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
Taliban goes high tech to plan attacks on US, Afghan government
Taliban fighters are using technologies of the digital age to gain ground against U.S. and Afghan government urban targets in the war-torn country of Afghanistan. But allied forces are not taking the planned attacks lying down.
Defense Systems
DARPA wants algorithms that filter text for intel analysis
DARPA is asking potential industry partners to assist it in developing and refining computer algorithms and systems to help intelligence analysts pull so-called actionable information out of large amounts of text.
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
Handling UAVs on crowded Navy carriers poses major challenge
As the Navy prepares to introduce its robotic jet-powered warplanes to the decks of its aircraft carriers in mid-2013, it must reassess how it choreographs the delicate dance of people, vehicles, and manned and unmanned aircraft in a highly dangerous environment.
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
3 Navy ships to get microwave-based WWAN in 2012
The Navy plans to install microwave-based wireless wide area networks on three ships by the end of 2012 as an initial step to give the fleet sufficient bandwidth to support smart phones.
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
NSA certifies JTRS wideband networking waveform radio
The National Security Agency has certified the Joint Tactical Radio System's Ground Mobile Radio system for use by warfighters.
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
Nato summit: Turkey pressures US to sell armed UAVs
President Barack Obama's administration favors selling armed unmanned aerial vehicles to Turkey but faces formidable opposition from Congress on the matter, Turkish president Abdullah Gul told reporters at the NATO Summit.
Defense Systems
Air Mobility Command on prowl for handheld, touch-screen devices
The Air Mobility Command wants industry input on handheld, touch screen-controlled devices with which it might equip its personnel, according to a request for information.
Defense Systems
Cargo robots might be up for Afghan tour-of-duty extension
Four Lockheed Martin Squad Mission Support System unmanned ground vehicles might have their Afghan tour of duty extended for a second time in 2012.
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
White House, not JCS, to coordinate terrorist targets for UAV strikes
White House counterterror Chief John Brennan will coordinate discussions as to which terrorist leaders will be the targets of armed unmanned aircraft strikes, signaling an important change from previous arrangements in which the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff initiated the discussion with other agencies.
Defense Systems
Software app keeps smart-phone chatter secure
Several military and intelligence agencies are using an anti-hacking software application that delivers voice encryption to block call interceptions on smart phones.
Defense Systems
NATO inks $1.7B deal for Block 40 Global Hawks
NATO officials have signed a $1.7 billion contract with Northrop Grumman for five Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles that the alliance plans to use for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Defense Systems
China hard at work on offensive cyber weapons
China continues to develop cyber weapons that it is using to carry out computer network intrusions and data theft activities around the globe, according to an annual DOD report.
Defense Systems