Defense Systems

More intel resources needed for cyberspace, says head of Air Force ISR

The Air Force is developing ways to apply intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to cyber operations.

Defense Systems

Reserves will play a larger role in cyber defense

The Air Force is looking to its Reserves to augment its strength and capabilities amid budget and cyber pressure.

Defense Systems

AeroVironment wins $4.2M Switchblade order

An extension to an existing AeroVironment contract with the Air Force includes engineering services, operational Switchblade systems and operator training.

Defense Systems

Budget pressure drives Air Force UAS overhaul

Interoperability will enable fewer personnel, fewer unmanned aircraft to do more, ISR PEO says.

Defense Systems

Air Force takes aim at DART intell system expansion

NCI and partner Raytheon will upgrade the Air Force's Distributed Common Ground System's analysis and reporting capabilities.

Defense Systems

3 reasons the Air Force is buying fewer UAVs

The Air Force will buy fewer unmanned aerial vehicles, but fly more missions.

Defense Systems

UAV data analysis remains daunting challenge

The Air Force has upwards of 70,000 persons working to process all of the data and footage it is gathering from unmanned aerial vehicles in an effort to detect patterns worth exploiting in the pursuit of insurgents in Afghanistan and other global hot spots.

Defense Systems

Air Mobility Command to purchase iPads for flight crews

The Air Mobility Command might purchase as many as 18,000 Apple iPads to replace paper charts and technical manuals used by its flight crews.

Defense Systems

Top Air Force weapons acquisition official to leave in March

The top weapons acquisition official will return to private industry.

Defense Systems

Air Force takes hard look at structure as budget crunch looms

The Air Force must overcome a number of challenges it faces in ISR, including data processing and training.

Defense Systems

NATO finds funds for ground surveillance system

NATO has found a funding solution for its Alliance Ground Surveillance system intended to help its member nations deploy joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

Defense Systems

Northrop Grumman gets contract for BACN payloads

The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payloads will be for two existing Block 20 Global Hawk aircraft.

Defense Systems

Air Force emphasizes skills training for cyber personnel

The Air Force has revised how it trains its cyber personnel by creating a training regime designed to update and improve skills throughout the course of a person's career.

Defense Systems

Greater UAV autonomy needed: former ISR chief

Finding ways for unmanned aircraft to process more sensor information on board will provide substantial benefits, says the Air Force's former Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

Defense Systems

Air Force likely to retire Block 30 Global Hawks

The Air Force is likely to retire its fleet of Block 30 RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles, a surprising turn of events considering the Global Hawk was on the verge of replacing the five-decade-old U-2 manned spy plane program.

Defense Systems

Obama nominates chiefs for policy, readiness, acquisition

The president nominates three senior Defense Department officials to fill key management positions.

Defense Systems

Air Force to award NETCENTS 2 in 2012, official says

The long-delayed NETCENTS-2 contract vehicle is set to be awarded this year, says the Air Force's acquisition chief.

Defense Systems

LightSquared asserts latest GPS tests rigged

LightSquared and a former FCC chief engineer said Jan. 18 that the Global Positioning System test devices that were used recently to test the company's new network were rigged by makers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce "bogus results."

Defense Systems

Boeing gets nod for two more WGS satellites

The Air Force has authorized Boeing to develop and launch the eighth and ninth Wideband Global Satcom satellites.

Defense Systems

Fourth WGS satellite scheduled for launch

The Air Force will launch the fourth Wideband Global Satcom Satellite into space tonight as part of the continuing effort to deliver more communications bandwidth to warfighters.