Defense Systems
Long-endurance airship scheduled for November flight
Northrop Grumman's long-endurance, multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV) will undergo its first test flight in November after a three-month delay.
Defense Systems
DOD's commercial satcom strategy needs adjustment
Will a one-size-fits-all approach limit DOD's access to global satellite capacity where and when the warfighter needs it?
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.
Defense Systems
JLENS passes latest milestone; is mission ready: Raytheon
The JLENS aerostat system has successfully completed a 14-day milestone test and is mission ready, according to manufacturer Raytheon.
Defense Systems
Air Force's Blue Devil airship undergoes testing
The Air Force is running tests on its optionally manned, giant airship Blue Devil Block 2 in preparation for deployment in Afghanistan by the middle of next year.
Defense Systems
Netherlands to join WGS program to boost military bandwidth
The Netherlands is planning to join the Wideband Global Satcom program to boost its military satellite communications capacity.
Defense Systems
Brits in Afghanistan have high praise for low-tech drones
Although the dominant intelligence story line for British forces in Afghanistan is the transition from the Hermes 450 to the Watchkeeper tactical unmanned aircraft system, the frontline troops are particularly keen on low-tech UAS platforms tailored to support specific missions.
Defense Systems
Full-motion video proves boon to intell gathering
Full-motion video from unmanned aircraft systems has proved a tremendous benefit to intelligence gathering in war zones.
Defense Systems
US armed drones struck by tenacious computer virus
Unmanned aerial vehicles flown remotely over Afghanistan and other areas have been struck by a computer virus that logs pilots' keystrokes.
Defense Systems
Army presses forward with command post modernization
General Dynamics C4 Systems has won a two-year contract with a maximum potential value of $78 million for the continued development and enhancement of the Command Post of the Future system.
Defense Systems
Unmanned K-Max ships out for Afghanistan
The Navy has picked the K-Max helicopter built jointly by Kaman Aerospace and Lockheed Martin for testing under battlefield conditions in Afghanistan to determine whether unmanned aircraft systems are suitable for transporting supplies around the battlefield.
Defense Systems
Army wants more efficiency out of quick-reaction capabilities
Army Brig. Gen. Harold "Harry" Greene, program executive officer for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors, discusses sensors, the Distributed Common Ground System-Army, cloud computing and fiscal responsibilities.
Defense Systems
Army, Marines to test 'throwable' robots in Afghanistan
The Defense Department is in the process of responding to a joint urgent operational needs statement for an ultra-llght recon robot capable of supporting dismounted operations in Afghanistan.
Defense Systems
JTRS radios and waveforms stretch the battlefield network
Brig. Gen. Michael Williamson, joint program executive officer for the Joint Tactical Radio System, discusses the latest developments for the JTRS radios and waveforms.
Defense Systems
DOD wants bug-like eyes for micro air vehicles
The Defense Department has distributed research awards to a number of contractors to make bug-eye structures and micro-feather/hair-covered membrane wings for micro air vehicles that will enable such vehicles to interact with the environment on their own using capabilities similar to those of insects and birds.
Defense Systems
WIN-T increments stretch the comms range
Col. Edward Swanson, project manager for the Army PEO C3T's WIN-T program, and his deputies discuss the next phases of the program.
Defense Systems
Drone strike on Awlaki reflects ongoing counter-terrorism shift
The killing of U.S.-born, al Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen Sept. 30 by armed drones is yet another example in recent months of how the United States is placing increased reliance on precision airstrikes over conventional warfare to counter radical Islam.
Defense Systems
Air Force wants industry to streamline space programs
The Air Force's acquisition chief has called on the space industry to reduce the complexity of space programs, cut launch costs, and shorten development times, as the military service struggles to deal with a flattening budget from 2012 to 2016.
Defense Systems
Air Force mulls scale back of ISR programs
The Air Force has some tough decisions to make concerning which intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance programs to cut as it scales down to a smaller intelligence force structure capable of meeting various types of threats in future decades.
Defense Systems