National Defense articles from June 2009

National Defense archives from June 2009

Manufacturing matters to the nation's economy and security.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
June 1, 2009... * Manufacturing has enormous impact across all aspects of the U.S. economy and national security. Manufacturing represents almost 14 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. U.S. manufacturing output, at $1.6 trillion, produces more...

On troops' wish-list: weapons that avert civilian casualties.(DEFENSE WATCH)
June 1, 2009... * The Gates Doctrine--based on the principle that the wars we are in are the ones we must win--is shaking up the status quo in the weapons-buying business. Expensive, "exquisite" weapons that take decades to design and build are being...

Climate change: what should the Pentagon do?(WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY)
June 1, 2009... Among the topics that are being debated in the Quadrennial Defense Review is the impact of climate change on U.S. national security. The issue has been discussed at congressional hearings and various Washington summits but the Pentagon has yet...

Government contractors: can trust be restored?(WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY)
June 1, 2009... The defense industry has regarded itself as a "trusted partner" of the Pentagon, but in recent years the relationship has been strained as multibillion-dollar programs ran over budget and behind schedule. The tipping point came a year ago with...

CNO: worries about aviation industrial base overstated.(WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY)
June 1, 2009... Among the contentious items in the Navy's budget is how long the service should continue to buy Boeing-made F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighters. The official Navy position is that once it begins buying Lockheed-made F-35s in a few years, it...

Defense industry: what does change really mean?(WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY)
June 1, 2009... There is unease in the defense industry about the coming wave of procurement reform, mostly because it is not yet clear how companies will be affected by new rules that Congress is about to pass and by revamped procurement practices promised by...

Ambitions of all-electric Navy get reality check.(INSIDE SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2009... * Navy leaders for years have predicted an "all electric" future. Advanced electric drives are expected to revolutionize the way ships are designed and operated. But budget pressures appear to be challenging the Navy's vision, at least for the...

Over the horizon: B-52 used to monitor suspicious ships approaching the U.S.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * U.S. Strategic Command has found new homeland security missions for the Cold War era B-52H Stratofortress. The bombers, many of which are now nearly 50 years old, have flown a "number of missions" to snap...

DHS inspector general competing for acquisition personnel.(SECURITY BEAT)
June 1, 2009... * "Acquisition oversight is a priority of my office," Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner recently said to members of Congress. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like other government agencies, the (department is...

New database to help identify hazardous substances.(SECURITY BEAT)
June 1, 2009... * As concerns mount about terrorist use of chemical weapons, one company has unveiled a database that will enable firefighters and other first responders to identify unknown substances, ITT Corp.'s DOMAIN/Chemical database includes more...

Why compete? Defense Department can split tanker buy, and still save money.(Viewpoint)
June 1, 2009... The benefits of competition are well established: innovation, efficiency, effectiveness, quality and performance. Although competition is frequently implemented in Defense Department programs, its practice is not being maximized. One...

In the U.S. military, cultural, resistance to armed robots.(Commentary)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tele-operated robots, whose every move is controlled from a distance by a trained soldier or Marine, are becoming familiar sights in today's battlefields. More than 12,000 robotic systems are deployed in Iraq alone....

Deep down: navy to explore new ways to employ underwater robots.(Underwater Warfare)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Underwater robots have become essential tools in non-military missions such as the exploration of the oceans and offshore oil drilling. The U.S. Navy wants to capitalize on the available technology and deploy robotic...

Gliders will Aid Naval Research.
June 1, 2009... The Navy will acquire underwater gliders to boost its oceanographic research efforts and to help improve the positioning of fleets during naval maneuvers. The Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command awarded Teledyne Brown...

Not your father's C-130: training for war: a multimedia experience.(Air Training)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark.--Airmen who come here to learn how to fly C-130s may one day receive iPod touch devices with interactive software designed to acquaint them with the...

Flying blind: air force faces daunting task to determine what's happening in space.(Space Technology)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--Take all of Earth's air space that is used by conventional aircraft and multiply that 6,000 times. That's is the area the Air Force needs to monitor to have a complete picture of what is...

New Satellites to keep watch over space-based systems.(Space Technology)
June 1, 2009... COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Two new satellites may be launched later this year that will help the U.S. defense community better understand what is happening to the multi-million dollar spacecraft it depends on for communications, remote sensing,...

A world free of nuclear weapons: how realistic is Obama's vision?(COMMENTARY)
June 1, 2009... Debating the realism of trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons--an initiative recently branded as "Global Zero" by its advocates--is a pointless exercise. The pursuit of nuclear disarmament has been the policy of the United States ever...

Super strength: want that 200 lb. load toted up the hill? No problem.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Heavy combat loads are the bane of a grunt's existence. Help, however, may be on the way for soldiers and Marines if the services buy into Lockheed Martin's Human Universal Load Carrier--a robotic exoskeleton...

Active RPG defense program shows promise.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * A Whippany, N.J., company has developed a system that protects troops in vehicles from rocket propelled grenades. RPGs have killed or wounded thousands of U.S. soldiers in battlefields around the world. The...

Observation telescopes help snipers score more hits.(TECH TALK)
June 1, 2009... * Marine Corps snipers are expected to become a bit more accurate thanks to new equipment. They are to receive a tripod mounted, mil-dot spotting scope that dovetails with a handheld ballistic computer the Marines recently acquired. (The...

Hollywood set designers develop new marine simulator.(TECH TALK)
June 1, 2009... * A nearly 10-year effort involving Hollywood set designers and military virtual-reality experts has yielded a remarkably convincing simulator for familiarizing Marine Corps troops with their combat equipment. Called the Gruntworks...

San Diego women in defense chapter holds first symposium.(NDIA NEWS: ASSOCIATION BRIEFS)
June 1, 2009... * More than 220 participants gathered for the 1st Annual Women in Defense Symposium at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego on Feb. 18. The meeting included panel presentations on women's leadership roles in combat and humanitarian...