Ancient germs that hunt bacteria are now getting recruited to assemble the electronics of the future. Scientists are using viruses to build solar cells and other gadgets that are dramatic improvements over their existing counterparts. These new techniques also manufacture the devices in a way that is far safer for the environment than current methods.
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Inside the Military’s Secret Terror-Tagging Tech
The story that the CIA uses tiny homing beacons to guide their drone strikes in Pakistan may sound like an urban myth. But this sort of technology does exist, and might well be used for exactly this purpose. It might even have been the “secret weapon” that Bob Woodward said helped the American military pacify Iraq.
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Princeton Optronics gets Navy contract to develop powerful blue VCSEL arrays
Princeton Optronics (Trenton, NJ), which develops some very interesting high-power vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), as well as low-noise solid-state lasers, has received a $750K two-year-duration Navy Phase II SBIR contract for developing blue-laser arrays that consist of frequency doubled high-power VCSEL arrays.
The objective of the program is to develop high-energy pulsed blue lasers with energies of greater than10 mJ per pulse for Navy light detection and ranging (LIDAR) applications. The phase II contract follows a successful completion of a phase I SBIR contract received last year.
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The objective of the program is to develop high-energy pulsed blue lasers with energies of greater than10 mJ per pulse for Navy light detection and ranging (LIDAR) applications. The phase II contract follows a successful completion of a phase I SBIR contract received last year.
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Concerns Over Recovering AF447 Recorders
The French accident investigation office (BEA) believes the suspected crash site of Air France AF447 may make recovery of flight data and cockpit voice recorders a challenge and is bracing for having to rely on other datapoints to try to unravel the mystery of the crash of the Airbus A330-200.
It's not just the depth of the ocean where the A330 went down that's at issue, but also the rough terrain of the sea-bed in that region, says Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the BEA. "This will not be an easy investigation," he notes.
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It's not just the depth of the ocean where the A330 went down that's at issue, but also the rough terrain of the sea-bed in that region, says Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the BEA. "This will not be an easy investigation," he notes.
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ABL Laser Gets MDA Nod Thus Far
The director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) says he is pleased with the performance of the Airborne Laser’s (ABL) mission systems to date, but the 747-400F platform has recently had problems with flight worthiness.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly says ABL’s laser has been fired and displayed atmospheric compensation beyond 100 kilometers (60 miles) 12 times, most recently in a test flight last weekend. The laser’s ability to compensate for particles in the atmosphere that can dissipate the laser energy is a key criterion to the success of the system.
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U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly says ABL’s laser has been fired and displayed atmospheric compensation beyond 100 kilometers (60 miles) 12 times, most recently in a test flight last weekend. The laser’s ability to compensate for particles in the atmosphere that can dissipate the laser energy is a key criterion to the success of the system.
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Pentagon Seeks More Power From Vehicles
A strong argument could be made that given the recent innovations in ground-vehicle armor, and vehicle-mounted communications and sensor equipment brought about by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military is in a “Golden Age” for tactical vehicles.
It’s jarring to think that just a few years ago, U.S. forces entered Iraq in thin-skinned, often doorless or roofless Humvees, vehicles that now seem more appropriate for museums than combat zones. The unforeseen needs of extra armor, especially underbelly armor to deflect roadside bombs, and the exponentially greater power-generation requirements of a force that increasingly relies on sensors and communications gear, has strained the fleet to its limits, and led to a revolution in vehicle technology.
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It’s jarring to think that just a few years ago, U.S. forces entered Iraq in thin-skinned, often doorless or roofless Humvees, vehicles that now seem more appropriate for museums than combat zones. The unforeseen needs of extra armor, especially underbelly armor to deflect roadside bombs, and the exponentially greater power-generation requirements of a force that increasingly relies on sensors and communications gear, has strained the fleet to its limits, and led to a revolution in vehicle technology.
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Joint Platform Tablet MRT Computers
DRS Technologies, Inc., announced today that it received a $217 million contract to produce rugged computing systems which include Joint Platform Tablet military rugged tablet (MRT) computers, keyboards, docking stations, interface cables and base plates in support of the Movement Tracking System (MTS) for the U.S. Army. The systems are designed and manufactured at the DRS Tactical Systems business unit in Melbourne, Florida. Deliveries will begin this year and continue into 2010.
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Joint War Games Test Today’s, Tomorrow’s Security Challenges
A series of seminar-type, joint-force war games being held at McLean, Va., are examining present and future threats, senior U.S. military officers said here today.
The war games began May 31 and are slated to conclude June 5.
The U.S. military “had a great model for deterrence” during the Cold War, Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, deputy commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command, based at Norfolk, Va., said during a conference call with reporters. That model mostly was based on the use of conventional military forces to deter the Soviet Union.
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The war games began May 31 and are slated to conclude June 5.
The U.S. military “had a great model for deterrence” during the Cold War, Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, deputy commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command, based at Norfolk, Va., said during a conference call with reporters. That model mostly was based on the use of conventional military forces to deter the Soviet Union.
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DARPA’s Hypersonic Vulcan Engine Meld
It might not be a Vulcan mind-meld, but it’s pretty close. The Department of Defense’s technology brain trust, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has given 4 contractors the go-ahead to develop the advanced Vulcan combination engine system for hypersonic flight. The 8-month first phase features awards to: Alliant TechSystems, General Electric, Rolls Royce, and United Technologies.
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Lockheed Martin Conducts Successful Flight Of AFRL’s Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft
On Tuesday, June 2, Lockheed Martin and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) successfully conducted the initial demonstration flight of the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA). This flight marks the final and most significant milestone of Phase II of AFRL’s ACCA program, in which Lockheed Martin replaced the mid/aft fuselage and empennage of a Dornier 328J aircraft with an advanced composite structure.
"Yesterday was one of those perfect days where I get to be the first to fly a new aircraft and everything goes as planned. The aircraft was a real pleasure to fly and we experienced no issues,"said Rob Rowe, Lockheed Martin test pilot.
ACCA took off to the east from USAF Plant 42 at 6:55 a.m. The aircraft then banked west and climbed to an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet where the two-pilot crew took the vehicle through a series of airspeed and stability and control tests. These tests are important to understand how the composite cargo aircraft performs at varying speeds, attitudes, and altitudes. This data will be used as a baseline for future tests.
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"Yesterday was one of those perfect days where I get to be the first to fly a new aircraft and everything goes as planned. The aircraft was a real pleasure to fly and we experienced no issues,"said Rob Rowe, Lockheed Martin test pilot.
ACCA took off to the east from USAF Plant 42 at 6:55 a.m. The aircraft then banked west and climbed to an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet where the two-pilot crew took the vehicle through a series of airspeed and stability and control tests. These tests are important to understand how the composite cargo aircraft performs at varying speeds, attitudes, and altitudes. This data will be used as a baseline for future tests.
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Lockheed Receives $2bn Contract Modification for F-35 Lightning II Lot III
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $2,106,525,040 modification to definitize the previously awarded Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) air system low rate initial production Lot III advance acquisition contract (N00019-08-C-0028) to a cost-plus-incentive-fee/award-fee contract.
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How to retaliate in cyber attacks debated
In the murky world of computer espionage, the United States faces hard choices on how to retaliate when government or privately owned networks come under cyber attack, senior military and intelligence officials said Tuesday.
As the administration grapples with how best to defend its computer networks, debate is raging over how far the United States can go in pursuit of cybercriminals, and even what constitutes a digital act of war.
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As the administration grapples with how best to defend its computer networks, debate is raging over how far the United States can go in pursuit of cybercriminals, and even what constitutes a digital act of war.
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Boeing Looks for 'Silent Eagle' Development Partners
Boeing officials are in talks with several U.S. and foreign-based companies about forming a consortium to share development costs on the Chicago-based defense giant's new F-15SE "Silent Eagle" fighter aircraft.
The Silent Eagle is an updated version of Boeing's venerable F-15. It features a new coating to shield it from enemy radar, an internal weapon carriage, new avionics and a V-tail.
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The Silent Eagle is an updated version of Boeing's venerable F-15. It features a new coating to shield it from enemy radar, an internal weapon carriage, new avionics and a V-tail.
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Aerovironment’s Global Observer: Flying High, Again
The late Dr. Paul McReady’s Aerovironment, Inc. has achieved just renown for the success of its small UAVs like the Army’s RQ-11 Raven and the US Marines’ RQ-14 Dragon Eye/Swift. Outside the military sphere, however, it is best known for civil successes like the human-powered Gossamer Condor, the giant, solar-powered Pathfinder and Helios aircraft, and the flying Quetzalcoatlus northropi ornithopter on display in the Smithsonian museum.
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GaN: DARPA’s 3-Pronged R&D Strategy
DID has reported extensively on research contracts related to Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors, which offer significantly higher power and performance. Unfortunately, they present manufacturing and cost challenges that have stymied their use in commercial applications.
In May 2005, Compound Semiconductor Magazine offered an excellent overview of the GaN wide-bandgap semiconductors program and DARPA’s goals. Key program objectives include rapid transition of the technology developed into military systems. Other important goals include a “great” improvement in understanding the physical reasons behind device failures and the development of physical models to predict performance, reproducible device and MMIC fabrication processes, and improved thermal management and packaging. Reliability is expected to be a key challenge.
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In May 2005, Compound Semiconductor Magazine offered an excellent overview of the GaN wide-bandgap semiconductors program and DARPA’s goals. Key program objectives include rapid transition of the technology developed into military systems. Other important goals include a “great” improvement in understanding the physical reasons behind device failures and the development of physical models to predict performance, reproducible device and MMIC fabrication processes, and improved thermal management and packaging. Reliability is expected to be a key challenge.
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WNAN: DARPA’s Idea for Next-Generation Soldier Networks
At present, many soldiers don’t have communications radios because the hardware is too expensive. Buying 2-way radios from Radio Shack before deployments solved that problem for some soldiers, but insecure communications created others. On the high end, the US military’s JTRS program is expected to create radios that are much better at working together, and much easier to upgrade. As one might expect, however, the hardware appears to be on track to be more expensive, in return for that improved performance.
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