Category: Technology

Army FCS: Accelerated Delivery

High-Tech Combat Equipment Expedited For Use In Iraq, (Washington Post)…Donna Borak, Associated Press, June 27, 2008, Pg. D4

The Army will deliver some key technologies to ground forces in war zones three years ahead of schedule as part of its $160 billion combat modernization program led by Boeing and SAIC.

Senior Army officials said Thursday that changes to the Future Combat Systems program will expedite the use of high-tech equipment, including unmanned sensors and robotics, to infantry brigades fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan by 2011.

Army: Support for FCS Restructure

Gates Believes FCS Restructure ‘Deserves Support’
(InsideDefense.com)…Daniel Wasserbly, June 26, 2008

The Army today announced its new plan for fielding the first iteration of Future Combat Systems equipment to infantry brigade combat teams, garnering support from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

FCS is the Army’s premier modernization program — it encompasses various manned and unmanned platforms, sensors and battle-command and high-speed networking tools, which it will provide to soldiers through three technology insertions, or “spin outs.”

China EMP Technology

Inside The Ring, China EMP arms, Washington Times, June 26, 2008 Pg. B1 By Bill Gertz

China’s significant military buildup includes strategic weapons designed to counter U.S. military advantages, including electric pulse weapons, a senior Pentagon official told Congress Wednesday.

James J. Shinn, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs also said during House testimony that China’s arms buildup is increasing the danger of a future conflict over Taiwan.

He disclosed that China’s military is working on exotic electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons that can devastate electronic systems using a burst of energy similar to that produced by a nuclear blast.

 The recent election of Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan’s president and the renewal of China-Taiwan discussions “at least, appears to have reduced the threat and the probability of the use of force.”

Air Force Maj. Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, vice director of the Joint Staff for strategic plans and policy, said he agreed with Mr. Shinn and warned that the increase in Chinese air defense and other war-fighting capabilities in the strait “make it militarily a more challenging area.”

Gen. Breedlove said it is hoped that increased military dialogue with China will diffuse the danger of “possible incidents across the strait.”

New Technologies: Less Weight

Wearable Power A Prize That Could Go To War
(San Francisco Chronicle)…Tom Abate, June 22, 2008
Pg. C1

…Pentagon officials hope to lighten soldiers’ loads by encouraging the development of new technologies, such as fuel cells, that can provide more juice and weigh less than bulky batteries. Rather than solicit bids, the Pentagon has set up a competition. In October, it will field test new power storage technologies in a contest offering three cash awards of $1 million, $500,000 and $250,000. The winning devices must deliver at least 96 hours worth of power in a package weighing less than 9 pounds.

Cyber Warfare

Catching Spies Updated, (Washington Times)…Ed Timperlake, June 24, 2008

…The creation of the USAF Cyber Command is a tremendous first step in focusing technology and people to dominate what has been called “cyber-battle space.”

In this new century, with the continuing pressure of pacifist demilitarization, a new military threat is upon us as a country. With the emergence of world-altering computer technology, the Internet brings a new dimension of war and counterintelligence.

North Korea: New Info

New Data Found On North Korea’s Nuclear Capacity
(Washington Post)…Glenn Kessler

The United States in recent weeks has obtained new intelligence — fresh traces of highly enriched uranium discovered among 18,000 pages of North Korean documents — that are raising new questions about whether Pyongyang pursued an alternative route to producing a nuclear weapon, according to sources familiar with the intelligence findings.

"As we’ve gotten deeper into the process, we’ve been troubled by additional information about North Korea’s uranium-enrichment capability," Rice said. "And this information has reaffirmed skepticism about dealing with North Korea." — Secretary Rice

Heroic Military Working Dog

Once At A Local Pound, Gabe Now Sniffs Out Bombs In Iraq
(Houston Chronicle)…Rosanna Ruiz, June 21, 2008, Pg. 1

In his early years, he was known to wander …

His impressive military record led the American Kennel Club recently to honor Gabe with its Heroic Military Working Dog Award medal. His partner, Sgt. Charles Shuck, of the 178th Military Police Detachment, also shared in the honor.

The pair has conducted more than 170 combat patrols, including search operations, raids and sweeps that provided safe environments for task forces, Iraqi police and other coalition forces, according to the AKC.

Nuclear "Proliferation"

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Is Obsolete
(Wall Street Journal)…Jane Harman

…The best course would be to persuade Iran to abandon its designs on the bomb and make its nuclear activities completely transparent to international authorities – as three United Nations Resolutions have required. But Iran is not the only problem. Other countries may travel down the same path, waving the banner of peaceful nuclear energy.

IARPA Like DARPA

Intelligence Agency Joins U-Md. Research Center, (Washington Post)…Anita Huslin, June 16, 2008, Pg. D1

…The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) is the new corollary of the military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, created in 1958 in the wake of the Sputnik launch to develop new defense technologies.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity is the new corollary of the military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, created in 1958 in the wake of the Sputnik launch to develop new defense technologies. Among other things, DARPA’s work led to the development of the Internet, global positioning systems and unmanned aircraft. IARPA is expected to perform similar work for the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.

The organization’s budget is classified. In seeking congressional funding for the agency, officials last year said that IARPA will be significantly smaller than DARPA, which has a $3 billion annual budget. Its staff will consist of 35 national intelligence and 21 CIA employees, and research will be outsourced to contractors. Focuses will be language processing, quantum science, nanotechnology, biometrics, deception detection, counter-biological warfare and tagging, tracking and locating.