AF awards new combat rescue helicopter contract U.S. Air Force Article Display

AF awards new combat rescue helicopter contract U.S. Air Force Article Display

The Air Force awarded a $1.28 billion contract for the initial engineering and manufacturing development phase of the new combat rescue helicopter to Sikorsky Aircraft Company on June 26.

The contract also includes procurement of the first four of the program’s planned 112 aircraft.

“Over the last 10 years, the Air Force has discussed upgrading the platform that performs this sacred mission for all Department of Defense personnel who go into harm’s way,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “This mission is part of the military ethos, and the Air Force is committed to providing it.”

The Air Force is the primary service tasked to organize, train, equip and provide forces to conduct global personnel recovery operations with the specific capability to conduct theater-wide combat search and rescue.

“The resulting contract is $700 million below the government's affordability target gate,” James said. “The government has performed a thorough analysis of the proposed price and concluded this contract award is a very good buy for the taxpayer.”

AF awards new combat rescue helicopter contract > U.S. Air Force > Article Display

AF awards new combat rescue helicopter contract > U.S. Air Force > Article Display

The Air Force awarded a $1.28 billion contract for the initial engineering and manufacturing development phase of the new combat rescue helicopter to Sikorsky Aircraft Company on June 26.

The contract also includes procurement of the first four of the program’s planned 112 aircraft.

“Over the last 10 years, the Air Force has discussed upgrading the platform that performs this sacred mission for all Department of Defense personnel who go into harm’s way,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “This mission is part of the military ethos, and the Air Force is committed to providing it.”

The Air Force is the primary service tasked to organize, train, equip and provide forces to conduct global personnel recovery operations with the specific capability to conduct theater-wide combat search and rescue.

“The resulting contract is $700 million below the government's affordability target gate,” James said. “The government has performed a thorough analysis of the proposed price and concluded this contract award is a very good buy for the taxpayer.”

Defense Sciences Office: at the Edge of Science and National Security

Defense Sciences Office: at the Edge of Science and National Security



Scientists and engineers in DARPA's Defense Sciences Office (DSO) promote and exploit new discoveries across the frontiers of physics, chemistry, and mathematics to identify and accelerate potentially game-changing technologies for U.S. national security. After recently spinning off biological technologies into a new office, DSO's investment portfolio, which continues to create new materials and explore the boundaries of physical phenomena, is expanding to include novel approaches to understanding, predicting, designing, and developing engineered complex systems.

As DARPA Director Dr. Arati Prabhakar explained in recent testimony to Congress, "Today's diverse threats can either be viewed as imposing a barrier or as an opportunity to overcome a difficult challenge. Either way, I believe our national security will depend upon how we deal with complexity."Often referred to as "DARPA's DARPA," DSO relies on outstanding program managers drawn from universities, government, corporate laboratories, and research communities. This diversity forges the interdisciplinary connections that characterize DSO efforts-and which, in some cases, have grown into completely new fields, from materials science to microelectronics and biological technologies. Program managers are impassioned and empowered to make critical investments in an ever-changing scientific and strategic landscape."The Defense Sciences Office is an intrinsically adaptive organization," said Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, who became DSO's director on April 1, 2014. "We have only a couple of certainties to guide our work: global technology capabilities will continue to grow rapidly, regardless of who drives them, and the already-complex national security environment will continue to change and diversify."Dr. Tompkins previously served as a program manager and deputy director in DARPA's Strategic Technology Office, where she focused on the development of integrated systems that provided navigation, sensors, and other mission capabilities to military platforms. Prior to joining DARPA, Dr. Tompkins spent ten years in industry, with a research background in geology and spectroscopy. Her systems-development perspective and broad technical experience inform her approach to shaping DSO's investment strategy.Organized in 1980 as a unified office for DARPA's basic research programs in materials science, earth sciences, and neurotechnology, DSO has continuously adapted its focus to reflect evolving national security priorities and the ever-expanding frontiers of physical science and mathematics.From seismographic arrays that formed the basis for nuclear treaty verification, to rapid vaccine production to counter biological threats, to navigation sensors based on controlling clouds of atoms, DSO has repeatedly made the pivotal early investments and produced the interdisciplinary connections needed to turn a scientific breakthrough into a defense capability.DSO's success in creating new technologies and research communities has been particularly evident when specific DSO research areas reached tipping points that seeded entire new offices within DARPA, as happened in the 1990s with the formation of the Microsystems Technology Office and again this year with the new Biological Technologies Office.Complexity of the sort brought about by increasing technical uncertainty, shifting and unpredictable threats, and global competition for resources has been the common thread that ties together DSO's work to address national security and scientific research challenges.

UT, ORNL Scientists' Discoveries Could Help Neutralize Chemical Weapons

UT, ORNL Scientists' Discoveries Could Help Neutralize Chemical Weapons: Researchers at UT are a step closer to creating a prophylactic drug that would neutralize the deadly effects of the chemical weapons used in Syria and elsewhere. Jeremy Smith, UT-ORNL Governor's Chair and an expert in computational biology, is part of the team that is trying to engineer enzymes-called bioscavengers-so they work more efficiently against chemical weapons.

The work is a joint effort between scientists at UT, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a French national laboratory in Grenoble. Their study was published recently in the Journal of Physical Chemistry.

Nerve agents, such as sarin, are among the most highly toxic chemical weapons. The study focuses on engineering enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of nerve agents as a prophylactic approach to diminishing their toxic effects.

"Enzymes exist that can potentially chew up nerve agents and render them useless before they've had time to act, but they need to be improved to work faster," Smith said.

The researchers are using neutron scattering and computational sciences to study these nerve agent bioscavengers. Neutron scattering allows the scientists to get a detailed three-dimensional view of the enzymes. Computer simulation then uses this view to understand how the enzymes break down the nerve agents.

"The simulations produced an unexpected result," Smith said. "The enzymes break down sarin in an unusual way. Now we can use that result to engineer them rationally."

Boeing reveals prototype spacecraft for human transport

Boeing reveals prototype spacecraft for human transport



Boeing has revealed its CST-100 capsule, the spacecraft it hopes will taxi NASA astronauts back and forth from the International Space Station come mid-2017.

The aviation giants revealed their prototype capsule at their Kennedy Space Center facilities this week, just a couple weeks after Elon Musk's SpaceX revealed its ISS shuttle, Dragon V2.In 2012, NASA awarded $1.1 billion in seed funding to Boeing, SpaceX, and Sierra Nevada Corporation to begin developing capsules that could carry American astronauts to the ISS. Since NASA ended the shuttle program, U.S. astronauts have had to rely on the Russians to ferry them back and forth.Sierra Nevada Corporation's prototype, the Dream Chaser, finished its wind tunnel testing last month.

New Wind Measurement Tech Makes For More Precise Cargo Airdrops

New Wind Measurement Tech Makes For More Precise Cargo Airdrops: The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a contract to adapt its WindTracer wind measurement system to help C-130 and C-17 aircrews make safer, faster and more accurate airdrops of essential supplies to U.S. ground forces at remote locations.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will design and build a prototype Precision Air Drop (PAD) unit for testing. As part of the demonstration, the prototype unit will be airdropped to the test site and used to measure winds.

"Currently air drop missions require several flyovers to accurately determine wind readings, but our WindTracer technology would eliminate the need for so many passes," said Dr. Kenneth Washington, vice president of STAR Labs, Lockheed Martin's space technology research and development group. "WindTracer is an adaptable commercial system. By developing this prototype, we're putting this technology on a path for fielding."

Lockheed Martin will make WindTracer smaller to fit on a pallet and ruggedize it to survive shock and vibration. Engineers will also modify the existing technology to measure wind velocity from the ground to the airdrop altitude and add the ability to send real-time telemetry.

PAD is based on Lockheed Martin's commercially available WindTracer wind-profiling lidar technology. Windtracer systems are installed at airports worldwide detecting hazardous winds and aircraft wakes.

DARPA-Navy Agreement to Develop Tern Concept

DARPA-Navy Agreement to Develop Tern Concept



DARPA and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on a joint DARPA/Navy research and development program called "Tern." This joint effort builds upon the existing work of DARPA's Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node program, or "TERN," which has been exploring concepts for a long-endurance and long-range aircraft that would operate from a variety of Navy ships.

Modern warfare requires the ability to conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike mobile targets anywhere and at any time. Current technologies in these areas, however, have their limitations. Helicopters are relatively limited in their distance and flight time, and long-distance fixed-wing manned and unmanned aircraft require either aircraft carriers or large, fixed land bases for takeoff and landing.To help overcome these challenges, the Tern program envisions using smaller ships as mobile launch and recovery sites for medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The goal is to provide long-range ISR and other capabilities from the decks of forward-deployed small ships. The program aims to advance technology to enable a full-scale, at-sea demonstration of an R and D prototype UAS from a vessel with the same deck size as an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

US, Australia leaders eye more defense cooperation

US, Australia leaders eye more defense cooperation: US President Barack Obama said Thursday that he envisioned greater defense cooperation with Australia in a tension-filled Asia, welcoming Prime Minister Tony Abbott despite differences on climate change.

In the conservative leader's first White House summit since his election in September, Abbott said that Australia "will be an utterly indispensable ally" of the United States and welcomed Obama's efforts to shift more US attention on Asia.

Obama praised Abbott for increasing Australia's defense budget in tough economic times, calling the move a recognition that "we all have to make sure that we're doing our fair share to help maintain global order and security."

"We don't have a better friend in the world, as well as the Asia-Pacific region, than Australia," Obama told reporters after the Oval Office meeting.

Obama agreed with Australia's previous government to send some 2,500 US Marines by 2016-2017 to the northern city of Darwin, which lies strategically close to hotspots in Southeast Asia.

Obama said that the United States and Australia have since then worked out force postures "that will enhance the bilateral cooperation between our militaries and give us additional reach throughout this very important part of the world."

A laser weapon system is being developed for Marine vehicles

A laser weapon system is being developed for Marine vehicles



A laser weapon to be deployed on light tactical vehicles for use against enemy unmanned aerial vehicles is in the offing.

The U.S. Office of Naval Research announced this week it is working with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and industry partners on the Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move program, or GBAD, and has issued contracts for the system for the U.S. Marine Corps."Aggressive action against air threats is needed for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force to conduct expeditionary maneuver," said Lee Mastroianni, program manager for Force Protection in ONR's Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department. "Everything about this program is geared toward realizing a viable directed-energy capability in support of that objective to allow our Marines to be fast and lethal."

Chinese military linked to seven years of hacking US aerospace industry

Chinese military linked to seven years of hacking US aerospace industry: A shadowy hacking group believed to be affiliated with the Chinese military has spent years infiltrating the American aerospace industry and US trading partners in the space industry, a US cybersecurity company said Monday.

Officials from CrowdStrike accused the Shanghai-based unit 61486 of the People's Liberation Army 12th bureau of attacking American and other western networks in cyber-assaults that date back at least as far as to 2007. The space, aerospace and communications sectors were targeted via "popular productivity applications such as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office to deploy custom malware through targeted email attacks," CrowdStrike said, according to a Reuters report.

A full list of accusations, including phishing emails and Trojan horse documents were outlined in a 62-page report published Monday by CrowdStrike, which conducts forensic investigations for customers who have endured invasive security breaches.

Chinese military hackers target space industry: study

Chinese military hackers target space industry: study: A Chinese military unit has run a hacking campaign that includes sending bogus email in a bid to intercept Western satellite communications and aerospace secrets, a US security firm said.

The report by the California-based firm Crowdstrike points to broader hacking by China weeks after the United States for the first time filed charges against Chinese military officers over alleged cyber-espionage.

Dubbed "Putter Panda" for its focus on the golf-playing set, the Shanghai-based unit is a "determined adversary group" that has operated since at least 2007 by sending email attacks that target Microsoft Outlook, Adobe Reader and other common software, Crowdstrike said.

Putter Panda's strategy includes sending email from innocuous-looking addresses -- mike.johnson_mj@yahoo.com was one example -- and offering fake invitations in hopes that users will click and unwittingly give hackers access to their computer systems.

Lockheed Demonstrate 2nd Series of Advanced Autonomous Convoy Ops

Lockheed Demonstrate 2nd Series of Advanced Autonomous Convoy Ops



The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and Lockheed Martin successfully completed new tests validating the ability of driverless military-truck convoys to operate successfully and safely in a variety of environments.

The second series of demonstrations of the Autonomous Mobility Applique System (AMAS) Capabilities Advancement Demonstration (CAD-2) tests were conducted at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina.In the CAD-2 demonstration, AMAS completed a series of fully autonomous convoy tests involving a completely unmanned leader vehicle followed by a convoy of up to six additional follower vehicles (also fully autonomous) operating at speeds as high as 40 mph. The tests doubled the length and speed of convoys previously demonstrated under the program.Vehicles used in the CAD-2 demonstration included one Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) truck, one Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) vehicle, two Palletized Load System trucks, two M915 Line-Haul Tractors and one Heavy Equipment Transport.

Obama: US to boost military presence in Europe | WashingtonExaminer.com

Obama: US to boost military presence in Europe | WashingtonExaminer.com



The United States is preparing to boost its military presence in Europe at a cost of up to $1 billion, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, as tensions in the region simmer over Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine.

Standing with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, Obama said the U.S. plans to send more military equipment and rotate additional American troops into the region. He called on lawmakers in Washington to provide the funding to sustain the effort.

Obama's announcement marks a significant departure from a two-decade trend toward a smaller U.S. military presence in Europe amid a shift by the Obama administration to a more visible and active naval and air power presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Just three years ago the Pentagon downgraded the top U.S. Army Europe commander from a four-star to a three-star general.

"Today, I'm announcing a new initiative to bolster the support of our NATO allies here in Europe," Obama said at Warsaw's Belweder Palace. "Under this effort, and with the support of Congress, the United States will preposition more equipment in Europe."      



If approved, the funding will be used to increase military exercises and training missions on the continent, as well as rotations of air and ground forces, the White House said. Officials said Obama was also seeking to ramp up U.S. Navy participation in NATO deployments in the Black and Baltic Seas, plus working to boost the military capacity of non-NATO countries that in Russia's neighborhood, including Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

Wayne E. Meyer Enhances US Interoperability with Republic of Korea, French Navies

Wayne E. Meyer Enhances US Interoperability with Republic of Korea, French Navies: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) participated in a trilateral exercise off the coast of Busan, South Korea, with the French and Republic of Korea (ROK) navies May 31.

The exercise, designed to boost interoperability and bolster partnerships in the Pacific, consisted of tactical maneuvering drills, non-maneuvering voice drills, and signal communication training.

"It was a great pleasure to participate in this exercise with our allies and practice our communications to increase interoperability," said Cmdr. Randy J. Van Rossum, Wayne E. Meyer's commanding officer.

Wayne E. Meyer participated in the exercise with the French navy Floreal-class light-frigate Prairial (F 731), and ROKN Ulsan-class frigate Busan (FF 959).

"We are honored to bring together ships from three allied navies for this brief exercise off the coast of South Korea," said Cmdr. Kim Beom Woo, of the ROKN fleet headquarters. "The exercise provides our navies an opportunity to work together and learn from each other so we may continue to fulfill our common interests in preserving a safe and secure maritime environment."

Wayne E. Meyer was named after the late Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, who is regarded as the "Father of Aegis" for his service in developing the modern weapon system used by U.S. Navy ships throughout the fleet.

SECNAV Formally Names USS Tripoli

SECNAV Formally Names USS Tripoli



Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus formally named USS Tripoli (LHA 7) May 30 during an evening parade hosted by Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos at Marine Barracks Washington.

"It is a unique evening here at Eighth and I. We are officially naming the next big-deck amphibious ship, the USS Tripoli, LHA 7," said Mabus. "The proud heritage of this name will remind all who come in contact with her of the Marines' storied history, strong present and noble future."

Mabus introduced the ship's sponsor, Lynne Mabus, during the ceremony and she spoke about what it means to be a part of the life of USS Tripoli, the third Navy ship to bear the name.

"I feel especially glad to be the sponsor of the Tripoli," said Mrs. Mabus, "because of so many things that are close to my family and my heart," she added. "She will be built at Huntington Ingalls in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It is at this shipyard that my grandfather worked for decades and where my grandmother was a real life Rosie the Riveter during World War II."

The Tripoli name commemorates the capture of Derna, Lybia in 1805 by a small force of U.S. Marines and approximately 370 Soldiers from 11 other nationalities. The battle, later memorialized in the Marines' Hymn with the line "to the shores of Tripoli", brought about a successful conclusion to the combined operations of the First Barbary War.