U.S. mulls countermeasures against threat of enemy UAVs: Senior U.S. military officials are looking into ways to counter the potential risk of enemy forces, including terrorists, acquiring unmanned aircraft to attack U.S. targets.
Discussion of the growing risk has dominated some security forums for more than a year. Brookings Institution analyst John Villasenor warned in a Los Angeles Times article last year the opening of U.S. airspace to authorized drones could also pose risks of terrorist attacks using them.
At the time such threat perceptions were met with derision and discounted as hysterical and improbable.
But Villasenor wrote technology capable of producing a backpack-size drone fitted with a camera and a warhead already exists.
This week the debate moved forward with senior U.S. Defense Department aides reported to be holding talks to focus on developing anti-UAV technology, Defense News and C4ISR Journal reported.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Pentagon reveals 'indefinite detainees' list
Pentagon reveals 'indefinite detainees' list: The Pentagon released Monday the names of Guantanamo Bay's 46 "indefinite detainees," terror suspects considered too dangerous to transfer from the prison and who cannot be tried in court.
The 15-page list, unveiling details about the prisoners for the first time, was released to The New York Times and The Miami Herald in response to freedom of information requests.
It also included the names of all 166 detainees who remain at the US military jail in southeastern Cuba.
The men designated for indefinite detention include 26 Yemenis, 12 Afghans, three Saudis, two Kuwaitis, two Libyans, a Kenyan, a Moroccan and a Somali.
Two of those men, both Afghans, have died. One committed suicide and the other died of a heart attack.
The captives' status is one of the most controversial aspects of the notorious prison camp.
US official say that because the men were subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, such as the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, denounced as torture, they cannot be prosecuted because the evidence against them is tainted cannot be admitted in court.
The 15-page list, unveiling details about the prisoners for the first time, was released to The New York Times and The Miami Herald in response to freedom of information requests.
It also included the names of all 166 detainees who remain at the US military jail in southeastern Cuba.
The men designated for indefinite detention include 26 Yemenis, 12 Afghans, three Saudis, two Kuwaitis, two Libyans, a Kenyan, a Moroccan and a Somali.
Two of those men, both Afghans, have died. One committed suicide and the other died of a heart attack.
The captives' status is one of the most controversial aspects of the notorious prison camp.
US official say that because the men were subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, such as the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, denounced as torture, they cannot be prosecuted because the evidence against them is tainted cannot be admitted in court.
Faster, More Precise Airstrikes Within Reach
Faster, More Precise Airstrikes Within Reach: Air-ground fire coordination-also known as Close Air Support or CAS-is a dangerous and difficult business. Pilots and dismounted ground agents must ensure they hit only the intended target using just voice directions and, if they're lucky, a common paper map. It can often take up to an hour to confer, get in position and strike-time in which targets can attack first or move out of reach. To help address these challenges, DARPA recently awarded a contract for Phase II of its Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) program to the Raytheon Company of Waltham, Mass.
PCAS aims to enable ground forces and combat aircrews to jointly select and employ precision-guided weapons from a diverse set of airborne platforms. The program seeks to leverage advances in computing and communications technologies to fundamentally increase CAS effectiveness, as well as improve the speed and survivability of ground forces engaged with enemy forces.
PCAS aims to enable ground forces and combat aircrews to jointly select and employ precision-guided weapons from a diverse set of airborne platforms. The program seeks to leverage advances in computing and communications technologies to fundamentally increase CAS effectiveness, as well as improve the speed and survivability of ground forces engaged with enemy forces.
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle 'closes capability gap,' Army says | Article | The United States Army
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle 'closes capability gap,' Army says | Article | The United States Army
While the Humvee has served the Army well for some 25 years, there's a "capability gap" in what it can do for warfighters on a 21st-century battlefield, said the Soldier responsible for overseeing its replacement.
That replacement is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, said Col. John Cavedo, manager, Joint Program Office, or JPO, for JLTV, during an off-road demonstration at the Transportation Demonstration Support Area here, June 14.
Cavedo said the JLTV "closes the capability gap" left by the Humvee.
Marine Lt. Col. Mike Burks, deputy, JPO, JLTV explained the gap.
"We've been trying to break the laws of physics by overloading the Humvee with survivability measures," Burks said. "The Humvee is overloaded even before a Soldier or Marine gets inside."
The other vehicle used to transport Soldiers and Marines around the battlefield, the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, known as an MRAP, has the necessary armor to defeat improvised explosive devices and has saved many lives. However, Burks said the MRAP lacks mobility.
One of the MRAP variants weighs as much as three JLTVs, Burkes said. The weight of that MRAP means it can't be transported by the Army CH-47 Chinook or the Marine CH-53E Super Stallion, the heavy-lift helicopters of the services.
Burkes also said that an additional concern for the Marine Corps, in regard to the MRAP, is that it can't be moved from ship-to-shore like other light wheeled vehicles.
The Army, the lead for the JLTV portfolio, plans to purchase some 49,000 JLTVs, with 5,500 for the Marine Corps. The average production cost will not exceed $250,000 per vehicle, said Cavedo.
Various JLTVs may also be specialized with kits for performing different missions, including fording, combat buffering or command. That specialization may change the cost of a particular vehicle.
Despite sequestration and budget shortfalls, the JLTV program is still on track for fiscal year 2015, Cavedo said. At that time, the JLTV contract will be awarded and the 20-plus year production cycle will begin.
The plan calls for a phase-in of JLTVs, with Humvees and MRAPs still being used, commensurate with mission requirements, said David Branham, PEO Land Systems Marine Corps.
FIERCE COMPETITION
Last year, three manufacturers were selected and are now competing for the JLTV contract. Competition is "fierce and the stakes are high because the winner takes all," said Cavedo, who noted that an important part of his job is to ensure a "level playing field" during the competition.
The three competitors include Oshkosh Defense, which builds MRAPS and other Army vehicles; Lockheed Martin, which produces High Mobility Artillery Rocket System vehicle; and AM General, who builds the Humvee.
Improvised explosive device, or IED, blast and shot testing have already been conducted at Aberdeen Test Center, Md. While not at liberty to say the levels of the blasts, Cavedo said the JLTV's survivability is comparable to the MRAP.
The next milestone comes in mid-August 2013, when each competitor will turn over 22 JLTV prototypes for testing. Those 66 vehicles will undergo 14 months of rigorous testing in a variety of battlefield scenarios conducted by Soldiers and Marines, said Cavedo.
Testing areas include Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz.; Redstone Test Center, Ala.; and Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Additionally, both the Marine Corps and the Army will conduct helicopter trials of the vehicles at various locations, and there will be ship-to-shore testing conducted at Little Creek, Va.
Reliability, availability and maintainability, called RAM testing, will determine the winner, Cavedo said. Additionally, input from Soldiers and Marines "will absolutely be taken very seriously."
RAM testing includes the "iron triangle of performance," Cavedo said. That includes evaluations of performance, protection and payload. The vehicles will also be evaluated for transportability, mobility, expeditionary capability, network-readiness and affordability.
In early fiscal year 2015, following user testing, the requirements document will be revalidated to ensure the original requirements are still pertinent. After that, a winner will be chosen, Cavedo said.
During the demonstration runs at Quantico, Va., all three of the JLTVs in the competition ran smoothly at high speed over the roller coaster-like hills which followed alongside power transmission lines. The vehicles didn't protest turns at high speed, and bumps and ruts barely registered. Inside the vehicles there was plenty of room for network gear, blue-force tracker, GPS, and other networking and communications equipment. Seating was comfortable as well.
"All three vendors absolutely meet the key requirements, all could close that critical and substantial capability gap in our light tactical wheel portfolio," Cavedo concluded. "In the end, the government will pick very best of best. We're in a fortunate situation."
While the Humvee has served the Army well for some 25 years, there's a "capability gap" in what it can do for warfighters on a 21st-century battlefield, said the Soldier responsible for overseeing its replacement.
That replacement is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, said Col. John Cavedo, manager, Joint Program Office, or JPO, for JLTV, during an off-road demonstration at the Transportation Demonstration Support Area here, June 14.
Cavedo said the JLTV "closes the capability gap" left by the Humvee.
Marine Lt. Col. Mike Burks, deputy, JPO, JLTV explained the gap.
"We've been trying to break the laws of physics by overloading the Humvee with survivability measures," Burks said. "The Humvee is overloaded even before a Soldier or Marine gets inside."
The other vehicle used to transport Soldiers and Marines around the battlefield, the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, known as an MRAP, has the necessary armor to defeat improvised explosive devices and has saved many lives. However, Burks said the MRAP lacks mobility.
One of the MRAP variants weighs as much as three JLTVs, Burkes said. The weight of that MRAP means it can't be transported by the Army CH-47 Chinook or the Marine CH-53E Super Stallion, the heavy-lift helicopters of the services.
Burkes also said that an additional concern for the Marine Corps, in regard to the MRAP, is that it can't be moved from ship-to-shore like other light wheeled vehicles.
The Army, the lead for the JLTV portfolio, plans to purchase some 49,000 JLTVs, with 5,500 for the Marine Corps. The average production cost will not exceed $250,000 per vehicle, said Cavedo.
Various JLTVs may also be specialized with kits for performing different missions, including fording, combat buffering or command. That specialization may change the cost of a particular vehicle.
Despite sequestration and budget shortfalls, the JLTV program is still on track for fiscal year 2015, Cavedo said. At that time, the JLTV contract will be awarded and the 20-plus year production cycle will begin.
The plan calls for a phase-in of JLTVs, with Humvees and MRAPs still being used, commensurate with mission requirements, said David Branham, PEO Land Systems Marine Corps.
FIERCE COMPETITION
Last year, three manufacturers were selected and are now competing for the JLTV contract. Competition is "fierce and the stakes are high because the winner takes all," said Cavedo, who noted that an important part of his job is to ensure a "level playing field" during the competition.
The three competitors include Oshkosh Defense, which builds MRAPS and other Army vehicles; Lockheed Martin, which produces High Mobility Artillery Rocket System vehicle; and AM General, who builds the Humvee.
Improvised explosive device, or IED, blast and shot testing have already been conducted at Aberdeen Test Center, Md. While not at liberty to say the levels of the blasts, Cavedo said the JLTV's survivability is comparable to the MRAP.
The next milestone comes in mid-August 2013, when each competitor will turn over 22 JLTV prototypes for testing. Those 66 vehicles will undergo 14 months of rigorous testing in a variety of battlefield scenarios conducted by Soldiers and Marines, said Cavedo.
Testing areas include Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz.; Redstone Test Center, Ala.; and Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Additionally, both the Marine Corps and the Army will conduct helicopter trials of the vehicles at various locations, and there will be ship-to-shore testing conducted at Little Creek, Va.
Reliability, availability and maintainability, called RAM testing, will determine the winner, Cavedo said. Additionally, input from Soldiers and Marines "will absolutely be taken very seriously."
RAM testing includes the "iron triangle of performance," Cavedo said. That includes evaluations of performance, protection and payload. The vehicles will also be evaluated for transportability, mobility, expeditionary capability, network-readiness and affordability.
In early fiscal year 2015, following user testing, the requirements document will be revalidated to ensure the original requirements are still pertinent. After that, a winner will be chosen, Cavedo said.
During the demonstration runs at Quantico, Va., all three of the JLTVs in the competition ran smoothly at high speed over the roller coaster-like hills which followed alongside power transmission lines. The vehicles didn't protest turns at high speed, and bumps and ruts barely registered. Inside the vehicles there was plenty of room for network gear, blue-force tracker, GPS, and other networking and communications equipment. Seating was comfortable as well.
"All three vendors absolutely meet the key requirements, all could close that critical and substantial capability gap in our light tactical wheel portfolio," Cavedo concluded. "In the end, the government will pick very best of best. We're in a fortunate situation."
NSA head: Surveillance helped thwart more than 50 terror plots
NSA head: Surveillance helped thwart more than 50 terror plots: Intelligence officials said Tuesday that the government’s sweeping surveillance efforts have helped thwart 50 potential “terrorist events” since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and the officials revealed two new examples for the first time.
In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, officials cited a nascent plot to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and a case involving an individual providing financial support to an overseas terrorist group.
“In recent years these programs, together with other intelligence, have protected the U.S. and our allies from terrorist threats across the globe to include helping prevent the terrorist — the potential terrorist events over 50 times since 9/11,” National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander told the House Intelligence Committee.
In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, officials cited a nascent plot to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and a case involving an individual providing financial support to an overseas terrorist group.
“In recent years these programs, together with other intelligence, have protected the U.S. and our allies from terrorist threats across the globe to include helping prevent the terrorist — the potential terrorist events over 50 times since 9/11,” National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander told the House Intelligence Committee.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Army harnesses sun to reduce casualties from sniper attacks | Article | The United States Army
Army harnesses sun to reduce casualties from sniper attacks | Article | The United States Army
The U.S. Army is harnessing the elements to help reduce casualties from sniper attacks on forward operating bases.
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's research laboratory and aviation missile and communications-electronics RD&E centers -- the Army Research Laboratory, or ARL, the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, and the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC -- have integrated and deployed wind and solar harvesting systems to provide continuous energy to company-level, force protection systems used by U.S. Army combat units in theater.
A joint venture by ARL, Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, known as AMRDEC, and industry, the Hostile Fire Detection Sensor, or Firefly, is a 360-degree surveillance system that uses acoustics fused with Short Wave Infrared detectors to locate enemy shooters for more accurate return fire.
Firefly detects line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight hostile fire and classifies these as small arms, heavy machine gun or rocket/mortar. It calculates geo-location of the shot and provides self-position and heading in a standard cursor-on-target format. The Firefly can be either a mobile or fixed system, attached to the Soldier's backpack while on patrol, or mounted at forward operating bases.
The Firefly system was initially deployed to Afghanistan in May 2012 to support a fires detection requirement. However, deployment sites faced challenges in sustaining conventional power delivery to Fireflies along perimeter walls due to enemy attacks when Soldiers were above the wall line changing batteries.
"In our attempts to solve the power issue, we discovered that CERDEC had sponsored the development of RENEWS power kits, which offered more complete solutions for charging the power supplies," said William Lawler, an electrical engineer in ARL's Sensor Integration Branch. "They immediately provided us with several kits, which we sent to AMRDEC for integration with Firefly and testing. Once it was determined that this solution satisfactorily extended the power supply, CERDEC provided several solar versions of the kits for deployment."
The Reusing Existing Natural Energy, Wind & Solar system, or RENEWS, enables the harvesting and utilization of wind and/or solar power and is intended to produce up to 300 watts of energy field usage in silent, remote operations where the supply of power and fuel resupply is difficult or risky, noted Daniel Berka, an electronics technician in CERDEC's Command, Power & Integration directorate, or CERDEC CP&I.
RENEWS consists of a wind turbine, three 124-watt flexible solar panels, a power conditioner, an AC inverter, and a battery storage/charging unit that contains six BB-2590 rechargeable batteries; it can be hooked into either the solar panels or the wind turbine for continuous charging. The BB-2590 battery, which was developed by CERDEC CP&I, is lighter than the standard BB-390 battery and features better capacity.
"RENEWS offers options; solar was preferred in this case, using the solar panels to charge the six-pack of batteries during the day. We connected a cable from the RENEWS kit to the Firefly, giving them 1.2 KW of continuous energy to run the Firefly system. There still was some maintenance to check the Six-Pack and clean the dirt off the solar panels, but the Soldiers are not going up there every day because the solar panels are within the walls, so they're not exposed to enemy fire," Berka said.
Limited pairings of the two systems have gone to theater as a package, with the most recent deployment being April 24.
"Integration is absolutely a critical, relevant and priority S&T (science and technology) investment, and RDECOM is uniquely positioned to provide this to the Army," said Dale Ormond, director of U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, known as RDECOM. "We are the only organization that has the flexibility and technical expertise to execute the Army S&T mission across a broad portfolio of services. We can draw on a wide range of strengths and technical competencies from each of our centers and laboratories to develop holistic solutions that meet real operational needs. It provides better technical solutions for Soldiers and it enhances the Army's ability to be more flexible and adaptive against asymmetrical threats."
The integrated solution also provided an opportunity for CERDEC CP&I to gather additional operational feedback to be used in efforts to reduce Soldier load and logistical support, said Pedro Passapera, chief for CERDEC CP&I's Experimentation and Simulation Branch.
"Changing power sources and delivering fuel can be dangerous for Soldiers in the field. We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with other organizations in order to address small unit power issues while reducing the logistics footprint," Passapera said.
"Operational feedback allows us to see areas for improvements that would make the technology more effective for mission support," Passapera continued. "Other Soldiers will benefit from this because we will use the feedback to make adjustments to the current or next generation system and provide the data back to the appropriate decision makers. This was a perfect fit." said.
CP&I has deployed 40 complete RENEWS systems and more than 60 solar systems to units, Passapera noted.
AMRDEC is seeking to transition Firefly to a program of record in late fiscal year 2013, noted Timothy Edwards, Ph.D., lead for AMRDEC's Firefly team.
RDECOM, whose mission is to develop technology and engineering solutions for America's Soldiers, is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. AMC is the Army's premier provider of materiel readiness -- technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection, and sustainment -- to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, eats it or communicates with it, AMC provides it.
"This integrated solution has been very successful and is still serving the warfighters in Afghanistan. Working across RDECOM truly is the best way to support the warfighter," Edwards said.
The U.S. Army is harnessing the elements to help reduce casualties from sniper attacks on forward operating bases.
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's research laboratory and aviation missile and communications-electronics RD&E centers -- the Army Research Laboratory, or ARL, the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, and the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC -- have integrated and deployed wind and solar harvesting systems to provide continuous energy to company-level, force protection systems used by U.S. Army combat units in theater.
A joint venture by ARL, Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, known as AMRDEC, and industry, the Hostile Fire Detection Sensor, or Firefly, is a 360-degree surveillance system that uses acoustics fused with Short Wave Infrared detectors to locate enemy shooters for more accurate return fire.
Firefly detects line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight hostile fire and classifies these as small arms, heavy machine gun or rocket/mortar. It calculates geo-location of the shot and provides self-position and heading in a standard cursor-on-target format. The Firefly can be either a mobile or fixed system, attached to the Soldier's backpack while on patrol, or mounted at forward operating bases.
The Firefly system was initially deployed to Afghanistan in May 2012 to support a fires detection requirement. However, deployment sites faced challenges in sustaining conventional power delivery to Fireflies along perimeter walls due to enemy attacks when Soldiers were above the wall line changing batteries.
"In our attempts to solve the power issue, we discovered that CERDEC had sponsored the development of RENEWS power kits, which offered more complete solutions for charging the power supplies," said William Lawler, an electrical engineer in ARL's Sensor Integration Branch. "They immediately provided us with several kits, which we sent to AMRDEC for integration with Firefly and testing. Once it was determined that this solution satisfactorily extended the power supply, CERDEC provided several solar versions of the kits for deployment."
The Reusing Existing Natural Energy, Wind & Solar system, or RENEWS, enables the harvesting and utilization of wind and/or solar power and is intended to produce up to 300 watts of energy field usage in silent, remote operations where the supply of power and fuel resupply is difficult or risky, noted Daniel Berka, an electronics technician in CERDEC's Command, Power & Integration directorate, or CERDEC CP&I.
RENEWS consists of a wind turbine, three 124-watt flexible solar panels, a power conditioner, an AC inverter, and a battery storage/charging unit that contains six BB-2590 rechargeable batteries; it can be hooked into either the solar panels or the wind turbine for continuous charging. The BB-2590 battery, which was developed by CERDEC CP&I, is lighter than the standard BB-390 battery and features better capacity.
"RENEWS offers options; solar was preferred in this case, using the solar panels to charge the six-pack of batteries during the day. We connected a cable from the RENEWS kit to the Firefly, giving them 1.2 KW of continuous energy to run the Firefly system. There still was some maintenance to check the Six-Pack and clean the dirt off the solar panels, but the Soldiers are not going up there every day because the solar panels are within the walls, so they're not exposed to enemy fire," Berka said.
Limited pairings of the two systems have gone to theater as a package, with the most recent deployment being April 24.
"Integration is absolutely a critical, relevant and priority S&T (science and technology) investment, and RDECOM is uniquely positioned to provide this to the Army," said Dale Ormond, director of U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, known as RDECOM. "We are the only organization that has the flexibility and technical expertise to execute the Army S&T mission across a broad portfolio of services. We can draw on a wide range of strengths and technical competencies from each of our centers and laboratories to develop holistic solutions that meet real operational needs. It provides better technical solutions for Soldiers and it enhances the Army's ability to be more flexible and adaptive against asymmetrical threats."
The integrated solution also provided an opportunity for CERDEC CP&I to gather additional operational feedback to be used in efforts to reduce Soldier load and logistical support, said Pedro Passapera, chief for CERDEC CP&I's Experimentation and Simulation Branch.
"Changing power sources and delivering fuel can be dangerous for Soldiers in the field. We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with other organizations in order to address small unit power issues while reducing the logistics footprint," Passapera said.
"Operational feedback allows us to see areas for improvements that would make the technology more effective for mission support," Passapera continued. "Other Soldiers will benefit from this because we will use the feedback to make adjustments to the current or next generation system and provide the data back to the appropriate decision makers. This was a perfect fit." said.
CP&I has deployed 40 complete RENEWS systems and more than 60 solar systems to units, Passapera noted.
AMRDEC is seeking to transition Firefly to a program of record in late fiscal year 2013, noted Timothy Edwards, Ph.D., lead for AMRDEC's Firefly team.
RDECOM, whose mission is to develop technology and engineering solutions for America's Soldiers, is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. AMC is the Army's premier provider of materiel readiness -- technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection, and sustainment -- to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, eats it or communicates with it, AMC provides it.
"This integrated solution has been very successful and is still serving the warfighters in Afghanistan. Working across RDECOM truly is the best way to support the warfighter," Edwards said.
Raytheon to improve US Army air defenses, better identify targets
Raytheon to improve US Army air defenses, better identify targets
Raytheon under a contract modification from the U.S. Army, is adding new capabilities to the Identification Friend or Foe interrogator to reduce Radio Frequency (RF) emissions and enhance target identification for the warfighter. "We understood that the warfighter needed an improved identification capability, so Raytheon is both increasing the capability of the interrogator system and reducing RF emissions," said Glen Bassett, director of Advanced Communication and Countermeasures for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business. The addition of Mode S, awarded to Raytheon in September 2012, will allow the warfighter to query targets individually and has the ability to track and identify targets passively rather than filling the airspace with RF.
Raytheon under a contract modification from the U.S. Army, is adding new capabilities to the Identification Friend or Foe interrogator to reduce Radio Frequency (RF) emissions and enhance target identification for the warfighter. "We understood that the warfighter needed an improved identification capability, so Raytheon is both increasing the capability of the interrogator system and reducing RF emissions," said Glen Bassett, director of Advanced Communication and Countermeasures for Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business. The addition of Mode S, awarded to Raytheon in September 2012, will allow the warfighter to query targets individually and has the ability to track and identify targets passively rather than filling the airspace with RF.
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