hamilton, in McLean, Va., has elected Gary Cubbage, Douglas E. Himberger, Walter G. McFarland, Carl Salzano and John A. Thomas as the firm's vice presidents for the Washington, D.C. area. Booz Allen...

New study sheds light on WID membership.(Women in defense: a national security organization)
January 1, 2004... The membership of Women In Defense represents both government and industry. A recent study provides some details about that membership. A total of 92 percent is concentrated in the following nine states and jurisdictions: Virginia, 28%;...

Affiliate events.(NDIA events)(National Defence Industrial Association)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... APRIL 7-8 Net-Centric Operations Meeting Hilton McLean Tysons Corner McLean, Va. MAY 19-21 ICSTM '04 Conference University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pa. Contact Nicole Peterson at: (703) 247-9474 or...

Events and description.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... JANUARY 12-16 Defense Systems Acquisition Management (DSAM) Course Event #402E Dallas, Texas POC: Angle Gress @ (703) 247-2568 The Defense Systems Acquisition Management Course meets the needs of defense industry...

For future planning.(NDIA events calendar)(National Defence Industrial Association)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... 30th Environmental & Energy Symposium & Exhibition Event #4440 San Diego, Calif. April 5-8 JPEO Chemical/Biological Defense Advance Planning Brief for Industry (APBI) Event #4370 Laurel, Md. ...

Chapter events.(NDIA events calendar)(National Defence Industrial Association)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... FEBRUARY 27 Greater Los Angeles Chapter West Coast Dinner Beverly Hills, Calif. MARCH 16-17 Greater Hampton Roads Chapter JFCOM/Industry Symposium Portsmouth, Va. 30-31 Tennessee Valley Chapter Southeastern Software...