National Defense articles from September 2007

National Defense archives from September 2007

U.S. Faces Global Competition for Energy.(PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE)
September 1, 2007... For most Americans, the most visible sign that the nation could be headed for an energy crisis is the price of gasoline. But the challenges are much broader, and will require the United States to begin now to take the necessary steps to...

Why the mightiest military can't get enough trucks.(DEFENSE WATCH)
September 1, 2007... The political circus that has surrounded the procurement of mine-resistant armored vehicles for troops in Iraq comes as no surprise. It is vet another reminder of how the military continues to be shortchanged by the Bush administration's...

Civilians not keen on working at AFRICOM.(Washington PULSE)(Defense Department's Africa Command)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Defense Department's new Africa Command--to be headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany--will initially be staffed by 540 military personnel but only by 12 representatives from civilian government agencies. Such minimal "interagency"...

Artillery chiefs refuse to become irrelevant.(Washington PULSE)(military combat and David C. Ralston)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Army officials have worried for some time that many of the troops fighting the insurgency in Iraq are losing their edge in conventional warfare areas such as artillery. A large number of the Army's artillery units have been retrained as...

Defense 'acquisition' not what it used to be.(Washington PULSE)
September 1, 2007... There's been no shortage of members of Congress fretting about the wasteful ways of defense contracting. "Everyone is trying to fix the acquisition system," laments one industry insider. Maybe not everything in defense procurement needs fixing,...

There's something special about night vision.(Washington PULSE)(ITT Corp.'s case)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... State Department officials in charge of enforcing export controls of military technology. were particularly miffed by a recent case of unlawful foreign transfers of night vision equipment. Ruth Jackson, who works at State's trade control...

False alarms: secure shipping containers remain an elusive goal.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2007... The goal of finding a device that detects when a shipping container has been tampered with "still lies just beyond our grasp," said Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham. For six years, the Department of Homeland...

Three companies vie for next generation airport x-ray machines.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2007... THREE OF THE TOP X-RAY MACHINE manufacturers are being given a chance to prove their technologies' worth at airport security checkpoints this year in a competition that could be worth several million dollars. The Transportation Security...

U.S., European experts ponder the threat of homegrown terrorists.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2007... As Western nations struggle to weed out potential terrorists attempting to pass through their borders or immigration systems to carry out attacks, the threat of so-called "homegrown terrorists" is a rising concern. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

National Guard short assault runway opens to Train C-17 crews.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2007... CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- The Mississippi Air National Guard's C-17 crews, who used to fly three hours every month from Jackson, Miss., to South Carolina for assault landing and takeoff practice, began training on home turf here on the Air National...

Critical infrastructure plans making progress, GAO says.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
September 1, 2007... WHEN THE GOVERNMENT Accountability Office has something good to say about the Department of Homeland Security, it's news. A report on the department's efforts to coordinate 17 national infrastructure protection plans, which are designed to...

Computing tools to glean data efficiently.(INSIDE Science AND Technology)
September 1, 2007... In our highly digitized world, the average person generates enough information to fill several CDs a year. Now think how much data a large organization, such as a governmental agency, produces on a daily basis. The amounts of emails,...

Arms sales: U.S.-U.K. defense technology pact likely to draw fire.(UP FRONT)
September 1, 2007... A defense export treaty signed in late June by the United States and the United Kingdom has sparked debate about the merits and the risks of sharing military technology with close allies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] President George W. Bush...

Defense Dept. begins new effort to better track military supplies.(UP FRONT)(Department of Defense's logistics)
September 1, 2007... The Defense Department expects to unveil this month its latest plan to improve the management and distribution of combat supplies, repair parts and materials that make up the Pentagon's $162 billion logistics chain. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Erratum.(UP FRONT)(Correction notice)
September 1, 2007... ERRATUM: In the August 2007 story, "Abandoned Chemical Weapons Pose Continual Threat," on page 30, it was incorrectly reported that during World War II, the Germans bombed an American ship in Bari Harbor, Italy, with mustard bombs. The German...

Crisis management: FEMA chief promises improved disaster response.(Homeland Security)(Federal Emergency Management Agency's R. David Paulison)
September 1, 2007... Two years ago this month, Hurricane Katrina made landfall, destroying both the Gulf Coast and the reputation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency when it failed to carry out its mission of coordinating disaster relief. The Department...

Lack of trust: reluctance to share information hampers counterterrorism efforts.(FUSION CENTERS)
September 1, 2007... As part of an ambitious plan to improve the flow of intelligence among law enforcement agencies, the U.S. government has set up several command centers where federal, state and local officials can share information. But several years into...

Turbulent times: Air Guard chief braces for dramatic change.(AIR NATIONAL GUARD)(Craig McKinley)
September 1, 2007... For a proud organization such as the Air National Guard, it has been a tough year. As if losing dozens of bases across the country weren't enough, it is also giving up flying missions and taking on new, unfamiliar roles. [ILLUSTRATION...

What's next? While mired in Iraq, Marines still see their future at sea.(MARINES)
September 1, 2007... THE MARINE CORPS for the past four years has committed its people and assets to the war in Iraq. But as the possibility of a force drawdown looms on the horizon, Marine strategists are grappling with fundamental questions about the future. ...

Marines turn attention to traditional skills.(MARINES)
September 1, 2007... Traditional Marine Corps missions--such as launching attacks from the sea --are being neglected as units prepare for urban combat, and officials worry that important skills are eroding. "The Marine Corps, out of necessity, has been focused...

War lessons: small unit leaders need better training.(MARINES)(Marine Corps' combat training)
September 1, 2007... QUANTICO, Va. -- Marine Corps planners have begun a series of combat experiments designed to sharpen the skills of dismounted troops. The intent is to better equip and train Marines to fight in small units--platoons and squads--particularly...

Marines get heavier dose of ethics education.(MARINES)
September 1, 2007... A SERIES OF SCANDALS involving civilian killings in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq, have drawn renewed attention to the way Marines are trained for combat. "Rules of engagement training, handling...

Marines have lots of high-tech gadgets, but not all are useful.(MARINES)
September 1, 2007... Many of the high-tech devices that Marines use in combat are not as reliable or as user-friendly as they should be, says the commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. "The worst thing we can do is send something out to the...

Robo soldiers: gun-toting ground robots see action in Iraqi streets.(ROBO SOLDIERS)(Cover story)
September 1, 2007... The U.S. Army quietly entered a new era earlier this summer when it sent the first armed ground robots into action in Iraq. So far, the robot army's entry into the war has been a trickle rather than an invasion. Only three of the special...

Chemical detecting robot program rolls forward.(ROBO SOLDIERS)
September 1, 2007... BEL AIR, Md. -- Explosive ordnance disposal robots have proven their worth in Iraq and Afghanistan by reducing their operators' exposure to improvised bombs. An Army program hopes to do the same for specialists who must enter buildings and...

Smart robots: navigation system advances Army's pursuit of unmanned vehicles.(ROBO SOLDIERS)
September 1, 2007... The Army will begin a series of tests in October that could demonstrate whether ground combat robots can find their way autonomously in the battlefield. The trials are part of a broader robotics technology effort that the Army is pursuing...

Unmanned bombers at sea? Navy still years away from deploying attack drones aboard aircraft carriers.(ROBO WEAPONS)
September 1, 2007... Given the Navy's checkered history of flying drones aboard ships, it's not surprising that its first pursuit of an unmanned aircraft geared for carrier operations has progressed cautiously and even with a hint of trepidation. While the sea...

Autonomous seaplane will go into production in 2008.(ROBO WEAPONS)(Oregon Iron Works Inc.'s Sea Scout)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT THAT CAN take off and land in water without any launching or trapping contraptions is planned for production late next year. The 14.75-foot long Sea Scout, constructed from composite aluminum and powered by a gasoline...

Bad connections: incompatible technologies weaken utility of aerial spies.(ROBO WEAPONS)
September 1, 2007... The military services operate nearly 4,000 unmanned aircraft, most of which have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. The Army alone is flying 1,200 drones in surveillance combat missions. Such wealth of reconnaissance drones has been...

Small drone and missile network allows for quick strikes.(ROBO WEAPONS)
September 1, 2007... Army officials are considering deploying small man-portable drones that can not only locate targets but also send, within seconds, precise coordinates of the targets to a missile launcher located five miles away. The technology was first...

Air Force not yet ready to trade in jet fighters for unmanned bombers.(ROBO WEAPONS)
September 1, 2007... Much excitement has surrounded the deployment of the Air Force's newest attack aircraft, the Reaper, which happens to be a drone. Air Force officials for months have celebrated the Reaper as a groundbreaking weapon that blends the "hunter"...

Blast proof: sport utility vehicle for war zone patrols.(TECH TALK)
September 1, 2007... Military and law enforcement organizations in the United States and elsewhere are acquiring a light armored vehicle that is mounted on a Ford F550 commercial chassis. The Gurkha LAV that provides protection from armor piercing small arms fire...

Video conferencing anywhere made easier.(TECH TALK)
September 1, 2007... Tandberg of New York City and Oslo Norway, is introducing a video conferencing product for the masses. Dubbed, Movi, the communications product allows audio-visual contact with the boss or office colleagues from virtually anywhere: a train, the...

Improved power supplies unveiled.(TECH TALK)
September 1, 2007... Falcon Electric Inc. of Irwindale, Calif., is now offering advanced uninterruptible power supplies for military network infrastructures. The stand alone units can be connected in parallel that provide power ranging from 3kVA to 24kVA. "We...

Medical warehouse system developed for disaster response.(TECH TALK)(Downers Grove Company's Integrated Warehousing Solutions' Go Kit)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Tennessee is the most recent jurisdiction to acquire Integrated Warehousing Solutions' Go Kit--a portable warehouse that monitors medical treatment supplies in disaster preparedness situations. The system comes in a custom designed storage...

Urban trainer offers many iterations.(TECH TALK)(reconfigurable armored tactical personnel and collective)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... A fast changing shoot house--called the reconfigurable armored tactical personnel and collective or RATPAC--has been crafted for close combat training for military and law enforcement personnel. Fabricated by AMEC of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., the...

Elbit Systems fields more capable drone.(TECH TALK)
September 1, 2007... THE HERMES 900, which debuted at the 2007 Paris Air Show, is a tactical, medium altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. Built by Elbit Systems Ltd. of Haifa, Israel, the UAV has a 15-meter wingspan and is designed to handle multiple...

Small business program at risk on Capitol Hill.(GOVERNMENT POLICY NOTES)(Small Business Innovation Research )
September 1, 2007... Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) is an important federal program that for 25 years has encouraged small businesses to realize their technological potential and provided incentive for them to profit from its commercialization. ...

Contractors see rise in fraud counterclaims.(ETHICS CORNER)
September 1, 2007... Government contract fraud counterclaims are on the rise, and court decisions increasingly are recognizing fraud liability. The government may assert counterclaims seeking setoffs based on a special pleas in fraud, under the False Claims Act...

NDIA events calendar.(National Defense Industrial Association)(Brief article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... OCTOBER 2007 3 C4ISR Breakfast Pentagon City, VA POC: Casi Antolock @ (703) 247-2570 15-18 Insensitive Munitions/Energetic Materials Technology Symposium Miami, FL POC: Dee Clemmons @ (703) 247-9478 ...

Affiliate events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2007 Enterprise Security Management Sheraton Premiere, Tyson's Corner NOVEMBER 1-2, 2007 Cyber Deterrence McLean, Virginia DECEMBER 11-12,2007 Open Source Sheraton Premiere, Tyson's Corner...

Chapter events.(military associations)(Table)(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... SEPTEMBER 25-26 Greater Hampton Roads Chapter Lunch and Golf Outing Golden Horseshoe Golf Club Williamsburg, VA 25-26 San Diego Chapter Naval NETWAR FORCEnet ...