Defense Systems

Army orders ground robots for engineer, infantry support

The Army has placed an order for 486 of iRobot’s PackBot 510s, the largest order the company has ever received.

Defense Systems

Army to receive more than 3,000 new VSATs

L-3 Communications Corp. will deliver satellite communication terminals to the Army and other tactical and logistics units under a contract with Eyak Technology.

Defense Systems

DOD likely to adopt limited social networking

Navy CIO Robert Carey says powerful opportunities exist for social networking inside networks controlled by the military.

Defense Systems

Data defines the fight today in Iraq and Afghanistan

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are as much about the effective use of data as they are about placing fire on the enemy.

Defense Systems

Northrop pitches unmanned ground vehicle for special ops

Northrop Grumman Corp. is actively promoting its new mini ground robot as a key technology for special operations missions such as hostage rescues, reports Colin Clark in DOD Buzz.

Defense Systems

Military demand for robotics fuels contract opportunities

iRobot won contracts from the Army and Navy this week for robots used on the battlefield.

Defense Systems

New Capability systems to aid in combat coordination

A General Dynamics unit will provide technology components that will enhance the Marine Corps’ ability to coordinate air and ground combat operations under a $17 million contract modification.

Defense Systems

DISA asks industry for help with new priorities

DISA wants to deliver on-demand, enterprisewide technology services across the Defense Department.

Defense Systems

Army CIO to receive C4ISR support

Science Applications International Corp. will furnish technical and management support services to the Army’s Chief Information Officer under a newly awarded contract.

Defense Systems

Project seeks to ensure Army has adequate radio spectrum

Alion Science and Technology Corp. will provide radio-frequency spectrum modeling, simulation and analysis to the Army.

Defense Systems

iRobot pushes robots into new territory

Joseph Dyer, president of the Government and Industrial Robots Division at iRobot, discusses how the mission of ground robots is evolving beyond bomb disposal to include direct support for combat missions.

Defense Systems

Art of creating a Manet takes masterful engineering touch

Engineers are working to overcome difficult architectural and design challenges associated with mobile ad hoc network technology that would serve warfighters at the far edges of battlefields.

Defense Systems

Communications relay grows with expansion of UAV missions

Unmanned aerial vehicles outfitted as communications relays are being pressed into service in Afghanistan, where mountainous terrain interrupts ground signals and overburdens satellite communications services.

Defense Systems

Tech refresh brings HD video to Aegis

Advances in commercial technology for high-definition digital video are being incorporated into the Navy’s Aegis combat system.

Defense Systems

Data Packets

The Air Force has unveiled a blueprint for fielding an entire family of unmanned vehicles during the next 40 years and established a centralized authority to oversee all network directory and e-mail services in a move to boost security.

Defense Systems

Navy taps Raytheon for radar concept studies

Raytheon Co. will perform concept studies that the Navy will use to resolve gaps in its air and missile defense radar (AMDR) capabilities under a $9.9 million contract.

Defense Systems

Navy awards command and control support contract

SAIC will provide prime command and control solutions to the Defense Department under a five-year contract valued at more than $196 million.

Defense Systems

DOD analysts tailor battlefield intell for tactical units

U.S. joint forces and coalition partners participated in a coordinated exercise this month aimed at figuring out how best to coordinate vast amounts of intelligence data gathered by satellites, drones and manned aircraft.

Defense Systems

U.K. Defence Ministry awards air surveillance deal

IBM Corp. will continue maintaining an air surveillance system for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence under a five-year, $38 million (23 million pounds sterling) contract.

Defense Systems

Contractor earnings reflect changes in defense spending

Second-quarter earnings reports reveal defense contractors that are focused heavily on high-tech capabilities needed for fighting insurgencies are doing better than those more heavily invested in conventional warfare.