The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command recently invested almost $8 million in upgrades to current explosive ordnance disposal robots to improve their usefulness to operators. These enhancements also could benefit troops in other mission areas.
Breaking with traditional government strategies that target public perception, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has issued a new strategic plan that focuses on internal processes and goals. The strategy establishes measures of effectiveness by defining end-states that will be the targets of NGA activities, and it touches on topics ranging from work force activities to major organizational shifts.
A new nonskid deck coating developed at NRL, and now undergoing final development and ship testing, promises to be more durable, hold its color longer, and be more resistant to spilled chemicals. Because the new material, called siloxane, will last longer compared with traditional nonskid deck coating, it will also be cheaper in the long run.
Actively participating in AFCEA calls for enthusiasm and commitment. The deep devotion one Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter member brings to every aspect of his life demonstrates that he has the right stuff.
Engagement Theaters that center on rubber-meets-the-road topics are one of the latest features of AFCEA International conferences. Located on the exhibit floor, these 50-minute forums appeal to industry and government personnel alike.
Through the Members-Only Forum, AFCEA offers its members a way to reach out to one another to find answers, share solutions or even just announce company or chapter news.
Systems and technologies undergoing scrutiny at the U.S. Army's next Network Integration Evaluation this fall will first have to pass muster in the service's newly opened laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The new lab facility is expected to reduce the risk associated with some new technologies and systems. It also is designed to save time, money and integration headaches during future evaluation exercises.
The U.S. Army is enhancing its premier intelligence distribution system in Afghanistan and around the world so that vast amounts of data are more accessible through cloud computing, laptops and handheld devices. It once took analysts days or weeks to sort through millions of files, but with the enhancements, they can do the same work in real time, which increases situational awareness and allows warfighters to make more informed decisions much faster.
The Free World’s militaries are entering a period of retrenchment just as adversaries are developing new and deadly threats to challenge Western national security. These new threats, many of which are based on the same technologies that have empowered modern defense forces, have the potential to imperil entire nations. Countering them will tax the capabilities of military forces that already are facing reductions in capabilities and size because of severe budget cuts imposed by the global financial crisis.
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