National Defense articles from September 2004

National Defense archives from September 2004

Department of Homeland Security on the right track.(President's Perspective)
September 1, 2004... As the nation prepares to cope with what could be a flurry of terrorist alerts between now and the November elections, it seems appropriate to ask what the government is doing to protect us from potentially devastating terrorist attacks. ...

Armor lessons.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... What a prescient leader was the former U.S. Army chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki, when he proposed transforming his service with a mix of heavy and medium armored vehicles. The wisdom of his approach is demonstrated in Roxana Tiron's article...

Crusader rising from the ashes.(Washington Pulse)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... To appease lawmakers who resisted the Pentagon's decision to cancel the Crusader cannon-artillery system, the Army assured them that the funding would be transferred to a replacement system, also manufactured by United Defense, under the Future...

'Joint' weapons are OK, but do they create jobs?(Washington Pulse)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The military services often are accused of being parochial and wedded tightly to their individual weapon systems, which slows down Pentagon efforts to field a "network-centric" force. The criticism may be unfair, however. More often than not,...

Losing a big contract not necessarily a bad thing.(Washington Pulse)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Navy's decision to select a Boeing jet as its future maritime surveillance aircraft obviously was bad news for Lockheed Martin, which was competing for the $4 billion award. The Boeing jet eventually will replace the venerable P-3 Orion,...

Allies 'welcome' at U.S. command centers.(Washington Pulse)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... U.S. Air Force officials are working to bring allied commanders into their war-planning hub, the air operations center. Although foreign allied commanders still don't have access to the classified Pentagon network, the Siprnet, at a recent...

Vaccine stockpiles now required by law.(Security beat: homeland defense briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... President George W. Bush in late July signed a bill to develop and stockpile vaccines, and other antidotes to biological and chemical weapons. The bi-partisan legislation, dubbed BioShield, provides the drug industry with incentives to...

Commission: military had no warning during 9/11.(Security beat: homeland defense briefs)
September 1, 2004... Three of the four hijacked planes used during the attacks of September 11, 2001 had already crashed by the time fighter pilots scrambled to intercept them, according to the final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the...

Simulated agent mimics bio-terror weapons.(Security beat: homeland defense briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Scientists in Kansas City have created a biological simulant that impersonates dangerous pathogens, a development that eases the testing of detection systems. Sceptor Industries Inc. engineered the product, called BioSim, in a partnership...

Cyber-security hampered by lack of attention.(Security beat: homeland defense briefs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The state of cyber-security in the United States is suffering from a lack of attention from industry and academia, according to a leading national information technology expert. "Research funding from the federal government is mainly going into...

Technical skills shortage hurts Pentagon's bottom line.(Defense Watch)
September 1, 2004... The trials and tribulations experienced in various Pentagon big-ticket programs in recent years have prompted a thorough self-examination at the Defense Department. At issue is who really is to blame for failures, delays, cost overruns and an...

New technologies target terrorist, suicide bombs.(Up Front)
September 1, 2004... The Department of Homeland Security is asking industry and academia to apply an array of mature and developing sciences to defeat suicide, truck bombs and attacks on public transportation. Systems likely to be proposed include scanners that...

Army criticized for not learning from past wars.(Up Front)
September 1, 2004... The U.S. Army must do a better job applying lessons from one conflict to another, said a senior military strategist. Events in Iraq, particularly, prove that the Army needs to reform its educational institutions to teach of ricers analytical...

Central Command reports improvements in logistics.(Up Front)
September 1, 2004... As a new round of troop rotations gets under way in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. military transportation officials expect fewer logistics hassles than seen previously. In Iraq, particularly, the lessons from the past 18 months and an influx of...

U.S. Army considers changing acquisition strategy for small-caliber ammunition.(Up Front)
September 1, 2004... Facing soaring demand for small-caliber ammunition, the U.S. Army is turning to industry to dramatically increase the production of rifle and machine gun rounds. The plan is for the Army to select a "lead systems integrator" that will...

Army takes $35 million hit on joint common missile.(Up Front)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... As a result of funding cuts, the Army is unable to bring a second industry competitor into one of its largest missile programs. The Army selected a single contractor to build the multi-service "joint common missile," but wanted to engage...

Vice chief tells Air Force staff to 'fix the weather'.(Up Front)
September 1, 2004... Although the Air Force has some of the most sophisticated precision-guided weaponry ever made it has yet to solve a key piece of the high-tech warfare puzzle: the weather forecast. Current weather data-processing systems employed in air...

Bosnia commanders point out peacekeeping lessons.
September 1, 2004... As the mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina shifts from NATO hands and into the European Unions, U.S. military and political leaders are looking at the lessons learned and the future course of the intervention. Officials are examining the...

Unfinished business in Bosnia.
September 1, 2004... The European Union will have a full agenda when it replaces NATO as the head of the peacekeeping mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina, according to senior commanders and diplomats. "The environment remains fragile," said Maj. Gen. Virgil Packett,...

Urban battles highlight shortfalls in soldier communications.
September 1, 2004... The chaotic door-to door warfare seen in Iraq offers glaring proof that dismounted U.S. troops need better communications devices, experts is contend. A team of observers from the U.S. Army Infantry Center, at Fort Benning, Ga., spent...

Battlefield information glut not always useful to soldiers.
September 1, 2004... The U.S. military services need to find better ways to collect and manage intelligence in complex urban war zones, according to U.S. Joint Forces Command studies. Although the Defense Department owns and operates a wealth of space,...

Overextended national guard undergoing sweeping changes.(National Guard)
September 1, 2004... National Guard leaders are planning a fundamental restructuring that is aimed at making the force more versatile and relevant. Planned changes include a slight reduction in the number of Army National Guard brigades, new roles for...

Army downplaying concerns about overstressed force.(National Guard)
September 1, 2004... Seeking to slow down momentum on Capitol Hill to increase the size of the Army by at least 20,000 troops, top service officials recently offered a surprisingly upbeat outlook on troop retention and recruiting. Army officials said that,...

Guard rediscovers diplomatic role.(National Guard)
September 1, 2004... The Defense Department is turning to the National Guard to further build goodwill and military cooperation with foreign nations. The state partnership program, started in the early aftermath of the Cold War as an outreach to former Soviet...

Pentagon trying to close the guardsmen employer data gap.(National Guard)
September 1, 2004... As demands on the National Guard and reserves grow, the Defense Department and private sector are hungry for better data to assess the economic impact of deployments, officials said. "If the current tempo continues... we may well begin to...

Army depends heavily on National Guard aviators.(National Guard)
September 1, 2004... Although they are busier than ever, Army National Guard aviation units are not likely to see mass resignations, according to officials. If these predictions prove to be accurate, it would be good news for the Army, which is struggling to meet...

Air ambulance more than a life saver.(National Guard)
September 1, 2004... Aerial medical evacuation and emergency services in hazardous terrain rank among the key Army National Guard contributions to U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, officials said. A case in point is the 126th Medical Company (Air...

At war, navy finds new uses for Reserve forces.(Navy Reserves)
September 1, 2004... As part of its effort to reduce the strain of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Navy is moving to integrate its 83,000 reservists into active-duty operations, according to Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, chief of the Naval Reserve. "We...

Special operations forces pursue technologies for the urban fight.
September 1, 2004... The U.S. Special Operations Command is charging ahead with the development of advanced sensors, ammunition and weapons tailored for urban combat. Confined spaces, hardened targets and night vision limitations are among the more critical...

Holographic weapon sights grip the U.S. military market.(Eotech Inc.)
September 1, 2004... The U.S. Special Operations Command, Army and Marine Corps are buying holographic weapon sights and shipping them in large quantities to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only company that makes the scopes currently has strengthened...

Unconventional weapons can help U.S. troops fight insurgents in Iraq.
September 1, 2004... Despite spending more than a decade developing non-lethal weapon technology, the Defense Department is struggling to catch up with soldiers' needs in Iraq. While researchers in the United States ponder how to advance from rubber bullets...

Costs, delays surface again for new attack submarines.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... Just a year after U.S. Navy officials assured Congress that they had taken steps to stem rising costs and production delays for the newest family of nuclear-powered attack submarines, they now concede that problems may not have gone away. ...

Sensor-enhancing software helps detect diesel submarines.(Industry Perspective)
September 1, 2004... U.S. military planners have become concerned that rogue states or terrorist groups may acquire Russian Kilo-class, diesel-electric submarines and equip them with "air independent propulsion." Diesel-electric submarines using air independent...

Newport News christens its first sub in a decade.
September 1, 2004... When first lady Laura Bush smashed a champagne bottle against the black hull of the Texas (SSN 775) in July, it was the first time in a nearly decade at the Northrop Grumman Corporation's Newport s shipyard had christened a submarine. The...

Military needs efficient fuel-buying process.(Viewpoint)
September 1, 2004... Fuel continues to be one of the major drivers in combat operations. The increasing burden associated with the logistics of fuel supply and distribution has spawned the need for greater energy efficiency and flexibility in procuring fuels. ...

Defense transformation: a battle the U.S. cannot afford to lose.(Commentary)
September 1, 2004... The U.S. armed forces clearly deserve an "A" for effectiveness. At the same time, the Defense Department earns about a "D" for economy, efficiency, transparency and accountability. The problems are especially severe in basic financial...

Walls can speak ... inside planes.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Flat-panel speaker technology originally developed for the military is finding application in the commercial aircraft industry. The United Kingdom's military research agency, QinetiQ, discovered more than a decade ago that panels surrounding...

Army provides 'chariots' to park rangers.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Park rangers of the Huron-Clinton Park Authority at Kensington Metropark, in Milford, Mich., have received two American Chariot personal transport vehicles from the Army's National Automotive Center, in Warren, Mich. The electric-powered...

Robot guard patrols with an attitude.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Guardium perimeter security system, featuring an autonomous unmanned ground security vehicle called M-Guard, provides perimeter security for government and military facilities, as well as transportation and industrial hubs. Produced by...

Deep diver suits unveiled.(Tech Talk; Oceanworks International )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Offshore divers who require additional protection at underwater construction sites will be the target market for the Hardsuit 1200 deep atmospheric diving systems, designed by Oceanworks International of Vancouver, British Columbia, and...

Army eyes operating room in a box.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Army officials at Fort Detrick, Md., are checking out a novel telemedicine test bed, developed by Y12 National Security Company at Oak Ridge Reservation, Tenn. The 8-foot by 8-foot by 20-foot operating room is packed in a standard shipping...

Radio features wireless conferencing.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A new handheld communications device--the Personal Network Radio or PNR-500-permits tactical commanders to conduct wireless conferencing, according to the manufacturer, Tadiran Communications. "It allows any three soldiers to simultaneously...

U.S. defense-export controls: stuck in Cold War.(Government Policy Notes)
September 1, 2004... The U.S. defense export-control establishment continues to be buffeted from all sides. Depending on the critic du jour, U.S defense trade controls are either too weak and threaten U.S. national security, or too heavy-handed and threaten U.S....

NDIA chapter plans football outing at West Point Academy.(NDIA News)(National Defense Industrial Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Greater New York/Connecticut Chapter of NDIA will celebrate its 57th Football Outing Anniversary at the West Point Military Academy's Michie Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 9. Individual tailgate parties will be held before the game, featuring...

Industry leaders recognized for distinguished service.(NDIA News)(National Defense Industrial Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Delaware Valley Chapter has selected the winners of the C. Jared Ingersoll Liberty Bell Patriots' Award and the Henry S. Rothrock Award for Distinguished Service. The Liberty Bell Award went to Jon Gabrys of the Boeing Corporation,...

WID contributes to women's museum exhibit.(Women In Defense)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... With the help of Women In Defense, the National Women's History Museum (NWHM) has opened its newest exhibition, "Partners in Winning the War--American Women in World War II." The opening ceremony coincided with the dedication of the World...

India leadership.(National Defense Industrial Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NDIA Chairman of the Board Thomas M. Culligan Executive Vice President for Business Development, Raytheon NDIA Vice Chairman of the Board Tofie M. Owen Jr. Senior Vice President for Corporate Development, SAIC Senior Staff...

NDIA: events calendar.(National Defense Industrial Association)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... SEPTEMBER 19-21 C4ISR Conference Dulles, Va. POC: Sam Campagna @ (703) 247-2544 20-23 Joint Undersea Warfare Fall Conference Maintaining Undersea Warfare Superiority Critical to the Joint Warfighter Groton,...