National Defense articles from March 2008

National Defense archives from March 2008

Small business innovation research: renew it now!(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
March 1, 2008... It is no secret that small businesses are one of America's biggest assets. Firms with fewer than 500 employees represent 99.9 percent of the nation's 26.8 million businesses. And it should come as no surprise that a large number of these...

It's a workforce problem.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... The military needs a strong, focused acquisition institution and a dedicated and trained acquisition workforce--where young military and civilian program managers can aspire to the highest levels of responsibility and are protected from the...

Deja vu all over again.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... As far as defense acquisition goes, the situation hasn't changed much since I entered the business in 1974, in the Abrams tank program. Otherwise, your article ("In the Army, Why Can't Soldiers Be Customers?"--January 2008) would not be...

Reforms are working!(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Your January 2008 article ("In the Army, Why Can't Soldiers Be Customers?") hit the nail on the head. As ammo producers we struggle with who is really the customer. We never want a defective unit to get in the hands of our soldiers because they...

Early planning is key.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... The larger acquisition system is not really designed for success. It is very difficult to avoid the pressures of the "schedule and cost" mantra. We can, however, hope to improve overall performance so that smaller numbers of programs fail, and...

Tough decisions on future military roles and missions.(DEFENSE WATCH)
March 1, 2008... A new commander in chief next year will decide if and when U.S. troops will leave Iraq. And that will be just the start of a much-needed debate about the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. military after Iraq. The stress on the...

What's next for MRAP?(WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY)(mine-resistant ambush-protected)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The frenzy that led up to the procurement of thousands of mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles has subsided, and officials now are worrying about what to do with these unwieldy behemoths after U.S. troops leave...

F-22 in dogfight against news media.(WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Air Force's prized F-22 Raptor fighter jet has yet to see action in combat against foreign enemies. So far, it seems, the jet's fiercest foes have been the news media, according to the general who oversees the...

Top enlisted sailor calls for 'deck-plate diplomacy'.(WASHINGTON PULSE)
March 1, 2008... Top leaders of the Navy and the Coast Guard have touted the recent publication of a "maritime strategy" that is designed to finally get both services on the same page as far as future planning and investments. There is one obstacle,...

Rising costs shipwreck Navy's expansion.(WASHINGTON PULSE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The price tag for the Navy's latest ship-construction plan is raising hackles on Capitol Hill. The service is trying to expand the fleet from 280 to 313 over the next 30 years, and its leaders have persistently promised that they would keep...

We can't be with one foot in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... "We can't be with one foot in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. It would be like having one foot on the canoe and one on the bank. You can't be there long." Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, discussing the current state of...

I send Christmas cards and congratulatory notes.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I send Christmas cards and congratulatory notes when there's a new air chief." Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, head of U.S. air forces in Southern Command, alluding to the lack of military, exchanges between the...

It's got nothing to do with capability.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... "It's got nothing to do with capability... It's got everything to do with national caveats." Ambassador Dell L. Dailey, State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism, explaining why it has been tough to get NATO countries to boost...

Tunnel of truth: transportation lab seeks radical change at airport checkpoints.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LOS ANGELES -- Transportation Security Laboratory Director Susan Hallowell would like to see the day when airline passengers no longer have to take their shoes off after standing in a long line at airport security...

Science fiction mavens offer far out homeland security advice.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
March 1, 2008... Now a fixture at Department of Homeland Security science and technology conferences, SIGMA is a loosely affiliated group of science fiction writers who are offering pro bono advice to anyone in government who want their thoughts on how to...

Mass notification alert systems spread on campuses.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The tragic shooting at Virginia Tech last year has sparked interest at educational institutions in mass notification software systems that send out e-mails, text and prerecorded phone alerts. Until the shooting,...

Secret service hopes use of new escape mask proliferates.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)(United States. Secret Service)
March 1, 2008... The U.S. Secret Service is developing a pocket-sized escape hood designed to protect agents and the president from chemical and biological attacks. Agents have a good deal of equipment in their vehicles and pre-positioned in rooms where...

Creating the body's microenvironment to grow artificial organs.(INSIDE SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2008... Whether due to disease, injury or other causes, millions of Americans suffer tissue loss or organ failure every year. Those who need replacements are put on organ donor lists. But the supply falls far short of demand. To supplement the low...

Non-military participation key to effective disaster response.(VIEWPOINT)
March 1, 2008... The Defense Department is becoming more heavily engaged in missions such as post-war reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. But the Pentagon usually is not the agency in charge of these missions. It supports the...

Stovepipe dreams: goal of a 'network-centric' military seems distant.(IN FOCUS: DEFENSE AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ORLANDO -- "The day of stovepiped systems and proprietary systems is over," Vice Adm. Nancy Brown declared at a military communications conference. Such proclamations have become common at industry forums during...

Congress still undecided on how to protect airliners from missiles.(IN FOCUS: DEFENSE AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS)
March 1, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- Tests of a system designed to protect commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles have showed some improved performance in areas such as maintenance. But the system still fails short of goals acceptable to airlines, said the...

Clarification.(IN FOCUS: DEFENSE AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS)(Correction notice)
March 1, 2008... Regarding the February 2008 story, "Army to Create 'Hybrid' Network of Incompatible Blue-force Trackers." I would like to offer the following clarifications: * Our architecture is nowhere near operating at full capacity at this time. The...

Sea worthy: government action needed to fix troubled shipbuilding sector.(Industry Study)
March 1, 2008... Shipbuilding is critical to both national security and global stability. This industry, however, is not globally competitive in the production of large oceangoing vessels and depends on government procurement and a protected domestic market to...

War machines: for now, lethal robots not likely to run on auto-pilot.(Unmanned Technology)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SAN DIEGO -- Bart Everett, technical director for robots at the Navy's space and naval warfare systems center, acknowledged that the military isn't ready for the next generation of mechanized soldiers. He is...

Navy slows pursuit of autonomous vessels for coastal surveillance.
March 1, 2008... * The Navy has expressed considerable interest in acquiring unmanned vessels that would patrol coastal areas and help protect surface combatants from terrorist attacks. Budgetary and technological issues, however, are now slowing down the...

Road warriors: robots get smarter, but who will buy them?(Unmanned Technology)
March 1, 2008... The concept of a car driving itself through city sweets is no longer relegated to the realm of science fiction. Automobiles competing in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Urban Challenge in November proved themselves capable...

Call for help: for first responders, high-tech communications still out of reach.(Homeland Security)(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LOS ANGELES -- The twin disasters of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina highlighted the need for first responders from different jurisdictions and agencies to have working radio links. But years later, it has become apparent...

Tracking personnel inside buildings: a tough problem to solve.
March 1, 2008... LOS ANGELES -- In the defense community it's called "blue force tracking," or the ability to know where your personnel are at all times. First responders call it "accountability," and it was one of the major needs identified in the wake of...

On alert: pilot stress, aging equipment cause angst at D.C. Air Guard.(Homeland Security)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. --Defending the nation's capital from an aerial attack might seem a good enough reason to give a wing commander whatever he needs. But it has not worked out that way for the aviators of...

Seeing the enemy: urban wars fuel demand for more accurate sensors.(Urban Warfare)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TEL AVIV, Israel -- Suppliers of high-tech military hardware are developing new sensors that could help troops identify the enemy in close urban quarters. Israel's military forces, as well as U.S. troops fighting...

'Smart Chaff' being developed to thwart surface-to-air missiles.
March 1, 2008... HAIFA, Israel -- Engineers at Israel's Technion University are developing tiny, electrically conductive fibers that could someday be used to defend aircraft from missile attacks. The Russell Berrie Institute for Research in Nanotechnology...

Demand on the rise for small hovering drones.
March 1, 2008... The market for small, hovering drones will continue to grow, possibly at the expense of larger unmanned aircraft, experts say. Small "ducted fan" drones--classified as weighing less than 50 pounds--have gained more attention in recent years...

Quick fix: helicopter needs repair? Grab the tape.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3M Aerospace of St. Paul, Minn., is providing the U.S. military with two field maintenance packages--the Rotor Blade Protection Kit 8999K11 and Fuel Skin Repair Kit 8999K12. The specialized tapes are designed to...

Demand for blimps soaring.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... There is no shortage of applications for blimps, Seeking to capitalize on this growing market, a Sioux Falls, S.D., company is now producing large tethered aerostats for military, homeland security and scientific applications. Aerostar...

Kryptonite laser system shines in daylight.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A one-piece bore hung system that fits handguns, rifles and carbines of all calibers relies on a green laser that is 100 times more visible than red lasers, which are the traditional light source for such devices....

Are you prepared for a government probe?(Ethics Corner)
March 1, 2008... Government investigations are on the rise in the healthcare, defense, energy and insurance sectors. Agents from all levels of government have greater investigatory power through more inter-agency coordination and resource sharing. ...

Undersea Warfare Division recognizes technology leaders.(NDIA NEWS: ASSOCIATION BRIEFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... At the annual fall conference held at the Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Conn., the NDIA Undersea Warfare committee awarded seven medals for outstanding achievements in the field. Robert Ahlers, Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems...

NDIA Combat Survivability Awards presented.(NDIA NEWS: ASSOCIATION BRIEFS)
March 1, 2008... The National Defense Industrial Association's Combat Survivability Awards were presented at the Combat Survivability Division's Aircraft Survivability Symposium held in November at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. Beginning...

Lockheed Martin Divisions win NDIA Engineering Awards.(NDIA NEWS: ASSOCIATION BRIEFS)
March 1, 2008... Lockheed Martin won two of five awards given annually by the Defense Department and the National Defense Industrial Association for excellence in systems engineering. Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego, N.Y., and Lockheed Martin Mission...

Are you interested in inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders?(STEM NEWS: SCIENCE * TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING * MATHEMATICS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Are you interested in inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders? Becoming a sponsor or a team mentor/coach in a FIRST Robotics Competition is one way to convert your interest into action. FIRST was founded in 1989 to...

NDIA calendar: upcoming exhibits, shows and events.(National Defense Industrial Association)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... MARCH [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 10-13 24th Annual National Logistics Conference & Exhibition Miami, FL Synchronizing Global Defense Logistics: Partners, Performance, and People * Don't miss this premier national-level forum...