National Defense articles from October 2005

National Defense archives from October 2005

Defense acquisition reform: a case of deja vu.(Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment)
October 1, 2005... Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England by the middle of next month is expected to endorse an "action plan" that is intended to address the Pentagon's acquisition problems. A proposed acquisition-reform blueprint will result from the...

Disputed facts on presidential helicopter.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Frank Colucci's article in the September 2005 edition of National Defense regarding the Navy's presidential helicopter program was riddled with inaccuracies and distortions. Colucci is far from an unbiased journalist, given his status as a paid...

'Clean audit' not any time soon at the Pentagon.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Pentagon is not likely to meet a 2007 self-imposed deadline to overhaul its financial information systems. Congress reprimanded the Defense Department two years ago for failing to provide a "clean audit' of how it spends its annual...

Incoming navy chief rewriting catchwords.("Sea Power 21" concept of chief of naval operations, Adm. Michael Mullen)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Changes in leadership in the military services often mean new bumper stickers. The chief of naval operations, Adm. Michael Mullen, is expected to substantially rewrite the service's catchall "Sea Power 21" concept for conducting warfare and...

Business advice mandatory reading on navy staff.(Washington PULSE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... At a time when the Navy is struggling to define its priorities and is plagued by cost overruns in its shipbuilding programs, the chief of naval operations, Adm. Michael Mullen, has told every flag officer on his staff to read "Execution: The...

Military UAVs may not suit homeland security.(Washington PULSE)
October 1, 2005... The military spends billions of dollars a year on unmanned aircraft, which fly over war zones searching for targets and occasionally even firing missiles. The Department of Homeland Security, however, appears uninterested in employing Defense...

Chemical plant protection legislation on the way.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2005... Key Senate players plan to bring comprehensive government oversight to chemical plants, a move that would regulate security at the sites at the federal level. The chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Susan Collins...

DHS, State Department wage visa war.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security's effort to place trained officers in embassies and other State Department posts has led to a falling out between the two agencies, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. As part...

Document requirements waived for hurricane victims.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security announced that it will not sanction employers for hiring victims of Hurricane Katrina who are unable to provide documentation normally required under Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act. ...

U.S. Court blocks enforcement of personnel rules.
October 1, 2005... A federal judge has barred the Department of Homeland Security from implementing major portions of its new personnel system. When DHS was created, Congress gave the secretary of DHS and the director of the Office of Personnel Management the...

Security research to focus on stand-off detection.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Department of Homeland Security is releasing a series of requests for technologies that can reveal what vessels are approaching U.S. shores and what they are carrying. The requests illustrate holes in existing port and maritime protection,...

Futuristic family of army vehicles losing momentum.(DEFENSE WATCH)
October 1, 2005... A looming defense budget crunch, a shift in military priorities and growing uneasiness about the state of technology are conspiring to disrupt the Army's largest ever procurement project, the Future Combat Systems. The early signs that the...

Marines probing new ways to fight future insurgencies.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2005... Marine Corps planners are drafting a new strategy for tackling insurgencies in future conflicts. Officials stress that the aim is not to write a war plan for the current conflict Iraq, but rather to generate fresh ideas for countering so-called...

Marines seek 'combat tactical vehicle' to replace Humvees.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2005... The Marine Corps intends to replace its fleet of more than 20,000 Humvee trucks with larger, sturdier vehicles that are better suited to the rigors of combat, officials said. Lt. Gen. James Mattis, head of the Marine Corps Combat...

Air Force Research targets insurgents' bombs.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2005... Airborne lasers. Electromagnetic Barriers. Born Bots. They sound like weapons used against the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars. Yet, there's no science fiction here. All are current Air Force Research Laboratory technologies, some of which already...

Air Force logistics hub reorganizes to improve support to combat units.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2005... A sweeping reorganization of the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center is expected to improve maintenance and logistics support to combat units, officials said. The ASC, based at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is an $18 billion...

Microscopic machinery: moving nanotechnology research into market remains a challenge.(Nanotechnology)
October 1, 2005... U.S. investments in nanotechnology have escalated into the billions of dollars in recent years. While scientists and analysts agree such funding is advancing nanoscience research, they explained that moving the resulting discoveries and...

Harvesting solar energy from nano-thin films.(NANOTECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2005... Researchers at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., are developing prototypes of battery chargers and shelters that would harness solar energy through nanocomposite thin-film photovoltaics. "It's really an exciting time...

Nanoscience promises better battlefield rations.(NANOTECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2005... Researchers at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., are improving combat ration packaging by replacing the layers of aluminum foil with nanocomposite films to make the packaging more resilient, lighter and less wasteful. ...

Nanotechnology enabling advances for war fighters.(NANOTECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2005... The science of manipulating molecules and atoms holds promise for many industries, Military scientists say nanotechnology will have the most impact upon the individual soldier. "The single most dramatic change will be at the war-fighter...

Cybersecurity: as military becomes more reliant on networks, vulnerabilities grow.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2005... As the Defense Department pursues programs dependent on global computer networks, government officials warn that the current methods of ensuring information security are not commensurate with the threats against them. If these problems are...

Protecting Global Information Grid requires new strategy.
October 1, 2005... The cornerstone of future defense programs is information technology, but that foundation may contain cracks that endanger the entire effort, according to security experts within the government. Ensuring that future information exchange in...

What can be done to increase info security?(information security management)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... * THINK ABOUT information security from the start of a program, rather than trying to add it close to the conclusion. To do otherwise is to invite delays in product development timelines, or fielding a flawed product. "Security cannot be bolted...

Spies in the sky: surveillance needs fuel demand for unmanned vehicles.(UNMANNED VEHICLES)
October 1, 2005... Military commanders increasingly are relying on unmanned aircraft for surveillance and reconnaissance, especially in maritime areas, noted a new Defense Department report. This trend, officials said, is indicative of a steady rise in the...

Army aviation: helicopter fleet features mix of new, refurbished aircraft.(FLEET UPGRADES)
October 1, 2005... As a result of the heavy use of helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army will need more than 3,000 new or remanufactured attack, utility, cargo and special operations helicopters by 2020, according to aviation program officials. ...

Amry's 'ghost riders': Stryker units win over skeptics.(GROUND COMBAT)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... THE NATION'S FIRST TWO STRYKER BRIGADES EACH have completed a year-long tour in Iraq. Their combined combat experiences have taught the Army and critics much about the effectiveness of the Stryker vehicle as well as the brigade, itself. ...

Northwestern cities peg prosperity to army programs.
October 1, 2005... Towns in the Pacific Northwest are hoping the expansion of the Army's Stryker brigades and the development of the Future Combat Systems will lead to continued economic benefits to the area, local officials said. The town of Kent, for...

Army to expand array of armored vehicles in Iraq.
October 1, 2005... A mid a wave of violence in Iraq, U.S. military commanders there are requesting additional armored vehicles, particularly large ones that can transport a dozen or more passengers. The Army has shipped more than 10,000 armored Humvees to...

Army to deploy web-based intelligence network.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2005... The Army is creating a database for U.S. commanders in Iraq to archive and distribute intelligence on suspected insurgents. The absence of a consolidated database of information on alleged insurgents--such as their biometrics and personal...

Soldiers test 'Land Warrior' technology.
October 1, 2005... Small-unit commanders in the Army soon may receive a new computer-radio suite that connects soldiers into a wireless network and tracks their location. The technology, called the "dismounted battle command system," is a simplified version...

Amid bursting bombs, services seek better body armor.(IN THE BULL'S-EYE)
October 1, 2005... As roadside bombs take an increasingly costly toll among U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military services are struggling to provide more effective body armor for deployed forces. In Iraq, insurgents now are attacking...

Far from sea, Navy specialists defuse roadside bombs.
October 1, 2005... A growing number of the Navy's explosive ordnance disposal experts are being detailed to Army and Marine units in Iraq to help neutralize the improvised bombs and other unexploded ordnance that litter the landscape. Traditionally, Navy EOD...

New up-armored package offered for Humvees.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2005... An up-armored kit for Humvee vehicles that features protection for rear load areas is being produced Dy Plasan Sasa, of Israel, for NATO members. The composite armor, according to officials, in no way hampers the Humvees multi-terrain...

Intercom offers relief in high decibel vehicles.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2005... Crew members in noisy Humvees or other Army tactical vehicles may find that inter-communication on the fly is no longer a hassle. David Clark Co. of Worcester, Mass., is providing a portable intercom/communications kit that guarantees crews and...

Quick-release vest goes over body armor.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2005... After getting feedback from troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Spec. Ops. Brand, of Monhans, Texas, designed and manufactured an easily removable nylon vest for the Interceptor body-armor system. "Wearing body armor is pretty much a full-time...

NIOSH-validated gas mask emerges.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2005... A gas mask with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agent protection has been developed for first responders by MSA safety products division of Pittsburgh, Pa. ...

Tire-protection system to be targeted at nation's firefighters.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2005... Firefighters are the intended recipients of a tire-protection system from Pierce Manufacturing Inc. of Appleton, Wis., that senses tire pressure and temperature. A wheel-position indicator and audible alarm in the cab warns drivers of looming...

Sensor measures multiple cloud layers.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2005... An improved laser ceilometer-which can measure up to four layers of cloud cover from zero to 30,000 feet-has been unveiled by All Weather Inc., of Sacramento, Calif. The airport weather sensor relies on advanced signal processing algorithms and...

Defense industry teams must consider conflict-of-interest concerns.(ETHICS CORNER)
October 1, 2005... Contractor teaming arrangements, long a defense industry fixture, have become even more popular in recent years. These arrangements can provide significant business benefits to the teaming partners, such as enhanced system and subsystem...

Technical information division certifies record numbers of candidates.(NDIA NEWS)
October 1, 2005... These are record-breaking times for NDIA's Technical Information Division Configuration and Data Management Certification program. In 2004, 162 candidates took examinations under the program, and 135 were successful, according to a...

NDIA events calendar.(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... OCTOBER 24-27 8th Annual Systems Engineering Conference San Diego, Calif. POC: Veronica Allen @ (703) 247-2570 24-27 Expeditionary Warfare Conference Panama City, Fla. POC: Simone Baldwin @ (703) 247-2596...

Affiliate events.(NDIA EVENTS CALENDAR)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... MAY 9-10, 2006 Military Net-Centric Operations 2006 Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club St. Petersburg, Fla. OCTOBER 26-27 Huntsville Simulation Conference Huntsville Marriott Hotel Huntsville, Ala. ...

Chapter events.(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... OCTOBER 3-5 Gulf Coast Chapter 31st Air Armament Symposium Fort Walton Beach, Fla. 12 Wright Brothers Regional Chapter-USAF Aeronautical Systems Center Engineering Day Fairborn,...