ECN Editors
Through-wall radar aids in urban operations
May 4, 2010 6:05 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsIn 2007, SSG David Bellavia released the most poignant memoir of the Iraq War, “House to House.” The title is significant, because house-to-house fighting is among the most dangerous forms of urban warfare. Camero may have a solution with the Xaver 400, a compact through-wall radar.
Neutral stance
April 30, 2010 6:11 am | by Chris Warner, Executive Editor | Articles | CommentsAs a result of the Comcast Corp. v. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) court decision, Internet service providers (ISPs) are no longer constrained from slowing or blocking different types of content or access to sites that offer content that conflicts with the providers’ interests.
Air Force launches unmanned orbital test vehicle
April 23, 2010 8:02 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsLast night, at 7:52 PM, the Air Force launched its X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) on a classified mission that could last up to nine months. The unmanned orbiter is designed to be reusable, though exact details remain classified. Launched atop an Atlas V rocket, the X-37B resembles a mini Space Shuttle.
Whither thou goest, Space Shuttle?
April 21, 2010 12:29 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsOh Space Shuttle, thou noblest of space-faring, low-Earth-orbiting vehicles, we hardly knew ye. Compared to the Apollo program, you were but a minor diversion—a minor, 30 year diversion. Proponents claimed you’d make space travel “routine and economical,” though you proved to be neither. And yet, your long-overdue retirement leaves a major void.
Playing telephone
April 20, 2010 7:38 am | Articles | CommentsA pop musician recently reminded me that hit songs aren’t only catchy tunes; they are also a barometer of culture. I never expected to refer to Lady Gaga with anything other than casual references to her music or her edgy style (I’ve heard it called “21st-century Madonna), but one of her recent songs gave me some pause.
Navy upholds ban on flash media
April 9, 2010 5:53 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsTo follow up on an earlier story, the US Navy has maintained the ban on flash media. Notwithstanding the official “lifting” of the ban, Navy officials consider flash media too risky. Sailors who violate the policy could have their account access terminated for 30 days.
Solar-powered craft aims for perpetual flight
April 8, 2010 6:03 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe solar-powered Impulse HB-SIA completed its maiden voyage on Wednesday. The 90-minute flight reached an altitude of 5,500 feet, over a mile above the Swiss countryside, with an average speed of 44 mph (70 kph). This is the first step towards an ambitious goal: travel around the world by 2012.
Will the United States lose its air supremacy?
April 2, 2010 9:26 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe announcement of Russia’s newest fifth-generation fighter, the Sukhoi PAK FA, stunned the world. To put it succinctly, the “Future Frontline Aircraft System” is a game-changer. Its closest rival is the F-22 Raptor, and yet production on the United States’ premier air-superiority fighter has been scrapped in favor of the F-35. Are we repeating the mistakes of the past?
Lockheed Martin tests precision-guided missile system
March 31, 2010 9:56 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsLockheed Martin has successfully tested a tri-mode seeker for its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) system. The advent of “Fourth Generation Warfare” has put renewed emphasis on reducing collateral damage. Thus, precision weapons systems have taken on prime importance.
DARPA fields small arms detection system for helos
March 25, 2010 7:39 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing a system that will assist helicopter crews in pinpointing the source of small arms fire. HALTT uses advanced acoustic detection and data processing to “exploit the supersonic shock wave produced by a bullet in flight.” In other words, it would detect the “snap,” “hiss,” or “crack” of a bullet.
UK military incorporates Virtual Reality Parachute Trainers
March 24, 2010 10:34 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe UK’s Ministry of Defence has purchased Virtual Reality Parachute Trainers (VRPT) for the Parachute Training School at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The contract with Gloucestershire-based Pennant Training Systems Limited is for the design, manufacture, and installation of eight Virtual Trainers.
Army goes “green” with electric vehicles
March 23, 2010 8:17 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsFort Sam Houston received 20 Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) in January as part of a larger plan to replace petroleum-based DoD vehicles with more “energy-efficient” transportation. The Army plans on replacing up to 28,000 gas-powered ground support vehicles with electric vehicles at more than 155 Army installations worldwide.
France obtains micro UAVs
March 22, 2010 6:43 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe French Special Forces Command is now equipped with an unspecified number of Skylark 1 and Wasp Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The French Armament Procurement Agency (Direction générale de l'armement, DGA) made the handoff on March 8th...
Indian Army develops chili grenade
March 19, 2010 10:06 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsNow here’s some news tailor-made for a Friday: the Indian Army is developing a “chili grenade.” Packed with bhut jolokia peppers (aka the world’s hottest chili pepper), these special grenades will be used as non-lethal munition. Check your calendars, folks. It isn’t April 1st yet.
Do gamers make better soldiers?
March 17, 2010 5:54 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsFindings by the Office of Naval Research indicate that video games improve overall perceptual and cognitive abilities. While nothing new—the claim is nearly as old as Pac-Man, the irregular warfare we face today makes it more relevant than ever. Since Pong, video games have been castigated for everything from school truancy, to school shootings, to even global warming.
Army to hit one million unmanned flight hours
March 10, 2010 12:30 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsTraditionally pegged as a ground force, the Army is approaching an historic milestone: one million flight hours for its Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). According to COL Christopher Carlile, director, U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence, the Army will hit one million UAS flight hours some time next month.
Video games and the military: Engaging the “tech generation”
March 9, 2010 9:10 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsFor good or ill, the military is often indistinguishable from a large corporation. While “employees” must conform to the company’s modus operandi, the company must engage its employees on their terms. In this day and age, that means technology. Thus, the military increasingly relies on video games and computers to recruit and train its “employees.”
Power politics
March 3, 2010 12:26 pm | Articles | CommentsI recently had the great honor of moderating the Smart Grid Rap Session at this year’s Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC). It brought home to me that in addition to the technical challenges facing the power industry, there are also political issues that must be addressed as we move forward. The old political arguments around power revolved around NIMBY issues about the location of power plants...
Officers warned about UAV vulnerabilities in 2004
February 19, 2010 4:12 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe revelation that insurgents had hacked US drones came as shocking news. What’s more, they did so using $26 off-the-shelf software (SkyGrabber). Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that senior officers knew about the security risk five years ago. According to a report in the Journal, senior officers warned in 2004 of the drones’ vulnerabilities.
Air Force taps Space Micro to develop software defined radio for satellites
February 19, 2010 4:06 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsSpace Micro Inc. has been awarded $100,000 by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop a software-defined radio system for military satellites. The Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract is to develop space communications hardware that is resistant to radiation.
Outsourcing the ''final frontier''
February 18, 2010 12:31 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe proposed 2011 NASA Budget takes human spaceflight in a bold new direction. Along with scuttling the Constellation Program, and investing in heavy-lift rocket systems, the proposal leans heavily on the private sector. The International Space Station received clemency through at least 2020, and with the Space Shuttle retiring in 2010, the US will need reliable means of orbital transportation.
Military lifts ban on flash media
February 18, 2010 11:24 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsTwo years ago, DOD banned all “flash media” devices in an effort to contain the “Agent.btz” computer virus. In 2009, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, “I do not see the thumb drives going back here in the immediate future.” Yet a year later (nearly to the day), the ban has been lifted.
Pack mule robot could aid soldiers, marines
February 9, 2010 5:19 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe military is constantly seeking the right balance between preparedness and maneuverability. Theoretically, we could turn foot soldiers into walking arsenals with nearly-impenetrable armor, but they wouldn’t be very mobile. Boston Dynamics may have a solution...
IBM to provide cloud computing solution for Air Force
February 5, 2010 6:21 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe Air Force has enlisted “Big Blue” itself, IBM, to develop a worldwide cloud computing infrastructure. The architecture would encompass nine major commands, nearly 100 bases, and 700,000 active military personnel around the world. Essentially, “cloud computing” refers to software applications and other functions that are “rented” online rather than hosted on company servers.
Army considers operating “Sky Warrior” remotely
February 4, 2010 8:38 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Blogs | CommentsThe Army is mulling the possibility of operating its largest UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) remotely. They’re considering “split-based” operations--part of the company would deploy in-theater, while the other would communicate remotely via satellite. The situation exposes a cultural rift between the Air Force and the Army.
