National Defense articles from October 2007

National Defense archives from October 2007

Energy: 'one big thing'.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
October 1, 2007... U.S. Ambassador to Sweden Michael M. Wood is passionate about energy. He is particularly ardent about ways to make more efficient use of energy, as well as cleaner and more renewable forms of energy. Ambassador Wood, to his credit, has...

Why is congress launching yet another roles-and-missions probe?(DEFENSE WATCH)
October 1, 2007... Helpless to accomplish any meaningful change in the direction of the war, lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee have decided that it's now a good time to review and reappraise the roles and missions of the military services. ...

General warns about loading MRAP basket.(Washington PULSE)(Gen. William Wallace, mine resistant ambush protected vehicle)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No matter how many billions of dollars the Pentagon ends up spending on mine-resistant armored vehicles, U.S. troops in Iraq will remain at risk because the enemy eventually will figure out how to defeat the armor,...

Predator pilots needed for homeland duties.(Washington PULSE)
October 1, 2007... Customs and Border Protection officials are clamoring for additional Predator drones to help in immigration enforcement and drug interdiction duties. But they may have to wait for a long time. The Department of Homeland Security is buying lots...

Export control experts wanted at the Pentagon.(Washington PULSE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Before leaving office this summer, former defense acquisition chief Kenneth Krieg approved thee launch of a new career track at the Pentagon for those who want to specialize in international export controls. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

More foreign scientists shun the United States.(Washington PULSE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Foreign-born scientists and engineers comprise a large portion of the defense workforce in the United States, but they are beginning to turn to other countries for jobs, said Jacques Gander, former undersecretary of...

Flippping the switch: software issues blamed for border project delay.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Boeing is having problems integrating components on its high-profile Project 28 border security program, according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesman. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems was supposed to...

DARPA looks for ways to verify integrated computer chip security.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Trust, but verify," was once the axiom that ruled the world of nuclear deterrence. A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program seeks to do the same with the integrated computer chips that are now...

New ag-inspector mission proposed for border agents.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2007... BORDER PATROL AGENTS can provide an extra set of eyes to keep potentially devastating agricultural diseases and pests out of the United States, said the head of New Mexico's agriculture department. The Department of Homeland Security...

NASA aerial drone collects disaster data.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
October 1, 2007... A joint NASA-U.S. Forest Service program demonstrated the value of using an aerial drone to respond to disaster scenarios this summer when it flew a series of long-duration flights to map wildfires that plagued the western states. Unmanned...

Building miniature 'noses' to sniff explosives.(INSIDE Science AND Technology)
October 1, 2007... It's no secret that a dog's nose is hundreds of times more sensitive than our own olfactory systems. For this reason, humans have long relied upon their four-legged friends to track and detect odors for security, sustenance and survival. ...

USAF Synthetic fuel program could help solve unwanted carbon problem.(VIEW POINT)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Air force is seeking to acquire 50 percent of its fuel needs from domestic sources by 2016, and half of that is expected to come from synthetic fuel, mainly made from coal. The Air Force has promised that the...

'Virtual satellites': scientists pursue flexible, adaptable space systems.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is predicting that in the future "virtual satellites" circling the globe will peer down on enemy forces. Instead of one expensive 10,000-pound...

Troubled missile embodies failures of acquisition reforms.(UPFRONT)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Air Force officials are considering ending a $6 billion missile program that was once the poster child of the Pentagon's acquisition reform efforts. A final decision on whether to continue funding production of...

Electronic attackers: computer crimes keep government and industry on the defensive.(CYBER WARFARE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An onslaught of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks has prompted the government and private sector to step up efforts to share information and secure networks around the country. Yet the complexity of new...

Beyond x-ray machines: airports test alternative technologies for checkpoints.(AVIATION SECURITY)
October 1, 2007... Under fire for deficient airport security systems, the Transportation Security Administration has been busy lab testing technologies to beef up passenger screening checkpoints and moving numerous devices into pilot programs across the country....

Dumping data: e-waste--yet another headache for government and corporations.(COMMENTARY)
October 1, 2007... Everyone worries about the safety of information. The technology industry is robust with firewalls, encryption systems, and network security hardware. Corporations hire chief security officers, facility security officers, install cameras and...

Righting the ship: Coast Guard may face rough seas as it takes control of deepwater.(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION, A scathing 60 Minutes report, unsympathetic lawmakers and a stack of negative inspector general reports have marked the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater Systems program the last...

Grounded drones: civilian market for unmanned aircraft struggles to take flight.(UNMANNED AVIATION)
October 1, 2007... As the demand for unmanned aerial vehicles in Iraq and continues to increase, government agencies and contractors are clamoring to use aerial drones for domestic missions in U.S. national airspace. But the proliferation of remotely operated...

Patrolling borders: Department of Homeland Security plans to fly mere Predator aircraft.(UNMANNED AVIATION)
October 1, 2007... When the Department of Homeland Security's sole Predator crashed during a nighttime mission in the Arizona desert in April 2006, it appeared that unmanned aerial systems were poised for permanent banishment from U.S. airspace. Sixteen months...

In the cross hairs: technologists take aim at enemy snipers.(BATTLEFIELD GEAR)(Cover story)
October 1, 2007... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- "IT HAS BECOME A WAR OF SNIPERS," Lt. Gen. James F. Amos, commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, told a room full of technologists. While in no way downplaying the impact of improvised...

Regaining the night: researchers push for advances in night vision technology.(BATTLEFIELD GEAR)
October 1, 2007... THE U.S. MILITARY no longer "owns the night." Rather, it "shares the night." Night vision technology once gave the nation's armed forces an edge on the battlefield, but the devices have proliferated around the world. In response,...

Equipment woes: Army to extend 'rapid fielding' effort for war-bound units, domestic needs.(BATTLEFIELD GEAR)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN LESS THAN four years, the Army has equipped nearly a million soldiers with modern combat gear. But that is not nearly enough, officials said. The Army now expects to continue the ramp-up of equipment...

Army deploys testers to assess systems that were rushed to war.(BATTLEFIELD GEAR)
October 1, 2007... THE ARMY HAS FIELDED scores of new high-tech combat systems in Iraq and Afghanistan, but much of this technology was put into the hands of troops without undergoing the full-scale Army acquisition process. This was the case because the...

Economy class: shades of World War II fighters.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A start-up company in Canton, Ohio, is developing a single engine, turbo prop aircraft that is being touted as a low cost, high endurance alternative to conventional jet aircraft. U.S. Aircraft Corp. officials...

Advanced UAV ground station completes tests.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Initial testing on an advanced cockpit ground control station for unmanned aerial vehicles was recently completed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. of San Diego. The new system, says Thomas J. Cassidy...

More accurate machine gun barrels manufactured.(TECH TALK)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SABRE DEFENCE OF NASHVILLE, TENN., is producing more accurate and easier to clean 50-caliber machine gun barrels that significantly exceed U.S. Army specifications. The secret, officials relate, is keyed to improved...

Lighter helmet gives better ballistic protection.(TECH TALK)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT HELMET offers heightened ballistic protection and weighs about 30 percent less than existing protective head gear, according to a spokesman from Ardrey Inc. of Ocean, N.J. Called the Max Pro...

Complying with the Berry Amendment.(ETHICS CORNER)
October 1, 2007... Among the thorniest compliance challenges facing government contractors is the thicket of domestic preference programs, including the Buy American Act, Trade Agreements Act, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Free Trade Agreements, Defense...

NDIA members earn configuration and data management certification.(NDIA NEWS)
October 1, 2007... Northrop Grunnnan Corp. and L-3 Communications employees were the 2006 leaders in the Technical Information Division Configuration and Data Management certification and apprentice program. For the year, Northrop Grumman had 25 successful...

NDIA events calendar.(National Defense Industrial Association )(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... OCTOBER 2007 15-18 Insensitive Munitions/Energetic Materials Technology Symposium Miami, FL POC: Dee Clemmons @ (703)247-9478 22-25 Joint Chemical Biological Decontamination and Protection Conference & Exhibition ...

Affiliate events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... www.afei.org NOVEMBER 1-2, 2007 Cyber Deterrence McLean, Virginia DECEMBER 11-12,2007 Open Source Sheraton Premiere, Tyson's Corner MARCH 4-5, 2008 Fulfilling the Warfighters' Vision 2008 Tampa Bay, FL...

Chapter events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... OCTOBER 3 Tennessee Valley Chapter SMDC 50th Anniversary Celebration Von Braun Center North Hall, Huntsville, AL 4 Iowa-Illinois Symposium Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel Bettendorf, IA 10-11 C569 33rd Gulf Coast...