Defense Systems

Cyber Command wants greater cyber warfare authority

The U.S. Cyber Command wants greater power to protect and defend America's cyber networks from aggressive action by other nations.

Defense Systems

Air Force wants to trim satellite costs

The Air Force wants to change how it develops, acquires and manages its satellite programs.

Defense Systems

Air Force must clean up its networks, general says

A top Air Force officer warns that if the service doesn't clean up and centralize its network management, critical command and control functions may be threatened.

Defense Systems

24th Air Force finds its place in cyberspace

Nearly two years after its launch, the 24th Air Force is defining its role in a rapidly expanding Defense Department cyber infrastructure.

Defense Systems

Air Force awards contract for cryptographic radio devices

In the first technology upgrade of the military’s portable radio devices in more than two decades, Raytheon Co. will design new lighter, power-efficient transmitter devices with more secure encryption technology.

Defense Systems

MILCOM to focus on attaining the full value of networks

The MILCOM 2011 conference, "Networks: Attaining the Value," will be held Nov. 8-10 in Baltimore, Md., and Defense Systems staff will be on site to provide detailed coverage of presentations made by featured speakers.

Defense Systems

Air Force looks for ways to ease pain of civilian job cuts

Details are beginning to emerge on which Air Force installations will be hardest hit by civilian jobs cuts related to the service's restructuring effort.

Defense Systems

Small, tactical systems fill aerial coverage gap

The Defense Department is sending more small unmanned aircraft to the war zone to plug gaps in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage.

Defense Systems

Air Force to restructure civilian workforce, add ISR positions

The Air Force has announced that it will launch a major restructuring of its civilian workforce that will result in a net reduction of thousands of civilian jobs.

Defense Systems

Modularity in satellite design is key to quick response

The Operationally Responsive Space Office is driving changes that shorten development times for military satellites.

Defense Systems

Reaper UAVs hunt terrorists from base in Ethiopia

The U.S. Air Force is flying armed Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles on counterterrorism missions from a civilian airport in southern Ethiopia against the Somalia-based al-Qaeda affiliate known as al-Shabab.

Defense Systems

Civil Air Patrol teams to compete in cybersecurity competition

More than 200 Civil Air Patrol teams will compete in the CyberPatriot IV high school-level cybersecurity challenge beginning Oct. 28 that requires students to defend against a variety computer threat scenarios.

Defense Systems

Air Force narrows field of MQ-1/9 base contenders

Three bases have been chosen as candidates for the remote MQ-1/9 split operations squadron, which Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz will select in December 2011.

Defense Systems

Will the Air Force go Facebook-style for next-gen comm?

Drop the traditional model of one-on-one communications in favor of a social media-format broadcasting of information, one top official advocates.

Defense Systems

Autonomous network would manage long-range recon, strikes

The U.S. military is interested in establishing an aviation force centered primarily on existing unmanned aircraft that could carry out long-range surveilliance and strike missions in the Pacific theater.

Defense Systems

UAV recon missions over Afghanistan quadruple

There have been some 23,000 Coalition spy missions in Afghanistan since 2011 began -- four times more than in 2009 -- but with insurgent attacks still on the rise, some are wondering just what is the point?

Defense Systems

Raytheon, Boeing seen likely to weather defense cuts

A new financial analysis indicates that the defense units of Raytheon and Boeing are likely to weather further cuts in Defense Department spending better than their competitors.

Defense Systems

Kehler raises trial balloon: Put STRATCOM in charge of all GEOINT PED

One way to close the rising gap between the large volume of data being gathered and the ability of humans to process that information would be to make one agency responsible for managing it, said Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler at GEOINT 2011.

Defense Systems

Intell data sharing requires high degree of cooperation

Sharing geospatial intelligence data requires a focus on standards, improved processes and safeguards that protect secure data.

Defense Systems

UAV computer virus might be from gaming malware

The computer virus that worked its way into the system used to remotely pilot the Air Force’s armed unmanned aerial vehicles in September was not an intentional attack on the system but likely a result of malware used to steal log-ins and passwords used in online gaming.