National Defense articles from January 2007

National Defense archives from January 2007

Manufacturing edge essential to defense.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
January 1, 2007... IT IS HARD TO ENVISION AN INDUSTRY that provides leading-edge military systems without also being a leader in advanced manufacturing. While the U.S. defense industry remains unsurpassed, it faces long-term challenges--one of which is its...

Senators Divvy up turf on defense issues.(WASHINGTON PULSE)
January 1, 2007... A compromise of sorts apparently has been reached between incoming Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Carl Levin, D-Mich., and the ranking minority member, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., over who will take the lead on key defense issues. ...

'Future Combat Systems' too hard to grasp.(WASHINGTON PULSE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The current budget woes that threaten to kill the Army's vaunted Future Combat Systems modernization program should come as no surprise to those familiar with the workings of Capitol Hill. The Army never has successfully articulated what FCS...

Marine Corps Special Ops role questioned.(WASHINGTON PULSE)
January 1, 2007... With forces stretched thin by deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps is being urged to reevaluate its commitment of 3,500 troops to the U.S. Special Operations Command. The Marine Corps Special Operations Command, which was...

Nuclear terrorism: who's in charge?(WASHINGTON PULSE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Despite dire warnings that the nation is vulnerable to terrorists possessing "suitcase nukes," the U.S. government has yet to present a cohesive plan to combat the threat, says a Massachusetts Institute of Technology senior researcher. ...

Watching the waters: maritime domain roadmap seeks to ID all vessels.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
January 1, 2007... A layered sensor network that stretches out to the deep waters of the oceans will be required to track and identify every vessel approaching U.S. shores, according to a draft of the maritime domain awareness technology roadmap obtained by...

Counterfeiting detector wins new technology prize.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
January 1, 2007... A DEVICE THAT USES LASERS to scan the surfaces of paper, plastic or metal to detect their unique molecular "fingerprints" won the Global Security Challenge prize, which is awarded annually to homeland defense start-ups. Ingenia Technology...

Host of problems mar transportation worker card.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
January 1, 2007... CONGRESS HAS DRAWN A LINE on the troubled transportation worker identification credential program. The card's purpose is to ensure that those working in a port or airport facility are not on a terrorist watch list and to verify their...

'Not in our backyard,' activists tell Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
January 1, 2007... A group of local activists are opposing Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's attempts to win a bid on a Department of Homeland Security bio-defense facility. Tri-Valley CARES, based in Livermore, Calif., has circulated an on-line petition...

While still at war, services brood over 'what's next?'.(DEFENSE WATCH)
January 1, 2007... ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID IT'S BETTER to never think of the future because it comes soon enough. The business of planning for the future indeed can be scary, especially when it comes to predicting when and where the nation will fight the next...

To defeat terrorists, military services must innovate, disrupt.(VIEWPOINT)(Column)
January 1, 2007... BY ANY MEASURE, REFORMING THE half-trillion dollar, 3 million-member Defense Department is one of the largest innovation projects in history. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld led the Pentagon's transformation efforts for nearly six...

Pacific dominance: China's defense build-up merits closer attention from Navy, say analysts.(UPFRONT)
January 1, 2007... China has been beefing up its military might, and the rapid growth of its navy, in particular, is creating disagreements in the Defense Department over whether such a build-up ought to be perceived as a threat to U.S. interests in the Pacific....

Army selects new winter gear to give troops edge in combat.(UPFRONT)
January 1, 2007... With winter winds now blowing full force in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is preparing to supply its combat troops with a new generation of cold-weather clothing. The improved gear is designed to make them more comfortable--and better...

Weapon makers contend with decline in U.S. manufacturing.(UPFRONT)
January 1, 2007... Manufacturers of military hardware worry that a shortage of skilled labor in the United States is impinging on their ability to deliver high-tech equipment to the Defense Department. The situation progressively has worsened during the past five...

Mapping the future: 'Conversation with the Country' yields a cacophony of opinions.(NAVY STRATEGY)
January 1, 2007... NEWPORT, R.I. -- All that was missing was Regis Philbin, a couple of lifelines and a million dollar check. At the Navy's first "Conversation with the Country" maritime strategy symposium here at the Naval War College, handheld polling...

Defense forecast: Army cash-flow troubles continue despite hefty emergency allowance.(Cover story)
January 1, 2007... FOR THE ARMY, the upcoming budget season is shaping up to be a competition between "boots" and "hardware," even though officials have argued that they should not have to trade one for the other. Ultimately, they may have to, analysts...

Aircraft fleet modernization gains momentum.(ARMY)
January 1, 2007... DURING THE NEXT SIX YEARS, the Army will procure 1,000 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. In addition, the service plans to restore 1,655 Black Hawks, Chinooks, and Apaches as they return from Iraq and Afghanistan. "Army aviation has...

Investments in unmanned aircraft focus on ground operators.(TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2007... CURRENT AND FUTURE PURCHASES OF unmanned aircraft increasingly are taking into account grounds troops' demand for timely intelligence in a user-friendly format. Consequently, the military services are turning more attention and funding to the...

Shipbuilding plan sailing into turbulent seas.(NAVY)
January 1, 2007... CUTBACKS IN PERSONNEL, TRAINING and maintenance costs will fuel a moderate growth in Navy procurement programs starting in 2008, albeit at a slower pace than Navy leaders had forecast a year ago, analysts estimate. The Navy had projected...

Aging aircraft, war costs weigh heavily in future budgets.(AIR FORCE)
January 1, 2007... THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS Committee staffer acknowledged the conundrum the Air Force is facing. His boss, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, "would like to see new platforms being brought on, and one way to bring on new platforms is being able to...

Rebuilding efforts anticipate a lengthy fight.(MARINE CORPS)
January 1, 2007... QUANTICO, Va. -- The Marine Corps, as it struggles to rebuild, repair or replace its combat-battered equipment, is planning for a conflict that will continue for years to come. "I'm not sure when this war is going to end," said Barry...

French navy acquires commando boats.(FAST ATTACK)(VT Halmatic )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The French navy has ordered 20 9.5-meter commando craft from VT Halmatic of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. The high speed boats will be used by marine commandos in maritime assault, fire support, insertion and command platform roles. ...

Tear, puncture: the panels still light up.(FAST ATTACK)(electroluminescent panels)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... A partnership between the Natick Soldier Center in Natick, Mass., and Crosslink of St. Louis, Mo., has yielded electroluminescent panels for troops in the field. The lightweight and flexible panels provide plenty of white illumination and they...

Camera offers sharp color in gloom of night.(FAST ATTACK)
January 1, 2007... AN ADVANCED CAMERA designed by Toshiba of Irvine, Calif., is delivering high-resolution color surveillance video in extremely low light conditions. According to the company, the IK-1000 has 30 times the sensitivity of standard low light...

In memoriam: Lt. Gen. Lawrence F. Skibbie, USA (Ret.), president emeritus, National Defense Industrial Association.(NDIA NEWS)(In memoriam)
January 1, 2007... Lt. Gen. Lawrence F. Skibbie, U.S. Army ret., president emeritus of the National Defense Industrial Association, died December 10 following a long illness. Gen. Skibbie was appointed president and chief executive officer of the National...

Companies must set and review compliance priorities.(ETHICS CORNER)
January 1, 2007... Risk management is a critical aspect of any company ethics and compliance program. Corporate self-governance requires vigilance, proactive planning, critical analysis and flagging high-risks. As a new year begins, companies should take the time...

Pentagon, first responders share communications needs.(GOVERNMENT POLICY NOTES)
January 1, 2007... The military and civilian emergency responder communities share an overlapping need for enhanced communication technologies. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 covers emergency-response personnel from federal, state and local sectors, including...

NDIA events calendar.
January 1, 2007... FEBRUARY 1-2 National Security Space Policy and Architecture Symposium Washington, D.C. POC: Emily Brown @ (703) 247-9478 4-6 Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference Monterey, Calif. POC: Angie DeKleine @ (703)...