Defense Systems

Defense financial office gets new exec

Recent Defense Department senior executive service appointments include a post in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

Defense Systems

Predator C Avenger bound for testing in Afghanistan

The Air Force has ordered a single Predator C Avenger for deployment to Afghanistan as part of a procurement effort to meet an urgent request from Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to field reconnaissance and strike assets in theater.

Defense Systems

US to Iran: Return the downed RQ-170 UAV

President Barack Obama has asked Iranian officials to return the sophisticated RQ-170 Sentinel that crashed in that country on Dec. 4.

Defense Systems

Fluornoy to leave top DOD post

The Defense Department's highest-ranking woman is stepping down as undersecretary of defense for policy, effective sometime in early 2012.

Defense Systems

Army renews common ground station deal

The $47 million contract includes spare parts, assemblies, engineering support and other logistics needed to keep the Common Ground Stations technically current and fully operational.

Defense Systems

Army to hit civilian workforce with nearly 9,000 cuts

Cuts will come from 70 installations, 37 states, and eight commands and agencies.

Defense Systems

US military needs versatile weapons systems: JCS chairman

The U.S. military needs flexible, versatile weapons capable of handling multiple missions in the years ahead in light of soon-to-occur major defense spending reductions, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey.

Defense Systems

New officer appointments to Cyber Command, acquisition

Recent personnel moves include new assignments to the Army's main acquisition office and Cyber Command.

Defense Systems

Navy delays final solicitation for NGEN program

The Navy says it will not release its final NGEN RFP on Dec. 21 but will release a new draft.

Defense Systems

Managing the spectrum for electronic warfare

Col. Rod Mentzer, project manager for Electronic Warfare at the Army PEO IEW&S, discusses efforts to manage the spectrum for all electronic warfare technologies and capabilities.

Defense Systems

Debate boils about what's under the RQ-170's hood

As uncertainty continues to surround RQ-170 drone, experts estimate its ISR capabilities and payload.

Defense Systems

Captured RQ-170, real or fake? You decide.

With high-resolution images and video readily available on the Web of the recovered RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle that went down in Iran last week, experts familiar with UAV design and journalists who cover the aviation beat are at odds over whether the photographic and video evidence displayed with bravado by Iranian officials is indeed the actual so-called “Beast of Kandahar.”

Defense Systems

Army Cyber Command tackles network security challenge

Lt. Gen. Rhett Hernandez on defending-the-network exercises at NIE and developing an offensive Red Team cyber infiltration unit.

Defense Systems

Apache Block III upgrades include UAV link

The Army installed 25 technology upgrades to its Apache attack helicopter in November, one of which enables a pilot in flight to control a drone, access its streaming video and use its sensors for target engagement.

Defense Systems

US weighed 3 options for destroying downed RQ-170

U.S. officials considered a covert raid to either destroy or recover the wreckage of a stealth RQ-170 unmanned aircraft that crashed in the rugged terrain of Eastern Iran last week.

Defense Systems

ViaSat-1 passes data transmission test

Satellite operator ViaSat has transmitted the first data over its high-capacity, Ka-band satellite named ViaSat-1 using the WildBlue high-speed data network.

Defense Systems

Mobile apps could lead to better UAV sensors

DARPA is looking for smartphone application developers to help the military speed the development of sensors for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Defense Systems

Cyber threat information sharing a double-edged sword

Programs that share intelligence about cyber threats represent a great step forward; however, leaks about such information have occurred and must be stopped.

Defense Systems

DISA fund earns 'clean' status in DOD-wide audit

An audit of DISA's fiscal 2011 Defense Working Capital Fund found the fund was financially transparent and accurate. DISA is one of six agencies so far to clear the Defense Department audit, which will be ongoing through 2014.

Defense Systems

Cubic expands mesh network at US bases in Kuwait

Cubic has won a $3.5 million subcontract from ARINC Engineering Services to support the Next Generation Wireless Communications system at three U.S. bases in Kuwait.