Defense Systems

Army places new order for nimble ground bots

The Army has placed a second order for a nimble ground robot that can explore dangerous objects and places.

Defense Systems

Warfighters to app writers: Who better to develop mobile applications

As a part of its broader mobile device efforts, the Army has begun training efforts to teach soldiers how to write their own apps and then make them available for download.

Defense Systems

Are the US military services in sync for net-enabled warfare?

It might seem as if the Army's strategy for tackling hybrid threats and the Air Force and Navy doctrine for AirSea Battle go off in different directions at a time when strategic synthesis is sorely needed in light of shrinking defense funding, but do they really?

Defense Systems

Army struggles with key financial data system

Army financial and system managers did not reengineer the Logistics Modernization Program system to perform Procure-to-Pay functions correctly, leaving the program open to fraud and poor bookkeeping.

Defense Systems

Ground sensors that fit in the palm of your hand

As U.S. conventional forces prepare to withdraw completely from Afghanistan by 2014, the U.S. military plans to rely heavily on air and ground sensors to boost intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for Special Operations Forces.

Defense Systems

Situational awareness in Afghanistan just got a little easier

U.S. soldiers in the Regional Command South sector of Afghanistan are using a touch-screen, handheld device developed by the Defense Department's research arm that provides them with a wealth of information designed to boost their situational awareness.

Defense Systems

Pentagon could take $500M hit for FCS cancelation

A dozen years after Future Combat Systems was born and three years after it was terminated, the program still bears a hefty price tag.

Defense Systems

Army, contractors step up efforts to field small armed UAVs

The Army and its industry partners are stepping up efforts to field tactical unmanned aircraft systems that can strike enemy targets.

Defense Systems

'Fake' Internet would prepare soldiers for real-world social media

The U.S. Army North Exercise Media Web Portal would mimic the look and functionality of the Web, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other sites for scenario-based training.

Defense Systems

'Battle kites' latest in fixed aerial surveillance concepts

The U.S. military is testing high-tech "battle kites" as a way to provide aerial communications and surveillance support for forward operating bases in war zones too small to support large aerostats.

Defense Systems

Military radio competition heats up as lawmakers intervene

The introduction of a bipartisan amendment to the House Armed Services Committee's defense authorization markup caused a short-lived dustup recently when it sought to bar the Army and Navy from procuring tactical radio systems that depend on proprietary waveforms.

Defense Systems

Nett Warrior lives on at third NIE

If you can't make calls on it, what good is a smart phone? Well, it's marvelous for a host of other tasks.

Defense Systems

Army estimates NIE drives $6B savings

The Army calculates that its semi-annual Network Integration Evaluation has produced $6 billion in savings through the cancellation of poorly performing systems that fall short of objectives.

Defense Systems

Unconquered territory: DOD searches for ways to deploy mobile devices at the tactical edge

The Defense Department has launched a number of mobile device programs, but the devil is in the details when it comes to deploying handhelds past the wire.

Defense Systems

DOD achieves record throughput in WGS bandwidth test

Defense Department researchers were able to transmit a 1.3 gigabits/sec carrier signal through the Wideband Global Satcom constellation Hawaii facility in a test designed to determine the full capability that the next-gen satellites can provide to warfighters around the globe.

Defense Systems

New Army lab does the heavy lifting before the NIE

Aberdeen Proving Ground facility tests and evaluates software and electronics bound for field evaluation.

Defense Systems

Army puts new comms systems to the test at third NIE

Several thousand soldiers participating in the Army's third Network Integration Evaluation under way at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico will test at least three key communications systems and evaluate another 36 systems.

Defense Systems

Army looks to GSA for fast purchase of vehicle radios

The Army might turn to the General Services Administration to fill an urgent need to outfit a brigade combat team scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan in 2013 with commercially developed, vehicle-mounted radios.

Defense Systems

Special Operations Forces take surveillance arsenal to war

New tools and equipment help safeguard elite and redeploying troops in Afghanistan.

Defense Systems

DOD picks BlackBerry 7 devices for widespread use

Defense Department personnel can now use the BlackBerry 7 line of products across the department's enterprise network.