Defense Systems

NARA's chief information officer to retire

As CIO, Martha Morphy oversees deployment of the initial parts of NARA's $550 million Electronic Records Archives system. Her retirement is effective July 2.

Defense Systems

Army lines up Pacific theater network support

STG Inc. will provide information technology services to the Army’s 4th Signal Center Pacific-Theater Network Operations and Security Center under a three-year contract valued at $17.4 million.

Defense Systems

Army orders more surveillance airships

Lockheed Martin Corp. will furnish additional aerostat surveillance systems to the Army for use in detecting threats to ground forces from roadside bombs and other means under a $142 million contract.

Defense Systems

Marines look to refuelers for more eyes on battlefield

In an effort to aid in the gathering of information on insurgent activities, the Marine Corps plans to outfit KC-130J aerial refueling planes operating in Afghanistan with kits containing high-powered cameras and sensors, reports Dave Majumdar at Defense News.

Defense Systems

Navy, SAIC work together to train expert ship gunners

Science Applications International Corp. will continue to assist the Navy in its efforts to train sailors to maintain and operate surface ship weapons under a new task order worth up to $80 million over five years.

Defense Systems

DOD aims to slash budget by $100B to pay for war

The Defense Department is looking to trim $100 billion over the next five years from existing programs, allocating those funds to combat operations and capabilities.

Defense Systems

Israel’s Gaza raid hindered by weak intelligence tools

A number of military analysts are questioning why advanced intelligence systems were not used to give a real-time intelligence to tactical commanders overseeing the May 31 raid by Israeli forces on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, reports David Eshel at Aviation Week’s Ares Blog.

Defense Systems

New DOD cyber commander seeks better situational awareness

Army Gen. Keith Alexander says the Defense Department needs a common, real-time, understanding of what's happening across its many computer networks.

Defense Systems

Navy, Accenture embark on financial improvements mission

Accenture PLC will provide the Navy with financial management services under a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $182 million.

Defense Systems

DOD picks 9 to support analysis centers

Nine government contractors have been named to the Defense Department’s Software, Networks, Information, Modeling and Simulation Technology Support Contract.

Defense Systems

China threatens U.S. supercomputing supremacy

With its Dawning Nebulae supercomputer, China reached the No. 2 spot of the TOP500list, edging closer to the high-performance computing speed record.

Defense Systems

Air Force to upgrade weather reporting toolkit

Raytheon Co. will help the Air Force improve its next-generation weather systems under a $21.8 million contract.

Defense Systems

Armed robot blasts through obstacles

IRobot has released a video of its 710 Warrior robot firing a weapon designed specifically to breach enemy anti-personnel obstacles such as minefields and multi-strand wire, reports John Palmisano at IEEE Spectrum’s Automation blog.

Defense Systems

Hair-thin video technology could meet range of military needs

The military, which has been using organic light-emitting diode screen technology in a growing number of apps, could now have a new technology for its toolbox. A new Sony prototype is thinner than a human hair and is flexible enough to be rolled tightly around a pencil, even as it continues playing a video.

Defense Systems

FISMA reform rides on defense spending's coattails

A defense authorization bill amendment seeks to improve federal cybersecurity by increasing oversight, improving standards and making compliance and security more attainable.

Defense Systems

DARPA, Northrop taking chip speed into terahertz range

Northrop Grumman's Terahertz Monolithic Integrated Circuit operates at 0.67 THz, more than double the frequency of the previously reported fastest chip.

Defense Systems

Space surveillance satellite ready for July launch

Boeing Co. has shipped a spacecraft designed to significantly improve the way the United States tracks and monitors satellites and debris in space to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for scheduled launch on July 8, company officials said today

Defense Systems

Top 20 defense contractors

See the list of the top 20 defense contractors, based on their 2009 defense contract revenue.

Defense Systems

Army plans review of what and how it buys

Army officials have tasked an independent panel with an in-depth review of how it buys goods and services and who makes the purchases.

Defense Systems

What can Feds learn from Intelink?

None