Defense Systems

French Navy first to test mini UAV on small ship

The French Navy has beaten the U.S. Navy to the punch by deploying unmanned aerial vehicles on small vessels.

Defense Systems

11 foreign UAVs you should know

U.S. allies and adversaries are developing and using their own unmanned aerial vehicles.

Defense Systems

Bluefin to build underwater robot for Navy's LCS

Bluefin Robotics has been awarded a subcontract from General Dynamics to design and build an unmanned underwater vehicle that will help crews of the Navy's Littoral Combat Ships to detect and identify enemy-laid surface mines.

Defense Systems

Navy completes UAS common controls demo

The Navy has successfully demonstrated its Common Control System for current and future unmanned aircraft systems in simulated missions at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, Calif.

Defense Systems

Air Force to launch two more AEHF satellites in 2012

The Air Force has activated its Advanced Extremely High Frequency military communications satellite after a 14-month struggle to get it into the correct orbit.

Defense Systems

Will US loosen export restrictions on UAV sales?

The Pacific Rim might see a significant increase in nations flying U.S.-built UAVs as a result of efforts by manufacturers to redesign their aircraft to fall under less restrictive export controls and a possible willingness by the Obama administration to allow sales to select nations in that region.

Defense Systems

Airborne radar sensor passes initial test

Sierra Nevada has successfully demonstrated the prototype of an airborne x-band radar sense-and-avoid sensor for unmanned aircraft vehicles.

Defense Systems

DOD looks to unconventional methods in fight against IEDs

The U.S. military's counter-IED agency is focusing on intelligence and robotics in the continuing fight against a critical threat to soldiers' lives.

Defense Systems

Army forces in Afghanistan to receive aerostats

The Army has awarded a $383 million contract to Lockheed Martin to furnish and maintain aerostats that will provide real-time aerial reconnaissance and surveillance of large swaths of terrain in Afghanistan.

Defense Systems

Army tests 3G network to boost squad-level awareness

The Army has tested a 3G wireless network that would link smart phones, tablets and radio systems to a large number of sensors and unmanned ground and air vehicles to push information down to the squad and fire team leaders.

Defense Systems

Navy group to evaluate unmanned surface patrol craft

The Navy has sent three unmanned surface vessels to its Riverine Group One to evaluate how well the vessels perform the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for which they were designed.

Defense Systems

Army PEO C3T Price promoted to major general

The Senate confirmed Nov. 10 the promotion of Brig. Gen. Lee Price, the Army's program executive officer for command, control and communications (tactical), to the rank of major general.

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

Technology leap needed for comms-on-the-move

Communications-on-the move technology must continue to evolve to keep intelligence data in motion and to feed it to the warfighter where and when it's needed.

Defense Systems

Marines get smart phone network for humanitarian missions

Lockheed Martin has developed a tactical smart phone network designed to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions undertaken by the Marine Corps.

Defense Systems

DOD wants smart jets to launch satellites into orbit

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has established a $145 million program to develop technology that will enable specially configured airliners to catapult satellites into orbit.

Defense Systems

Navy to outfit an X-47B prototype with refueling gear

The Navy plans to add aerial refueling capability to one of its two prototype carrier-based X-47B unmanned aerial vehicles that are in the development stage.

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.