National Defense articles from October 2006

National Defense archives from October 2006

Air Force lab aims for relevant research.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
October 1, 2006... THE AIR FORCE RECENTLY FLEW A B-52 bomber powered by an alternative fuel derived from natural gas. This development highlights in many ways the challenges and achievements of the Air Force science and technology community. At a time when...

The war against IED's.( )(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I read "Defense Stifles Innovation Despite Urgent War Needs" (July 2006) with a great deal of interest, especially as it references the IED situation. Mark Johnson points out that no major contractor has set up a separate entity to do the...

Army launches 'missile roadmap'.(Washington PULSE)
October 1, 2006... Army missile buyers are conducting a "market survey" to uncover potential long-term problems in the industry's ability to deliver new technologies. In a "request for information" published this summer, the Army Aviation and Missile Command asks...

Pentagon policies presume guilt by association.(Washington PULSE)
October 1, 2006... The launch of a new policy shop responsible for "counternarcotics, counterproliferation and global threats is one piece of a broad reorganization recently unveiled by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman. The rationale for creating...

Air Force takes F-22 to Red Flag.(Washington PULSE)
October 1, 2006... As it begins a campaign to boost political support for its F-22 stealth fighter jet, the Air Force plans to showcase the aircraft at its vaunted "Red Flag" annual training exercise scheduled in January at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red...

'Response force' hampered by European spending fall.(Washington PULSE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Europe's declining defense spending is putting a damper on NATO's grand plan to create a fast-reaction force that would be ready to deploy on short notice. The top commander of NATO, Gen. James Jones, recently told reporters at the Pentagon...

Long overdue: DHS outlines efforts to protect infrastructure.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)(Department of Homeland Security)
October 1, 2006... "Almost five years after 9/11, and the Department of Homeland Security still hasn't..." was a phrase often heard in Washington in the first half of 2006. The department, however, did release its long-awaited National Infrastructure...

More questions than answers on counter missile technology.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2006... The Department of Homeland Security, which was tasked by Congress to study options to protect commercial airliners from shoulder-fired missiles, sent a relentlessly downbeat report to Capitol Hill, detailing just how many hurdles it must...

Interest widens in water-from-air technology.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)(Aqua Sciences Inc.)(Hamilton Sundstrand, Windsor Locks, CT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Agency has purchased two water extraction units from Aqua Sciences Inc. of Miami Beach, Fla. The recent hurricanes, the Southeast Asian tsunami and the war in Iraq have spurred increased interest in...

Court allows random searches in subways.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2006... AS AIRLINE PASSENGERS endured more stringent searches in the wake of an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound jets, a federal court of appeals in August upheld a ruling allowing for random bag searches in New York subway stations. Checking...

DHS to upgrade nuclear detection capabilities.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2006... The Department of Homeland Security awarded three contracts to upgrade its radiation detection portals at U.S. ports of entry. The $1.15 billion program aims to decrease the false alarm rates in current systems. Raytheon Co.'s Integrated...

Roadside bombs: an 'arms race' with no end in sight.(DEFENSE WATCH)
October 1, 2006... WHAT IF ROADSIDE BOMBS LURKED ON A STREET NEAR YOU? While nobody really wants to contemplate that scenario, maybe defense contractors and government scientists should, suggests Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Douglas Stone. Maybe, if those...

Who's driving? Robots aid soldiers, but can be irritating.(UP FRONT)
October 1, 2006... The prevailing thinking in the Army about deploying unmanned combat vehicles is that they keep soldiers out of harm's way. That premise continues to fuel research into dozens of military programs seeking to develop robotic systems that...

Friendly navies sought for unwanted U.S. ships.(UP FRONT)
October 1, 2006... The delivery of two former Navy warships to Taiwan last month marks the beginning of what is expected to be a busy ship-transfer season for the United States. Four years after the Navy agreed to turn over its Kidd-class destroyers, all...

Vehicle maker wins Iraqi Army deal, rushes to expand production.(UP FRONT)
October 1, 2006... Arecent Defense Department contract to acquire more than 1,000 "mine-protected" armored vehicles for the Iraqi Army has prompted the manufacturer to both expand its internal production capacity and seek outside help. The vehicle the...

Hard shells: new threats force armorers to redesign passenger vehicles.(ARMORED VEHICLES)
October 1, 2006... WEST POINT, VA. -- AT FIRST GLANCE, the hulking silver Chevy Suburban looks like any other soccer mom's sports utility vehicle plying the streets of small town Virginia. Try opening its door, and it becomes immediately obvious that this is no...

Drivers learn to escape worst case scenarios.(ARMORED VEHICLES)
October 1, 2006... WEST POINT, Va. -- A driver in an armored sports utility vehicle pulls up to a roadblock in a spot called Junkers Alley. The flash of a roadside bomb tells him that it's a trap. Two gunmen pop out from behind a scrap car and open fire. ...

Truck manufacturers show their wares.(ARMORED VEHICLES)
October 1, 2006... ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md.--Trucks and trailers sat in two facing rows under a white tent here on a warm summer day. Out front were company representatives eager to grab passersby to brief them on the merits of their cutting edge technology....

Troop carriers: combat vehicle designs seek increased utility in multiple roles.(ARMORED VEHICLES)
October 1, 2006... PARIS -- Combat vehicles are being developed to keep pace with soldiers' evolving battlefield roles. Those vehicles increasingly are wheeled, armored and modular, and are incorporating designs that cater to the requirements of ground...

Special paint hides vehicles and buildings from enemy sensors. (ARMORED VEHICLE)S.
October 1, 2006... PARIS -- As thermal scanners and other heat-sensitive sensors improve and proliferate, militaries have begun to realize such technologies also expose vulnerabilities, and are seeking ways to protect their troops and assets. Intermat...

Turning man into machine: armies around globe trotting out high-tech warrior ensembles.(SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY)(Cover story)
October 1, 2006... PARIS -- The concept of humans possessing the machine-like capabilities of science fiction characters, such as Robocop, the Terminator and Star Trek Borg, is fast becoming reality among several of the world's armies. In as little as two...

Government testing ankle protector for troops inside vehicles.
October 1, 2006... PARIS -- A new lightweight blast protector may help reduce and prevent injuries to the lower legs of soldiers. The blast ankle protector, developed by NICE Technology Group in Huntsville, Ala., is made of multiple layers of Honeywell's Spectra...

Module monitors movements in high-interference areas.(SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2006... PARIS -- Tracking soldiers and first responders in global positioning system-denied environments, such as urban buildings and subterranean tunnels, may now be possible thanks to a new technology that uses a range of sensors that are impervious...

Defeating the darkness: U.S. labs look for edge as night vision technology spreads.(SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2006... SINCE THE FIRST GULF WAR, night vision technology has allowed the U.S. military to "own the night." But a quick search on the Internet shows that anyone can now own a piece of the night for $400. Binoculars, riflescopes and hands-free...

Military equipment: Army, Marines strive to improve personal combat gear.(SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2006... AS THE PENTAGON STRUGGLES TO pay mounting war costs, the Army and Marine Corps are pressing ahead with efforts to provide troops with improved equipment. The list is long, including everything from better helmets and body armor to...

Urgent needs: Army 'Rapid Equipping Force' taking root, chief says.(SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2006... THE ARMY'S RAPID EQUIPPING Force--which began in 2002 as an ad hoc effort to speed equipment to soldiers--is taking root and growing, according to its director, Col. Gregory Tubbs. After years of uncertainty, the force became a permanent...

Fire away: Navy launches high speed gun.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2006... The Office of Naval Research awarded a $9.6-million, 30-month contract to General Atomics, in San Diego, Calif., to design an electromagnetic launcher for the Navy's rail gun program. The company leads a team that also includes The Boeing...

High-speed imaging advance offers fast retrieval.(TECH TALK)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... ADDING "BRAINS" TO high-speed cameras is permitting industrial and military users to rapidly detect product defects or ephemeral targets of opportunity on the battlefield. The secret of this new approach is the inclusion of parallel...

Secure docking permits global reach for military.(TECH TALK)(new product from World Communications Center)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WORLD COMMUNICATION CENTER of Chandler, Ariz. has developed a secure docking station for Iridium satellite phones that can be used at sea, in vehicles and elsewhere. A spokesman says the station also permits "smart dialing, which mimics...

15-year battery sought for civilian, military satellites.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2006... Production of a relatively lightweight battery with an operating life of 15 years in space is the goal of Yardney Technical Products Inc. of Pawcatuck, Conn., and its subsidiary, Lithion Inc. These companies are working on modifications to...

Air Force, guard aircraft gain defensive clout.(TECH TALK)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A VARIETY OF AIR FORCE and National Guard fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are benefiting from software that is making possible on-board, integrated defensive avionics systems. Providing these specialized applications are engineers from the...

Submersible boat gains speed.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2006... THE MULTI-ROLE Intermediate Support Craft, made by Stidd Systems Inc., of Greenport, N.Y., is a submersible boat that can travel at speeds up to 30 knots on the surface. "This is breakthrough technology," said the firm's government affairs...

Camouflage wrap useful in combat.(TECH TALK)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Camo Form, made by McNett Corp., of Bellingham, Wash., is a self-clinging camouflage wrap that can be used to disguise almost anything, said a company vice president, Tanya Brooks. "You can wrap it around all kinds of stuff--weapons, scopes,...

Easy access to hydrogen proposed.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2006... A Massachusetts company believes it has perfected technology that removes a key roadblock--the scarcity of fuel outlets--to the widespread use of hydrogen powered automobiles. ZTEK Corp. of Woburn has pioneered a high temperature solid-oxide...

Industry security clearances: broken process.(GOVERNMENT POLICY NOTES)
October 1, 2006... In order to perform many critical services for government customers, tens of thousands of defense industry personnel must obtain and renew security clearances every year. Both at home and abroad, these requirements have skyrocketed to...

Internal investigations: accounting for in-house costs.(ETHICS CORNER)
October 1, 2006... Companies conducting internal investigations face many sensitive, complex legal, regulatory and business issues. Confronting employee misbehavior is not easy. Coordinating in-house resources and outside legal and consulting professionals to...

NDIA events calendar.
October 1, 2006... OCTOBER 23-26 Expeditionary Warfare Conference Panama City, Fla. POC: Simone Baldwin @ (703) 247-2596 23-26 Systems Engineering Conference San Diego, Calif. POC: Britt Bommelje @ (703) 247-2587 23-25...

Affiliate events.
October 1, 2006... NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1 2010 Research Directions for Information Sharing Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Washington, D.C. Contact Nicole Peterson at: (703) 247-9474 or email npeterson@afei.org DECEMBER...

Chapter events.(Calendar)
October 1, 2006... OCTOBER 3-4 32nd Gulf Coast Chapter Air Armament Symposium Emerald Coast Conference Center Fort Walton Beach, Fla. NOVEMBER 14-16 San Diego Chapter Naval NETWAR FORCEnet Enterprise & Industry...