News Briefs

Mortar Shells From the Sky
U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft may soon have a new weapon to drop: mortar shells. The Roll Controlled Fixed Canard (RCFC) flight control and guidance system allows 81-millimeter mortar shells to be guided to a fixed target after being released from an aircraft. It consists of an integral fuze and guidance-and-flight control kit that can be installed on existing mortars. General Dynamics developed the RCFC system, which was sponsored by the U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center in Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.

New Year, New Cyberthreats
Research reveals lurking cyberdangers this year and in the future as a result of the increased use of social networking and mobile communications capabilities. The IBM Internet Security Systems’ X-Force warns that the vast amounts of personal information social network participants are storing on these sites make the sites a prime candidate for malware that targets account credentials at sites like Digg, Twitter and Facebook. Smartphone users also are vulnerable. In addition, the “anonymous Web” will become a reality this year, making it more difficult for employers, parents and law enforcement personnel to track the sites employees, children and criminals visit.

Colossal Carbon Tubes Created
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory have discovered jumbo carbon nanotubes that may have uses in applications from electronics to body armor. Unlike conventional carbon nanotubes, which are single tubes about 10 nanometers in diameter, the big tubes have a diameter of 40 microns to 100 microns. The walls of these big structures are 20 times less dense than regular nanotubes and consist of hollow, rectangular compartments. Because the tubes are micron-size, researchers say that they are easier to use in commercial applications than smaller conventional nanotubes.

“Homeport” Takes On New Meaning
The U.S. Navy is experimenting with allowing sailors to telecommute to fill career-enhancing billets. The Virtual Command Pilot Program will enable officers to move to their new assignments without necessarily physically transferring to a new location. Some job-related travel still will be required. The program will initially involve eight officer billets, and a Navy/Marine Corps Intranet seat that includes a laptop, docking station, monitor, keyboard and mouse as well as a government cell phone for work-related communications will be provided. Officers interested in taking part in the pilot program must request a chain-of-command recommendation be sent to their detailers via a nomination e-mail from either their commanding or executive officer.

System to Quicken Prediction
The U.S. Army is acquiring an information analysis system that will help intelligence analysts predict enemy behavior on the battlefield faster and more effectively. The system will use advanced semantic reasoning processes to scour through massive amounts of data and identify behavior patterns. The service-oriented architecture framework will represent and extract temporal and event information from text and support temporal reasoning that accelerates intelligence analysis. The Army’s Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center’s Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate is leading the effort, and the goal is to significantly decrease the amount of time intelligence analysis requires.

First UAS Beta Test Program Begins
A class of 10 U.S. Air Force officers began the first unmanned aircraft systems beta test program to produce operators of the MQ-1 Predator on January 5 in Pueblo, Colorado. The officers were chosen from a variety of career fields and will participate in an eight-month program. The Air Force now wants officers to apply for the class beginning in June as well as other future courses. Personnel selected for the program will aid the Air Force as it stands up the number of combat air patrols required by combatant commanders.

Military and Industry to Share Maintenance Workload
Personnel at Robins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia, will begin performing some of the maintenance on the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system. The LAIRCM counters the threat that large, slow-moving cargo aircraft face from shoulder-fired and vehicle-launched missiles. Previously, Northrop Grumman Corporation performed almost all the maintenance work; however, the U.S. Air Force now considers the system too important to rely solely on private industry for maintenance. Under the new plan, Northrop Grumman will move its LAIRCM hub from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to the Robins AFB area. Personnel from various branches of the military will work on the system on planes.

Satellite Terminals Down Under
The Royal Australian Navy has acquired wideband satellite communications terminals for its newest warships. The Advanced SATCOM Terrestrial Infrastructure System (ASTIS) terminals will be installed on three new air warfare destroyers and two new amphibious ships. The ASTIS terminal is a dual X/Ka band of the SCOT system. Manufactured by the EADS Group, the terminals will be delivered between September 2010 and May 2011.

News Briefs Archives