The British Ministry of Defence recently announced plans to develop a Royal Navy missile defense system, known as Sea Ceptor, capable of intercepting and destroying enemy missiles traveling at supersonic speeds. The £483 million ($761.3 million) contract to develop the system will be awarded to a U.K. company. Sea Ceptor will use a U.K.-developed missile that can reach speeds of up to Mach 3 and will deal with multiple targets simultaneously, protecting an area of approximately 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers) over land or sea. It will be developed under a demonstration contract expected to continue for five years. Sea Ceptor will initially be used on the Type 23 frigate to replace the Sea Wolf air defense system, which is being retired from service in 2016. Plans call for the Sea Ceptor also to be used on the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. Its flexible design enables it to be adapted for use by the British Army and the Royal Air Force in the future.

Got a good idea for a small satellite? NASA has issued a broad agency announcement seeking low-cost flight demonstration proposals for small satellites, which generally weigh less than 400 pounds and are usually launched as secondary payloads. The NASA Edison SmallSat Demonstration Program says this solicitation will focus on the communications capabilities of these small spacecraft. Executive summaries of these proposals are due no later than March 4, 2012. For more information, visit: www.nasa.gov/oct.

The U.S. Defense Department has awarded $18 million to six programs to reduce the energy demand of future expeditionary outposts. The assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs will administer the funds, which are granted programs aimed at developing and rapidly transitioning energy technologies for the combat force. Defense Department-led teams representing the military services and the Department of Energy will receive the money but are seeking support and innovation from small businesses. In March, the military and Small Business Administration will host an information session for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Additional information about the teams can be found at http://energy.defense.gov.

Elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan are now using the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Rifleman Radio combined with the GD300 wearable computer. The radio enables intrasquad communications, and the GD300’s Tactical Ground Reporting (TIGR) tactical app allows soldiers to share text messages, situation reports and other information. The Rifleman is part of the JTRS Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit radio family, which uses the Soldier Radio Waveform to provide networked voice and data communications in austere and cluttered urban environments. The GD300 touchscreen display enables users to place graphics and send maps to team members or leaders using the TIGR app. When combined, soldiers can use the equipment to display the position-location information of all other warfighters operating in the network. General Dynamics C4 Systems and General Dynamics Itronix developed the Rifleman Radio and GD300, respectively.

The U.S. Army is planning to test a new long-endurance multi-intelligence unmanned vehicle in Afghanistan this summer. Developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation, the aircraft resembles a small blimp. It is designed to carry multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads for more than 21 days at altitudes of more than 22,000 feet. Other vertical take-off and landing vehicles the Army is exploring include the Boeing A160 Hummingbird. The study of innovative unmanned aerial systems (UASs) is being financed by overseas contingency operations funds. The service is looking for economical ways to replace its aging ISR platforms such as its Kiowa fleet, which includes some assets that are
approximately 35 years old.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Participant Manual now is available in Braille and PDF screen reader versions. They contain the same nine units of the course and 13 hazard annexes as the other versions. The screen-reader format can be accessed online. Local CERT program coordinators and managers can request copies of the Braille version by calling the FEMA Distribution Center at (800) 480-2520 or by emailing FEMA-Publications-Warehouse@dhs.gov. Use Publication Number P-856 and Catalog Number 11189-2 to order the Participant Manual.

A computer scientist at Sandia National Laboratories has developed and deployed DNSViz, a visualization tool to help government and global network administrators better understand Domain Name System Security (DNSSEC) and troubleshoot problems. DNSSEC is mandated for all federal information systems. The tool offers a single graphical representation of the components that work together to enable DNSSEC to function properly. DNSViz actively analyzes domain name by performing pertinent DNS lookups. The tool is running on Sandia servers monitoring a list of 100,00 names and performing an analysis twice a day. It is envisioned as an open-source tool available to anyone who can benefit from it:

The Defense Information Systems Agency’s Global Content Delivery Service (GCDS) has introduced a cost structure for fiscal year 2012 that features a one-time fee with no recurring monthly costs. Using the GCDS saves costs, improves efficiency and offers sustainability. Rather than building and maintaining a distributed infrastructure of their own, users can take advantage of this fully operational, distributed and scalable service to lower overall operating costs and improve end-user performance. The agency recently redesigned a website that enhances GCDS solutions browsing, features a high-level description of each solution and includes simplified cost structure information. The service accelerates delivery of U.S. Defense Department Web content and applications across the nonsecure and secret Internet protocol networks.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have called upon industry to develop a low-cost and secure communications, network management and situational awareness system for the U.S. military, public safety agencies and commercial clients. The solution must enable remote and secure mission-based communications with or without cloud connectivity. The goal is to design a technology with both military and security applications that offers real-time information regardless of the infrastructure and equipment first responders or military members use. Under a two-year agreement, SRI International and Covia Labs will develop the enhanced capabilities for communications devices such as smartphones. In the long term, the companies plan to design a low-cost solution that features the seamless formation of secure teams across different military and public safety agencies.

Smartphones can now communicate on 90 percent of the Earth not covered by traditional wireless networks. The Iridium AxcessPoint Mail and Web App provides email and Internet connections and features a built-in firewall to block extraneous Internet traffic. Data speeds are up to five times faster for Web browsing and 15 times faster for email. In September 2011, Iridium Communications Incorporated launched its AxcessPoint Wi-Fi hotspot accessory, a portable modem that connects devices to Iridium using an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 satellite phone. Users must own either of these and a purchase a subscription to use the free AxcessPoint Mail and Web App, which is available at the iTunes App Store. Additional information is available at www.iridiumaxcesspoint.com.