National Defense articles from October 2008

National Defense archives from October 2008

Defense priorities high on the agenda for next administration.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
October 1, 2008... * The next administration will have a lot on its plate. Some of the more pressing issues such as the mortgage and credit crises, the federal budget deficit and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan might claim primary attention, but sooner or later...

Defense Dept. gripped by fear of the millennials.(DEFENSE WATCH)
October 1, 2008... * Cybersecurity czars spend billions of dollars building virtual wails to protect the Pentagon's vast computer networks from relentless attacks by hackers, worms and viruses. But they are now confronting what could be their most difficult...

Gas prices: estimating tanker cost is no modeling job.(WASHINGTON PULSE)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Pentagon is a huge fan of computer modeling and simulations--for everything from training to designing weapons systems. Models are also commonly used to estimate the cost of military hardware. But when it comes...

Help is on the way for Navy flacks.(WASHINGTON PULSE)
October 1, 2008... * The Navy is soon expected to award a multimillion-dollar contract to a major PR agency to help the service deal with an onslaught of media attention. According to the PR Daily newsletter, the Navy put out an S.O.S. for outside help this...

Pentagon advisors slam U.S. protectionist policies.(WASHINGTON PULSE)(Defense Science Board)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... * One of the Pentagon's most influential advisory panels, the Defense Science Board, blasted the administration for its "isolationist and protectionist" policies. "U.S. policy continues to inhibit the nation from gaining the security and...

No ship surveillance network yet on the horizon.(WASHINGTON PULSE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... * The Bush administration in 2004 directed the Department of Homeland Security to launch a "maritime domain awareness" program to monitor the world's oceans and identify potential terrorists aboard ships. The Coast Guard does not have the...

ISO a few good social scientists.(WASHINGTON PULSE)
October 1, 2008... * Calling all anthropologists, sociologists and criminologists: Uncle Sam wants you. The Office of Naval Research is seeking experts in the behavioral, cultural and social sciences for ideas on how to help troops gain the edge in future...

Washington pulse.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... "At least 190,000 contractor personnel work in Iraq on contracts funded by the United States. The ratio of U.S.-funded contractor employees to members of the U.S. military is therefore approximately 1 to 1." Congressional Budget Office...

Under attack: DHS under constant cyber-assault, says new chief information officer.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Department of Homeland Security is facing thousands of cyber-attacks on its computer networks each day, and these numbers are increasing, said its new chief information officer. Some are perpetrated by...

GAO finds covert airport screening tests lacking.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2008... * The Government Accountability Office has been watching the watch dogs who ensure airport screening systems--and the personnel who operate them--are working properly. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Transportation Security Administration's...

DHS version of the Quadrennial Defense Review in the works.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Department of Homeland Security has been infamous for delivering congressionally required reports late, but officials insist that its first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review will be delivered on time. ...

Airlines vehemently opposed to fingerprint collection plan.(SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2008... * The airline industries' financial woes are giving lobbyists more ammunition to oppose a plan to collect fingerprints from visitors departing the United States. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT program announced...

Rucksack generates electricity, lightens troops' loads.(INSIDE: SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2008... * Anyone who has tried running while wearing a backpack knows how cumbersome a small load can become even after a short distance. On the battlefield, troops carry as much as 80 pounds of battle gear and they lug an additional 20 to 30...

Truman's ghost: contractors must prepare for a different kind of war.(VIEWPOINT)
October 1, 2008... * It has been said that no public figure ever reaped greater political reward from chairing a special investigative congressional committee than Harry S. Truman. His personal crusade against waste, fraud and abuse in defense contracting...

Risky business: security and transportation: a tough balancing act.(ICAF Industry Study)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The United States in recent years has devoted enormous effort and expense to strengthen the security of the nation's transportation infrastructure. The key challenge has been to balance expenditures, performance,...

Disaster relief: naval forces see greater demand for large amphibious ships.(Amphibious Ships)
October 1, 2008... HONOLULU -- More nations are seeking to enhance their capabilities to respond to earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. Nations with navies, in particular, are relying on their amphibious ships, which can carry hundreds, even thousands of...

Thinking green: can 'weird' ideas cure our energy woes?(ANALYSIS)(renewable energy)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The whir of alternative energy ideas is dizzying. From man-made tornadoes to harnessing the movement of crowds, the number of new energy saving concepts seems to be infinite. While many new ideas seem whacky, it...

Energy markets: 'coal-to-liquids' promise big profits, but obstacles remain.(Alternative Fuels)
October 1, 2008... Thanks to the rapid rise in the price of oil, projects to develop synthetic fuels have stopped waiting for U.S. government funding and are moving forward. As the government's largest consumer of fossil fuels, the Air Force announced its...

Lighter trucks: researchers see aluminum as alternative to steel armor.(Tactical Vehicles)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Military vehicles in combat zones are so weighed down with steel that commanders worry that heavily armored trucks often are too hard to maneuver or even unsafe. In response to these concerns, Navy researchers...

Self-healing armor could be in store for military vehicles.(Tactical Vehicles)
October 1, 2008... * The film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" depicted a villain whose gaping battle wounds could seal themselves shut just seconds after being inflicted. Now, in a case of science imitating science fiction, self-healing armor may be what is in store...

Improving combat gear with forensics-based models.(Tactical Vehicles)
October 1, 2008... * In an effort to develop safer protective systems, scientists are scanning the coffins of soldiers coming home from the Middle East. The Office of Naval Research's expeditionary maneuver warfare and combating terrorism department is...

Tactical trucks: to defeat bombs, armored vehicles get rollers and arms.(Tactical Vehicles)
October 1, 2008... The on-the-ground reality of today's battlefield is starkly unbalanced: a hulking mass of armor on four-wheels can be rendered inoperable from a couple hundred dollars worth of gadgetry, wiring and explosives. Military officials have...

Refurbishments: Bradley makeover to continue for years.(Tactical Vehicles)
October 1, 2008... The Bradley fighting vehicle is going through an upgrade. This includes belly armor to protect it from mines, in-vehicle simulation training for gunners and an 800-horse power engine to better bear the vehicle's increased weight. But...

Super soldiers: Army scientists in pursuit of the extraordinary.(Soldier Technology)(Cover story)
October 1, 2008... Combat uniforms made of light fabrics that are tougher than steel Batteries that last for days and fit in tiny pockets... Bug-sized lasers that prevent fratricide and also function as voice radios... Short of calling Wayne Enterprises, it...

Former Army surgeon recommends wearable tourniquets.(Soldier Technology)
October 1, 2008... * After witnessing a former colleague bleed to death on the battlefield, former Army surgeon Keith Rose wondered if there was a better way to quickly stanch serious wounds. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the most common causes of death...

Wearable anti-sniper technology developed for dismounted soldiers.(Soldier Technology)
October 1, 2008... * A vehicle-mounted sensor that detects the location of sniper fire is now being developed for individual soldiers. Since its introduction into the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts in 2004, the Boomerang sniper-detection system, has been...

Obscured view: night vision technology not meeting troops' needs.(Soldier Technology)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Dominick Green shouted at the group of assembled night vision technologists in a voice that would make a drill sergeant wince. He wanted to make a point. And he wanted to make sure...

Basic needs: Marine Corps' equipment wish list: more of the same.(Soldier Technology)
October 1, 2008... The Marines' latest wish list has no surprises. They are asking for many of the same technologies they have been seeking for years--sensors that see through dust, precise weapons, lighter combat gear, portable power sources and mobile...

'Quality sensors': shape-changing robots for tight spaces.(Soldier Technology)
October 1, 2008... * Movie audiences were wowed by the special effects in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, when a human-like robot changed its form and squeezed through small holes. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency now wants to take a...

Army, Marines want green ammo ... but not exactly.(Procurement Brief)
October 1, 2008... * By presidential executive order, the Defense Department is now required to buy "green" ammunition for use at training ranges. The environment-friendly rounds don't leach toxins and are far less costly to clean up than conventional ammunition....

Force field: sapphire shield for guided missiles.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Optical domes for high-speed missiles that can be custom fabricated from sapphire, quartz, glass, silicon and germanium have recently been introduced by Meller Optics Inc. of Providence, R.I. The shields protect...

Protecting vehicles to fight another day.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
October 1, 2008... * Active and reserve Marine Corps units are protecting heavy equipment and hardware from the ravages of rain, salt spray, sand, sun and other environmental hazards. The troops are using a breathable, shrinkable fabric that is lightweight and...

Want concrete pulverized? Try a CIRT.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Thanks to a Department of Homeland Security rapid technology application program, an advanced concrete breaking technology has been developed. The Controlled Impact Rescue Tool, or CIRT, which relies on shock waves...

Waste water redemption offered.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
October 1, 2008... * A Camas, Wash., firm has produced a waste water treatment system that for the first time combines both mechanical filtration and bioremediation. The upshot is water that is free of organic and industrial contaminants. [ILLUSTRATION...

Drone can spot a face in a crowd.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
October 1, 2008... * An unmanned aerial vehicle that originally was designed to detect improvised explosive devices and land mines can now be equipped with facial recognition technology that is aimed at helping homeland security officers protect U.S. borders. ...

This tough assistant is ready for combat.(TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS)
October 1, 2008... * Handheld US of Corvallis, Ore., is offering a feature packed, rugged personal digital assistant to the military and first responders who demand connectivity in the harshest conditions. The M3 Mobile comes with an array of applications,...

The revolving door dilemma.(Ethics Corner)
October 1, 2008... * The growing trend--not unnoticed by Congress--of former Defense Department policy and acquisition personnel going directly from their key government positions to work for private sector defense contractors may force the department to step-up...

Mobile outreach to school kids.(STEM NEWS: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS)
October 1, 2008... The nation is now facing a critical shortage of skilled labor. This problem covers the entire pipeline from highly skilled machinists who can operate the high technology equipment used in today's manufacturing facilities through degreed...

NDIA calendar: upcoming exhibits, shows and events.(National Defense Industrial Association)(Calendar)
October 1, 2008... OCTOBER 8-10 46th Annual Targets, UAVs & Range Operations Symposium & Exhibition San Antonio, TX www.ndia.org/meetings/9410 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 15 2008 Women In Defense National Fall Conference ...