Defense Systems

DOD support of student 'hackerspaces' meets resistance

With some high schools throughout the nation participating in Defense Department funded school programs designed to mimic hackerspaces, some members of existing organizations are objecting to the effort on the grounds that the military should stay out of the hacker realm.

Defense Systems

Network architecture improvements designed to plug leaks

The new network architecture for the intelligence community will include a change intended to plug leaks: pushing security downward from the network level to the data level, intelligence officials say.

Defense Systems

Intelligence officials sidestep concerns about DigitalGlobe/GeoEye merger

Intelligence officials attending the GEOINT 2012 Symposium on Oct. 9 sidestepped concerns about whether the merger of the two major providers of commercial satellite imagery would hurt the ability to collect needed intelligence.

Defense Systems

Common intelligence community cloud to go live in March, says Clapper

Data users in the intelligence community will have access to a common desktop and common cloud-based network starting in March, says DNI James Clapper.

Defense Systems

L-3, Virginia Tech partner on cybersecurity center

L-3 has established a National Security Solutions Center at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Va., designed to enhance the partnership and collaboration between the company and the university in the joint development of cybersecurity solutions for military and government applications.

Defense Systems

Air Force launches third GPS Block IIF satellite

The Air Force successfully launched the third Global Positioning System IIF satellite on Oct. 4 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Medium rocket, the service said.

Defense Systems

Army works to develop tactical smart grid

The Army has conducted a proof of concept for a smart grid that might support future tactical operations in a much more efficient manner than is currently done, according to an Army news story.

Defense Systems

Cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure on the rise

A series of targeted DDoS attacks against U.S. financial institutions is being proclaimed by a few cybersecurity professionals as the biggest of its kind to hit the country.

Defense Systems

Network validation effort sets stage for Army’s upcoming NIE 13.1

It’s no easy task getting the communications equipment on hundreds of vehicles ready for the Army’s semiannual Network Integration Evaluation.

Defense Systems

Air Force wants better knowledge of high-altitude airborne LIDAR capabilities

The Air Force is seeking white papers that would help it determine the capabilities of industry to produce Airborne Light Detection and Ranging systems and products and determine a forward path for expanded use of the technology in tactical and strategic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Defense Systems

GEOINT 2012 to focus on how innovation can give decisive advantage

The GEOINT 2012 Symposium will be held Oct. 8-11 in Orlando, Fla., and Defense Systems staff will be on hand providing live show-daily coverage of the military's most important event that addresses the world of collecting, tagging and disseminating geospatial intelligence.

Defense Systems

Raytheon gets $164M Army contract for AEHF tactical terminals

The Army has awarded a three-year, $164 million contract to Raytheon to deliver ground terminals for Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite communications.

Defense Systems

Army awards $7B contract to 12 for software/systems engineering work

The Army has awarded indefinite-delivery, indefinited-quantity contracts to 12 large systems integrators to compete for upwards of $7 billion in software and systems engineering services work.

Defense Systems

First Army Gray Eagle UAV flight from home base scheduled

Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan., are preparing to launch the Army's largest unmanned aircraft system in an inaugural flight from their home base on Oct. 10.

Defense Systems

Sandia tackles challenge of securing large network of hand-held devices

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have stitched together a large network of hand-held computing devices running the Android operating system in an experiment to learn more about how to better protect such a network from cyberattacks.

Defense Systems

With SAIC protest denied, Lockheed Martin cleared to begin work on DISA GSM-O contract

The Government Accountability Office has denied SAIC’s protest on the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) massive Global Systems Management Operations (GSM-O) contract, clearing the way for the Lockheed Martin-led team to begin work on the $4.6 billion contract.

Defense Systems

Army awards contract for secure smart phone technologies

The Army has awarded TT Government Solutions a contract to help it develop secure smart phone technologies.

Defense Systems

DOD takes entrepreneurial approach to tactical radios/waveforms

The Defense Department’s 15-year, multibillion-dollar effort to build new, standard tactical communications networks is shifting to a more entrepreneurial approach, filling the need for mobile waveform technologies with commercially available solutions.

Defense Systems

Air Force embarks on major protected MILSATCOM study with more than 15 contracts awarded

With an eye to developing protected military satellite communications (MILSATCOM), the Air Force has embarked on a major contracting initiative by issuing more than 15 contracts under the “Protected MILSATCOM Design for Affordability Risk Reduction Demonstration Study.”

Defense Systems

Lockheed decides not to send sequestration layoff notices

Lockheed Martin issued a statement Oct. 1 in which the company said that it will not send employees correspondence this year warning them about possible layoffs if sequestration occurs.