Defense Systems
On the fly
Pacific Command’s Alaskan range complex pushes the technology envelope in training.
Defense Systems
DHS ‘virtual fence’ and Army’s FCS test limits of networked sensors
The core of Project 28 is a network of nine mobile towers that carry a range of radar systems, cameras, and satellite and wireless communications. Unattended ground sensors (UGS) scattered along the border are meant to catch movement and alert the towers for a more detailed look.
Defense Systems
High Bandwidth
With mounting pressure for high-bandwidth connectivity for forces in the field, and concern about available satellite communications, a number of programs are seeking to revive an old technology — airships.
Defense Systems
Switches with wings: UAVs as comm relays
Giant blimps are not the only vehicles capable of stratospheric flight. Fixed-wing aircraft such as the Lockheed U-2 have done it for decades.
Defense Systems
USAF spends on flexible microcircuits
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research is funding research on thin,flexible transistors that could be developed into high-performance optoelectronics.
Defense Systems
The risks of thinking big
There’s no crime in thinking big. However, as seen in the case of the Army’s gargantuan Future Combat Systems project, there are practical limits to how big a project can be.
Defense Systems
A virtual plane for Navy techs
The Navy has found a better way to troubleshoot an aircraft. It commissioned American Systems to develop simulators for F/A-18C maintenance training.
Defense Systems
Bootstrapping in Africa
Africom examines information sharing for nations short on infrastructure.
Defense Systems
DOD uses RFID for logistics tracking
Radio frequency identification is already established in the realm of defense logistics, helping to keep tabs on the mountains of materiel moved through the military services’ supply chain. But RFID applications are also moving beyond those needed for supply chain visibility.
Defense Systems
Partnerships flourish for Armys FCS program
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Army vehicles are no longer simply a way to move troops, weapons and supplies. Under the Future Combat Systems program, vehicles are now sensors in a networked battlefield.
Defense Systems
The need for speed
As DOD deploys faster IP networks, high-speed encryption solutions will keep pace
Defense Systems
JTRS breach is a technicality
Reports of recent and sudden cost overruns by the military’s Joint Tactical Radio Program are inaccurate, officials from the JTRS joint program executive office said.
Defense Systems
Key elements of global defense
Current plans for a U.S. missile defense system include airborne lasers and other systems but will rely primarily on three systems that are either brand new or still in development.
Defense Systems
Common sub radio room buzzes on the horizon
The Navy’s Common Submarine Radio Room (CSRR) appears to be moving full speed ahead. With interoperability tests completed for two classes of the fleet’s submarines and a third under way, the automated communications system has been designated as operationally ready for the submarine fleet.
Defense Systems
Building defense in depth
The Missile Defense Agency promises the reality of global missile defense will be greater than the sum of its parts – but the parts have a long way to go before they fit together
Defense Systems
A helping hand with legs
It’s a bit of a mouthful: Sustainable Technologies, Accelerated Research-Transportable Infrastructures for Development and Emergency Support, or STAR-TIDES. But what is termed a research event for studying disaster mitigation is generating a lot of buzz in the United States and abroad.
Defense Systems
Shifting frequencies: The Joint Tactical Radio System is a key element in DOD’s shift to network-centric operations
The changes made in the JTRS radio program have changed the game of development and procurement of communications gear — and might have provided a new model for joint systems development
Defense Systems