National Defense articles from November 2005

National Defense archives from November 2005

Preparation is key to disaster response.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
November 1, 2005... The strident blame game and the frenetic, political tap dancing that followed Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have overshadowed the serious conversation that we need to have about the painful lessons from our inadequate response to these disasters....

Fuel efficiency unlikely in military vehicles.(Washington PULSE)
November 1, 2005... With U.S. forces in Iraq no longer getting free fuel from Kuwait, the Defense Department may have to get serious about cutting back on consumption. It may take many years, however, for the military services to acquire more fuel-efficient...

Cyber-crimes mostly inside jobs?(Washington PULSE)
November 1, 2005... Government agencies and corporations spend billions of dollars protecting their computer systems to keep hackers from breaking into their networks. But they often fail to identify cyber-criminals operating from the inside, says Robert G. "Tad"...

Spectrum allocation key to disaster response.(Washington PULSE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... At a recent meeting in Camp Shelby, Miss., military and homeland defense officials pondered the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. Particularly, they debated how o improve the communications and "interoperability" between the military, National...

Military radios get security at a steep price.(Washington PULSE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... To protect their radio communications from being intercepted by the enemy, the military services equip their devices with expensive encryption systems. The most secure form of encryption is called "Type 1," and has been certified by the...

Gulf disaster fuels demand for Iridium phone services.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... The booming demand for Iridium satellite phones by first responders along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina caused the number of subscribers in the region to increase by more than 500 percent, the company said. The U.S....

Navy awards maritime surveillance contracts.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... Northrop Grumman Corporation won one of several contracts from the U.S. Navy to study and recommend solutions to the service's requirement for an around-the-clock, worldwide maritime surveillance capability. The contract, named "persistent...

University licenses explosives-detection technology.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., has signed an agreement with Link Plus Corporation of Columbia, Md., granting worldwide, exclusive rights to its "molecularly imprinted polymer" explosives detection...

Smart card to coordinate first responders.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... The National Capital Region is leading an effort to identify first responders with a new smart card credentialing system. The first responder partnership initiative is designed as a model for other regions to enhance cooperation and efficiency...

'BombJammer' protects from improvised explosives.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... Security Intelligence Technologies unveiled a new BombJammer system that can be covertly mounted inside a trunk or in the back of a sports-utility vehicle. The BombJammer protects against the use of remote controlled improvised explosive...

$6m project underway to modernize NY Fire Dept.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... iXP Corporation awarded a $6.6 million contract to the Raytheon Company to design and develop the "portable electronic command board system" that will overhaul New York Fire Department manual command boards by using wireless technology. ...

NY transportation agency upgrades security network.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority selected Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor to upgrade its electronic security operations infrastructure. The authority oversees the New York City Transit System, Long Island Railroad,...

Secure PDA phone available for homeland defense.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... General Dynamics C4 Systems has been awarded an $18 million contract by the National Security Agency to design and develop a combined mobile telephone and personal digital assistant. The secure PDA phone will provide voice and data...

R&D center designs new tests for decontaminants.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
November 1, 2005... The Army's Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Aberdeen, Md., has developed a new test method that will allow military and medical communities to better assess the performance of decontaminants. The testing standard was developed by...

Intelligence: the silver bullet that will beat the insurgency.(DEFENSE WATCH)
November 1, 2005... Nearly three years of hostilities in Iraq have made it painfully obvious that despite untold billions of dollars spent on intelligence and surveillance systems, U.S. troops, for all intents, are fighting blind. Ambushes, roadside bombs and...

Military services competing for future airlift missions.(UPFRONT)
November 1, 2005... A multibillion-dollar program to equip the Army National Guard with new fixed-wing cargo aircraft fleet has rekindled a turf battle between the services that was supposed to have been settled more than half a century ago. At issue is the...

Commerce Dept. seeks data on industries affected by Katrina.(UPFRONT)
November 1, 2005... The Commerce Department has set up an Internet web portal for defense industry to report specific production or supply problems resulting from recent hurricanes. Of particular concern is the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina to liquid hydrogen...

For Army's future combat vehicles, flying by C-130 no longer required.(UPFRONT)
November 1, 2005... The Army has given up on its ambitious goal of building a new combat vehicle that is as durable as the Abrams tank and only one-fourth of its weight. When the Army first conceived the Future Combat Systems family of vehicles--slated to...

Preparing for natural disasters: Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System to become operational in 2006.(TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... A tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean may become operational as early as next summer, according to an expert familiar with the plans. "What we've said on paper is we'd like to get a fully operational system up and running by July...

Security at the terminal: first new U.S. airport built since 9/11 gets off the ground.(HOMELAND DEFENSE)
November 1, 2005... The nation's first commercial airport to be built from the ground-up since the 9/11 terrorist attacks is being designed to incorporate advanced security features and technologies seamlessly into the infrastructure, according to officials...

Biodefense experts: vaccines 'at a crossroads'.(GERM WARFARE)
November 1, 2005... A budding U.S. biodefense industry--working largely without the major pharmaceutical companies--is working on medical countermeasures intended to treat deadly agents. But many of the companies seeking government funds for biodefense work are...

Researchers seek the 'perfect shipping container'.(INSPECTING CARGO)
November 1, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security is investing in a host of programs, both long and short-term, to create the perfect shipping box. The ideal solution, according to DHS officials supervising the research, would feature some cutting-edge...

Will Capitol Hill keep funding missile defense for airliners?(HOMELAND DEFENSE)
November 1, 2005... An effort to protect commercial aircraft against shoulder-fired missiles will face a critical moment in January, when Congress is scheduled to vote on whether to continue funding development of the system. President George W. Bush's 2006 budget...

Nuclear detectors tested in Nevada desert.(RADIATION THREATS)
November 1, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security's newest office--dedicated to stopping a nuclear attack on U.S. soil--has begun testing detection devices at ranges in Nevada. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, established in April of this year,...

Coast Guard team protects nation's busiest ports.(MARITIME SECURITY)
November 1, 2005... BOSTON -- THE 25-FOOT, RED-AND-GRAY U.S. Coast Guard response boat sped across busy Boston Harbor, zipping past ships of all sizes, from small sailing vessels to giant liquefied natural-gas containers. As it approached foreign-flagged...

U.S. Customs goes high-tech for cargo security.(LAST BULWARK)
November 1, 2005... BALTIMORE -- The gritty docks along the Dundalk Marine Terminal, in Maryland's Port of Baltimore, are among the last lines of defense in the multi-layered, global effort by the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection...

Sensing technology has yet to beat a dog's nose.(SNIFFING OUT SMUGGLERS)
November 1, 2005... FRONT ROYAL, VA -- The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is increasing its reliance on K-9 teams to spot terrorists, illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. The current force of approximately 1,400 teams--each consisting of a dog and a...

Navy's high-speed vessel aids relief effort.(INTO THE SHALLOWS)
November 1, 2005... Among the flotilla of U.S. Navy ships delivering relief supplies to the hurricane-devastated Gulf Coast earlier this fall was a strange-looking vessel that may have a big future. The ship was the HSV-2 Swift, which may be a forerunner of a...

Power to spare found in paperback-size package.(TECH TALK)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A just-developed compact fuel cell that is based on a highly concentrated methanol solution delivers 25 watts of continuous power to soldiers on the move. Weighing in at about 40 ounces, the cell is composed of a fuel processor, fuel cell...

German rescue station aids Katrina victims.(TECH TALK)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A German armed forces air-conditioned mobile rescue station with its own power and water supply has been sent to Mississippi to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. Produced by EADS of Ulm/Munich, Germany, the rescue station and a support team...

Concept vehicle points way for the military.(TECH TALK)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A possible replacement for the military's venerable Humvee may spring from a concept vehicle that was developed by the Georgia Research Institute with funding from the Office of Naval Research. Called the ultra armored patrol vehicle, it is the...

Shower business prompts company to expand.(TECH TALK)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Porta Kleen of Lancaster, Ohio, is expanding its mobile shower trailer division because of increasing demand from the U.S. military, Federal Emergency Management Agency and a host of commercial users. Its shower trailers offer up to 16 stalls...

Strike fighter engine team gains assist.(TECH TALK)
November 1, 2005... The GE Rolls-Royce fighter engine team has selected BAE Systems of Johnson City, N.Y., to produce digital electronic controls for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Officials said as many as 5,000 controls may be produced for these sleek, next...

Vests shine like beacons in the night.(TECH TALK)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... American Red Cross workers in the greater New York area who work with first responders often at night now are equipped with Vis-Tac load-bearing and Vis-Mat non-load-bearing vests that come with Scotchlite reflective material. The workers...

Want fresh water? Army has an answer.(TECH TALK)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Lightweight purifier units that can provide a continuous stream of water by a single soldier in less than 45 minutes have been ordered by the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. Officials say the units produce potable water from...

Unexpected pitfalls in offshore patent preparation.(ETHICS CORNER)
November 1, 2005... When contemplating the ethical risks facing contractors complying with myriad regulatory requirements, intellectual property often is overlooked. Apart from accounting abuses--such as using corporate research and development funds to...

NDIA announces 2005 Skibbie Scholarship recipients.(NDIA NEWS)(National Defense Industrial Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Heather Lacroix and Yevgeniya Gokun are winners of the 2005 Lawrence E Skibbie Graduate Scholarship Award. Lacroix is currently an operations research analyst for the U.S. Army Operational Test Command at Fort Hood, Texas. She is pursuing a...

AFEI honors Enterprise Integration award winners.(NDIA NEWS)
November 1, 2005... The Association for Enterprise Integration, AFEI, honored the winners of its 3rd annual Excellence in Enterprise Integration Awards. The awards were presented during the organization's International Conference on Enterprise Transformation, held...

NDIA implements automated exhibit sales process.(NDIA NEWS)
November 1, 2005... The National Defense Industrial Association has automated its exhibit-sales process for 30 tradeshows, using the online exhibit management system, a2zShow. After testing the system with smaller events, NDIA went online earlier this year to...

Pittsburgh chapter hosts engineering symposium.(NDIA NEWS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The first System of Systems Engineering Symposium--cosponsored recently by NDIA's Pittsburgh Chapter and the System of Systems Engineering Center of Excellence, of Johnstown, Pa.--" was a resounding success," said Chapter President Frank W....

Lockheed's Rhatigan named Navy Tester of the Year.(NDIA NEWS)(Brendan Rhatigan of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The U.S. Navy and NDIA have presented the Contractor Tester of the Year Award to Brendan Rhatigan, a lead system engineer for Lockheed Martin Systems Integration at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. Rhatigan, who works on the MH-60R...

WID picks Horizons Foundation Scholarships for 2005.(NDIA NEWS)(Women In Defense)
November 1, 2005... Women In Defense, a national security organization affiliated with NDIA, recently announced 2005 awards from its Horizons Scholarship. Awards of $1,500 each were granted to two students--Tessa Zolnikov, of Roundup, Mont., and Sandra Mackay,...

NDIA events calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... NOVEMBER 2-3 9th Annual Army Small Business Conference McLean, Va. POC: Carissa Mirasol @ (703) 247-2588 4 Radio Frequency Identification Seminar (RFID) McLean, Va. POC: Carissa Mirasol @ (703) 247-2588...

Affiliate events.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... MAY 9-10, 2006 Warfighter Information XXI Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club St. Petersburg, Fla. JUNE 1-2, 2006 DoD Research Capabilities for 2010 Ronald Reagan Building Washington, D.C. OCTOBER 17-18,...

Chapter events.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... NOVEMBER 2-3 Iowa-Illinois Chapter Defense Manufacturing Symposium Radisson Quad City Plaza Hotel, Davenport, Iowa Washington, DC Chapter Luncheon Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, Va. 8-10 San Diego Chapter...