National Defense articles from September 2006

National Defense archives from September 2006

In the Navy, research sails forward.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
September 1, 2006... LAST MONTH'S President's Perspective highlighted the importance of defense science and technology, and the challenges in funding basic research. This month we continue that theme by spotlighting the Office of Naval Research. NDIA recently...

Lack of innovation ... who's to blame?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I take issue with Mark Johnson and Navy Secretary Donald Winter in saying that industry hasn't put its best minds to tackling technical challenges presented by the current battlefield (Defense Stifles Innovation Despite Urgent War Needs, July...

Budget misery not going away.(Washington PULSE)(Army)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Army got eleventh-hour emergency funding relief from Congress last month, but its budget woes are far from over. While hundreds of billions of dollars in war funding have flowed its way, it is disconcerting to many that the Army ran out of...

Weapons get older, more expensive.(Washington PULSE)
September 1, 2006... In another bit of distressing budget news, the Defense Department is forecasting soaring costs for repairs and maintenance of weapons systems. The Pentagon's inventory of 374,000 major weapons systems--worth about $700 billion--continues to get...

More officers want to be diplomats.(Washington PULSE)
September 1, 2006... In what appears to be a sign of growing appreciation for the value of diplomacy and cultural relations, applications to become Army foreign area officers are on the rise. FAOs are skilled at foreign languages, cultures and politics. They are...

Data-mining guru calls for privacy protection.(Washington PULSE)
September 1, 2006... One of the architects of the much-ridiculed Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's "total information awareness" system says it's time for the U.S. government to invest in protecting the privacy of citizens' personal data. Robert L....

Washington pulse.
September 1, 2006... "The first step in a 12 step process is admitting you have a problem." Nay Secretary Donald Winter, explaining to an industry conference his thoughts about how to begin fixing serious problems in military acquisition. "The further...

To the rescue: Coast Guard movie seen as recruiting boon.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Already riding high from the positive public perception of its performances during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Coast Guard will be the beneficiary of another shot of good publicity: a Hollywood movie. "The Guardian," starring Kevin...

Prepare for 'intelligent video, 'TSA tells airports.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2006... Intelligent video systems promise to reduce the number of hours security officers spend staring at closed circuit television screens as they scan for threats. Such systems use sophisticated algorithms to automatically track suspicious...

Rails emerge as top terrorist target.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2006... FIRST MADRID, THEN LONDON, and most recently, Bombay. These recent incidents of train bombings have underscored their value to terrorists as soft targets. Not to be forgotten is the 1995 release of satin gas in the Tokyo subway by the...

Countries frustrated by U.S. visa waiver program.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2006... There is a long wait for countries wanting to join the privileged few whose citizens do not need to obtain a visa to enter the United States for business or pleasure. No country has been added to the visa waiver program since 1999, and...

U.S. unprepared for bio-catastrophes, reports say.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2006... WHETHER THE THREAT TO THE NATION'S HEALTH comes from naturally occurring diseases or a deliberate attack from biological weapons of mass destruction, the United States is woefully unprepared, a pair of recent reports suggested. There are...

Energy conservation plans overlook military realities.(DEFENSE WATCH)
September 1, 2006... ARE SKYROCKETING OIL PRICES just a temporary drain on the U.S. economy or a lasting national security threat? If one is to draw conclusions from a recent stream of Pentagon policy directives, studies and congressional rhetoric, the Defense...

Navy In flight: helicopter squadron gets new aircraft; learns tactics, maintenance techniques.(UPFRONT)
September 1, 2006... NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif. -- The West Coast training squadron for the Navy MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopter is slated to initiate its first student aviator on Oct. 1. In January, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 41...

Reform agenda targets acquisition workforce.(UPFRONT)(Department of Defense)
September 1, 2006... The Pentagon's cadre of procurement workers often derided as "professional shoppers" could see a wave of reforms in the coming years, as the Defense Department remains under unrelenting pressure to fix its buying practices. Reacting to a...

Fears of enemy tampering could sideline new sensors.(UPFRONT)
September 1, 2006... The Army is preparing to begin testing new high-tech sensors designed to operate unattended, behind enemy lines. But the project could hit a major roadblock because Pentagon officials fear that the global positioning system technology used...

Battling from the pier: Navy's virtual training exercises expanding in realism and scope.(TRAINING)
September 1, 2006... NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. -- Inside the darkened combat information center aboard the USS Anzio, sailors wearing headsets scrutinize console screens, tracking aircraft flying in the area. Earlier, the watch team fired off Tomahawk missiles,...

Rethinking the network: defense engineers ponder 'modest adjustments' for connecting forces.(NET-WARFARE)
September 1, 2006... Incompatible weapon systems and disjointed information networks continue to be a source of frustration at the Defense Department, which launched an ambitious campaign six years ago to reshape the military services into "network-centric" forces....

Engine check: technology limitations stall military hybrids.(ENERGY CRUNCH)(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... THE U.S. MILITARY HAS LONG sought diesel-electric hybrids that would improve fuel economy, offer a reduced logistical burden and provide the ability to export power, among other advantages. But after more than a decade of research and...

Where's the juice? Army explores alternative ways to add power on battlefields.(ENERGY CRUNCH)
September 1, 2006... As the Army ponders which direction to go with hybrid vehicles, it still has acute shortages of electrical power on the battlefield. The Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering center, TARDEC, is among several military...

Powering up: fuel cell technology positioned as viable alternative to generators.(ENERGY CRUNCH)
September 1, 2006... Supplying electricity to military bases in austere combat zones can present huge logistics and transportation challenges. During a recent deployment to Iraq, Army Lt. Col. Rich O'Connor, who commanded the support squadron for the 3rd Armored...

Heavy duty: overhaul under way for Abrams tank engine.(ENERGY CRUNCH)
September 1, 2006... The Army is revamping its Abrams tank engines in an effort to curtail soaring operating costs. Under a program called total integrated engine revitalization, or TIGER, the goal is to double the meantime between depot repairs for the M1 Abrams...

Move out: marines step up efforts to modernize truck fleets.(MARINE CORPS PROGRAMS)
September 1, 2006... The Marine Corps' initiative to restore and upgrade its aging and combat-battered fleets of tactical trucks--from relatively lightweight humvees to heavy-duty cargo haulers--appears to be picking up speed. In October, the Office of Naval...

Shields up: marines face steep cuts to expeditionary vehicle.(MARINE CORPS PROGRAMS)
September 1, 2006... Supporters of the Marine Corps' effort to develop a replacement for its Vietnam-era amphibious assault vehicle are rallying to oppose a provision in the House 2007 defense appropriations bill. The measure would cut funding for the program by...

Marines buying powerful telescopes for every rifleman in fighting units.(SHARPER Aim)
September 1, 2006... With fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan placing increased emphasis on precise marksmanship, the Marine Corps is investing heavily in small-arms optical systems. Since the invasion of Iraq, the Corps has quadrupled the number of such...

Training curbs combat skid mishaps.(Safer Driving)
September 1, 2006... The Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center's national automotive center and General Motors are working to curb injuries and deaths caused by skid driving conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The upshot is the...

Laptop converter for the troops.(Safer Driving)
September 1, 2006... Need to run a laptop, cell or satellite telephone or global positioning system from a military vehicle? No problem, if you have a 24-volt to 12-volt converter. A British firm--AB Connectors Ltd.--in conjunction with Military Battery Systems...

Inflatable armor easy to store.(Safer Driving)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ARMORFLATE, FROM ZODIAC of North America in Stevensville, Md., is an inflatable armor system that can be folded and stored until needed, then inflated within a minute. "It will stop 7.62 mm rounds," the kind fired by AK-47 automatic rifles,...

Cargo door opens in flight.(Safer Driving)
September 1, 2006... Field Aviation of Toronto, Canada, has received approval--in the form of a "type certificate" from Transport Canada--to develop an aircraft cargo door that can be opened during flight. This modification permits parachute drops that have...

Smart battery charger for first responders.(TECH TALK)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... THE REDLANDS, CALIF., police department is using a compact, intelligent battery charger that was conceived by GEM Power LLC there. The system was made possible by a grant that was provided by the Cal State San Bernardino's office of technology...

Litany of misdeeds: incredible, but true.(ETHICS CORNER)
September 1, 2006... The summer of 2006 brought forth more than normal attention and debate concerning ethical failures in contracting. In June, the office of general counsel of the Department of Defense issued its 110-page "Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure,"...

Pentagon hosts seminars on U.S. energy 'addiction'.(NDIA NEWS)
September 1, 2006... Retired Navy Adm. Frank L. (Skip) Bowman, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, will discuss the outlook for nuclear power at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18. The event, to be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Crystal City, Va.,...

NDIA events calendar.(National Defense Industrial Association)(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... SEPTEMBER 20-22 SMART TechTrends Conference and Exhibition Washington, D.C. POC: Emily Brown @ (703) 247-9478 Exhibits: Veronica Allen @ (703) 247-2582 OCTOBER 23-25 Combat Vehicles Conference Dearborn, Mich. POC: Angie DeKleine...