Defense Systems
Predator, Reaper to undergo ground station upgrade
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will furnish the Air Force with an open-architecture ground control system for its Predator and Reaper unmanned aircraft under a $26.6 million contract, reports Graham Warwick at Aviation Week.
Defense Systems
Does the military have too many drones?
The military might be taking on more unmanned aircraft than it can handle.
Defense Systems
Air Force rules target BlackBerry security
The Air Force will put in place this month strict rules and regulations governing how its personnel are allowed to use Air Force-issued BlackBerry smart phones as a way to improve security associated with the devices.
Defense Systems
Air Force awards space launch support contract
ManTech International Corp. will provide system engineering and integration services to the Air Force under a prime 10-year contract that has an initial value of $15.6 million and a total value of $160 million.
Defense Systems
U-2 spy plane played key role in Afghanistan operation
U.S., NATO and Afghan forces recently involved in the largest joint military operation of the eight-year war in Afghanistan received a helping hand locating improvised explosive devices from the U-2 spy plane, reports Christopher Drew at the New York Times.
Defense Systems
Next-gen tactical radios garner NSA approval
Program has been in the works for six years and will bring next-generation technology to the warfighter.
Defense Systems
Air Force to get high-def flight simulators
The Air Force has awarded L-3 Communications LLP a $20.9 million contract option to build another technologically advanced F-16 Mission Training Center.
Defense Systems
Boeing readies UAS flight demonstrations
Boeing Co. will conduct a first flight to two different unmanned aircraft systems in the next 10 months as part of the company’s initiative to get its UAS business back on track, reports Amy Butler at Aviation Week.
Defense Systems
Air Force wants to fuse C2 across domains
The Air Force Research Laboratory is inviting contractors to submit white papers on revolutionary information technologies that can advance the integration of command and control capabilities across cyber, air and space domains.
Defense Systems
Planners mull air-sea warfare in unmanned age
Nobody's quite sure how to wage and win an air-sea battle,and that's emerged as a topic of discussion by military planners and budget officials, reports Bill Sweetman in Aviation Week’s Ares Blog.
Defense Systems
Air Force finally details NETCENTS-2 requirements
The Air Force wants to implement network-centric systems and common standard data within the service and the Global Information Grid.
Defense Systems
Military still gives thumbs down to thumb drives
Despite relaxing the all out ban on using portable storage devices on Defense Department computer systems, it appears thumb drives will not return to the military services anytime soon.
Defense Systems
Air Force picks contractor to enhance GPS ground control
Raytheon Co. has won an initial contract from the Air Force worth $886 million to develop a new element of the Global Positioning System that will improve the accuracy of information from GPS satellites.
Defense Systems
NETCENTS-2 stalls with new delays
A series of delays has kept the Air Force’s Network Centric Solutions-2 program in a holding pattern. Two of the four request for proposals expected at the end of January have still not emerged, and the remaining RFPs might be months away.
Defense Systems
Air Force, IBM plan to demonstrate secure cloud computing
The Air Force and IBM plan to develop and demonstrate a secure cloud computing infrastructure capable of supporting defense and intelligence networks.
Defense Systems
PlayStations power Air Force 'supercomputer'
The Air Force Research Laboratory has built a supercomputer that is driven in part by several hundred Sony PlayStation 3 consoles.
Defense Systems
Air Force cyber unit begins operations
The 24th Air Force received approval Jan. 25 to begin performing critical elements of its mission to protect Air Force cyber assets and support joint warfighting efforts.
Defense Systems
Electronic warfare goes on the offensive
The effort to build and deploy a aircraft-jamming pod that contains electron pulses, information-scrambling data streams and invasive algorithms will see the pendulum swing toward using electronic warfare in the attack mode.
Defense Systems
Fight is on to combat Air Force SOA attacks
Raytheon Co. will work to protect the Air Force against malicious software attacks under a $2.9 million contract.
Defense Systems