Military & Aerospace
Heat Resistant Adhesive Touts High Strength Structural Bonding
April 8, 2010 8:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsPresented as offering high performance bonding strength to both similar and dissimilar substrates, Master Bond’s Polymer Supreme 46HT-2 two-component adhesive features high-temperature resistance along with
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.
Sense, Detect, Communicate, and Act: Improving Military Electronic Systems
April 7, 2010 4:30 am | by Jim Davis, Cypress Semiconductor Corp. | Articles | CommentsImproving military electronic systems involves enhancing the basic processes of sense, detect, communicate and act.
Chassis Mount DC-DC Converter Suits Harsh Environments
April 5, 2010 7:17 am | Product Releases | CommentsCalex Manufacturing Company introduced its HCM Series high power density chassis mount DC/DC Converters. These 150 Watt rugged, encapsulated DC/DC converters are suitable for harsh industrial and COTS military applications. All 10 models in the series offer a
New PICMG 2.30 standard enables enhanced functionality of CompactPCI systems for defense applications
April 2, 2010 10:02 am | by Jim Vana, Applications Engineering Specialist, 3M Electronic Solutions Division | Articles | CommentsRecent advancements in military technology have produced some awe-inspiring, highly sophisticated combat and reconnaissance equipment. In the U.S., such advances are expected to continue at a steady clip as robust defense spending drives the development of next-generation equipment.
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?
Military Connectors: A Primer
April 1, 2010 9:28 am | by Keith Teichmann, Worldwide Director of Marketing & Product Management, ITT Interconnect Solutions | Articles | CommentsSimilar to technology trends in other arenas, reduced size and weight, highly reliable materials, and greater functionality are in the forefront of connector design trends for the military market. Deployed in a variety of modern and “future soldier” applications, such as sophisticated command, control, communications, computer, and intelligence (C41) systems...
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.
IR detector provides dual visibility in multiple micron wavebands
March 31, 2010 6:15 am | Product Releases | CommentsSofradir, a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared detectors for military, space and industrial applications, announced today that it has released Altair, a new dual-band MW-MW IR detector. Altair MWIR-MWIR operates in two mid-wave bandwidths, 3 – 4 micron and 4 – 5 micron, allowing users to better identify objects and thereby reduce the number of false threats identified.
Seven-Segment Numeric LED Display Performs in High Temps
March 30, 2010 2:32 pm | Product Releases | CommentsLumex launched QuasarBrite High-Temperature Seven-Segment numeric LED Display technology capable of providing bright, crisp display performance in temperature ranges up to 105°C. The new ¼ Watt LED displays are
Card Enables Thermal Dynamics Testing in ATR Enclosures
March 29, 2010 1:20 pm | Product Releases | CommentsSIE Computing Solutions Inc., announced an ATR thermal load card designed for testing thermal dynamics in a conduction-cooled environment. The 3U x 160 mm SIE ATR thermal load card is configurable by power loads ranging from 12 W, 25 W, 50 W, and up to 200 W, and can accommodate
Space firms relaunch commercial rocket program
March 26, 2010 9:26 am | News | CommentsLockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems Inc said on Thursday they were teaming up to build and sell a booster rocket known as Athena, hoping to tap into a growing market for small satellites. The joint venture restructures and re-introduces for commercial sale a booster that flew seven times between 1995 and 2001 with five successful missions...
NASA pays sky-high $66 a person for seminar snacks
March 26, 2010 9:09 am | News | CommentsThe nation's space agency paid the out-of-this-world price of $66 a person a day for bagels, cookies and juice at a conference, a new report found. The subject of the NASA conference? It was a training session for its procurement officials - the people who do the buying with taxpayer funds.
Faster, cheaper chips from space technology
March 26, 2010 9:05 am | News | CommentsOur world is full of integrated semiconductor circuits, commonly known as microchips. Today you find them in computers, cars, mobile phones and in almost every electrical device. Technology from ESA’s XMM-Newton space telescope will make these chips much smaller, faster and cheaper.
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.
ESA highlights online games as key future technology
March 24, 2010 7:30 am | News | CommentsVideo gaming has become one of the globe’s most popular pastimes. Fans say games are often educational, their detractors answer they are anything but. Might ESA have something to learn from gaming? A new Agency study says the answer is yes.
To Mars and back – as real as it gets
March 24, 2010 7:27 am | News | CommentsA crew of six, including two Europeans, will soon begin a simulated mission to Mars in a mockup that includes an interplanetary spaceship, Mars lander and martian landscape. The Mars500 experiment, as long as a real journey to Mars, is a test of human endurance.
Britain to set up new space agency
March 23, 2010 8:39 am | News | CommentsBritain will set up a new space agency next month to exploit an industry that appears to have defied the recession and shows huge potential for growth, the government said on Tuesday. The UK Space Agency will oversee the development of satellites, robotics and other advanced technology and may one day join international missions to explore Mars, the Moon and asteroids.
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.
VSS Enterprise takes first captive test flight
March 23, 2010 5:20 am | News | CommentsVirgin Galactic announced that VSS Enterprise has completed her inaugural captive carry flight from Mojave Air and Spaceport.
ESA and Thales Alenia Space enter negotiations for MTG
March 22, 2010 7:37 am | News | CommentsThe tendering process that will result in the supply of Europe's next series of meteorological satellites, Meteosat Third Generation, has reached an advanced stage as ESA invites Thales Alenia Space to enter formal contract negotiations.
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.
Transit Rack Cases Comply to MIL-STD 810F
March 17, 2010 6:39 am | Product Releases | CommentsOptima EPS, an Elma Company, has announced transit rack cases for safe and reliable transport of electronic systems in rugged environments. The first in the line of the company’s E-TR cases come in 4U and 12U heights. The cases feature
