The Air Force's premier fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, surpassed its 500th sortie only 16 days after reaching the 400 mark and only 238 days from the beginning of the program.
Maj. Matthew Johnston of the 58th Fighter Squadron completed the 500th combined sortie for both the F-35A and F-35B at the 33rd Fighter Wing Nov. 2, marking a continued progress in sortie generation rates since the wing started flight operations March 6.
"On Friday during our F-35A operational utility evaluation we hit the 500th flight in 16 days from the prior 400th combined sortie flown on Oct. 16," said Col. Andrew Toth, commander for the 33rd Fighter Wing. "This is significant progress forward since it took 123 days to achieve the 100th combined sortie on July 12."
"The joint team is focused on safe and effective flying to stand up their unit's future operations and the increased amount of sorties and quicker turnaround time to maintain and turn jets is a simple byproduct of this."
According to the maintenance squadron commander, the number of Air Force maintainers continues to grow as the program progresses. "When we first started F-35A flying you could count the uniformed maintainers trained on the system on one hand," said Maj. Maurice Lee, commander, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "Now we have more than 100 Air Force maintainers trained up.....I am very proud of their legacy aircraft expertise and newly-learned F-35 skills."
While the Air Force's A variant of the Lightning II was the jet flying the 500-sortie milestone, the Marine Corps' B variant has been the other part of the team effort progressing the multi-role fighter forward for joint and partner nation fifth-generation air power.
"Both services' efforts are a precursor to training other services and allies at the world's only F-35 Integrated Training Center," said Toth.
Currently two pilots from the United Kingdom are gearing up to begin classes in aircraft familiarity and simulator training at the F-35 Academic Training Center along with almost 20 Royal Air Force and Royal Navy maintainers who began through their country's first courses Oct. 1.
"And next spring the Navy's F-35 C variant will begin contributing to the sortie successes," said Toth, who besides spearheading the joint and international efforts at Eglin, is also flying weekly joint strike fighter sorties.
The multi-role joint strike fighter is the centerpiece of the Defense Department's future precision attack capability, designed to penetrate air defenses and deliver a wide-range of precision munitions. It offers increased interoperability and cost-sharing across three of the U.S. services and coalition partner nations. Eglin is home to the largest fleet of F-35s at any DoD base with 22 jets.
. 100th combined sortie - July 12 - accomplished in 123 days
. 200th combined sortie - Aug. 24 - accomplished in 44 days
. 300th combined sortie - Sept.21 - accomplished in 30 days
. 400th combined sortie - Oct. 16 - accomplished in 25 days
. 500th combined sortie - Nov. 2 - accomplished in 16 days
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
USS Enterprise Returns Home from Final Deployment
More than 5,500 Sailors and Marines assigned to the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG) arrived in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 4 following a seven-and-a-half-month deployment supporting operations in the Mediterranean and the Arabian Seas.
USS Enterprise's return to Norfolk marks the 25th and final homecoming in her 51 years of distinguished service.
The aircraft carrier is scheduled to be inactivated Dec. 1, in a ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station, in Norfolk, Va.
"We are pleased to be returning to our families after a very successful deployment, but to know that it is the last time Enterprise will be underway through her own power makes our return very sentimental," said Capt. William C. Hamilton, Enterprise commanding officer.
While deployed, Enterprise CSG served in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility (AOR), conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
During her 238 days away from Norfolk, "Big E," as Enterprise is affectionately known, safely steamed 80,968 miles and Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW-1) flew more than 8,000 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and exercises in the 5th and 6th Fleet AORs.
"This has not been a victory lap for Enterprise by any means," said Rear Adm. Ted Carter, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group commander. "This has been a full-on combat operation. We've seen the full spectrum of Navy operations on this deployment. It's been a business as usual kind of deployment."
Enterprise was commissioned Nov. 25, 1961 as the eighth ship to bear the name Enterprise. Big E was the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. During her 51 years of service, Enterprise deployed 25 times and participated in every major conflict since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Enterprise has been homeported in both Alameda, Calif., and Norfolk, Va., and conducted operations in every region of the world.
The December inactivation ceremony will be the last official public event for Enterprise, and will serve as a celebration of life for the ship and the more than 100,000 Sailors who have served aboard the ship. All Enterprise veterans, their families, shipyard workers, and friends are invited to register to attend the inactivation week events and the ceremony on the ship's website, www.enterprise.navy.mil. Tickets to the events will be on a first available basis.
Enterprise CSG is comprised of: Commander, Carrier Strike Group 12, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65), CVW 1, Destroyer Squadron 2, guided-missile destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78), USS Nitze (DDG 94), and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95).
The squadrons of CVW 1 embarked aboard Enterprise are: Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 "Red Rippers," VFA-136 "Knighthawks," VFA-211 "Fighting Checkmates,"Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 "Thunderbolts," Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 123 "Screwtops," Carrier Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 137 "Rooks," Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 "Rawhides,"and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 11 "Dragonslayers."
USS Enterprise's return to Norfolk marks the 25th and final homecoming in her 51 years of distinguished service.
The aircraft carrier is scheduled to be inactivated Dec. 1, in a ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station, in Norfolk, Va.
"We are pleased to be returning to our families after a very successful deployment, but to know that it is the last time Enterprise will be underway through her own power makes our return very sentimental," said Capt. William C. Hamilton, Enterprise commanding officer.
While deployed, Enterprise CSG served in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility (AOR), conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
During her 238 days away from Norfolk, "Big E," as Enterprise is affectionately known, safely steamed 80,968 miles and Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW-1) flew more than 8,000 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and exercises in the 5th and 6th Fleet AORs.
"This has not been a victory lap for Enterprise by any means," said Rear Adm. Ted Carter, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group commander. "This has been a full-on combat operation. We've seen the full spectrum of Navy operations on this deployment. It's been a business as usual kind of deployment."
Enterprise was commissioned Nov. 25, 1961 as the eighth ship to bear the name Enterprise. Big E was the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. During her 51 years of service, Enterprise deployed 25 times and participated in every major conflict since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Enterprise has been homeported in both Alameda, Calif., and Norfolk, Va., and conducted operations in every region of the world.
The December inactivation ceremony will be the last official public event for Enterprise, and will serve as a celebration of life for the ship and the more than 100,000 Sailors who have served aboard the ship. All Enterprise veterans, their families, shipyard workers, and friends are invited to register to attend the inactivation week events and the ceremony on the ship's website, www.enterprise.navy.mil. Tickets to the events will be on a first available basis.
Enterprise CSG is comprised of: Commander, Carrier Strike Group 12, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65), CVW 1, Destroyer Squadron 2, guided-missile destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78), USS Nitze (DDG 94), and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95).
The squadrons of CVW 1 embarked aboard Enterprise are: Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 "Red Rippers," VFA-136 "Knighthawks," VFA-211 "Fighting Checkmates,"Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 "Thunderbolts," Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 123 "Screwtops," Carrier Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 137 "Rooks," Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 "Rawhides,"and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 11 "Dragonslayers."
CIA Declassifies Secret Spy Satellite Capsule
More than 400 people from around the Pacific Northwest attended a declassification recognition event at the Naval Undersea Museum's Jack Murdock Auditorium in Keyport, Washington, for the deep sea vehicle Trieste II I (DSV 1), Nov. 3.
The event was sponsored by the Historical Collections Division (HCD) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in partnership with the museum and an independent publication called Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly.
The information released was on a salvage operation conducted April 25, 1972 by Lt. Cmdr. Malcolm Bartels, Lt. Cmdr. Phil Stryker Jr., and Lt. Richard Taylor describing the recovery of a satellite film capsule from a depth 16,400 feet below the Pacific Ocean.
"I think it was very significant because it's just a really great story," said David Waltrop, project manager CIA HCD. "There's only been two operations dealing with underwater intelligence activities that the CIA has declassified."
This is only the second time the CIA has declassified an underwater intelligence operation.
"The other thing that's really important with this declassification is that this is the first time the CIA...has released pictures taken on the bottom of the ocean," said Waltrop. "[Richard] Taylor, he took some very amazing pictures of the satellite film bucket as it was on the bottom of the ocean and as it was coming up, and we released that along with our collection."
The event was a panel presentation to inform the public about Trieste II's recently declassified operation and focused around Waltrop's article, An Underwater Ice Station Zebra. The panel members were Lee Mathers, retired Lt. Cmdr. Beauford Myers, and retired Cmdr. Richard Taylor, the former Trieste II pilot who conducted the CIA underwater recovery mission.
In 1972, Trieste II was the Navy's most advanced deep sea submersible. According to the CIA website, the Trieste II surfaced about 350 miles of the coast of the Hawaiian islands after completing a salvage operation from 16,400 feet below the Pacific Ocean. Known, at the time, as a nondescript data package from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the object was actually part of a film capsule from an American photoreconnaissance satellite, codenamed Hexagon.
Before digital technology, photoreconnaissance satellites used film that ejected from the satellite and returned to Earth. The capsules, called buckets, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere descending toward the primary re-entry zone near the Hawaiian Islands. In the case of the first Hexagon mission in 1971, the parachute broke off causing the capsule to fall into the water, sinking to the ocean floor.
Taylor said they started the training program for the mission in the summer and fall of 1971 in the area of Southern California. This was where Taylor and the crew of Trieste II saw the bucket that was brought out as a practice bucket.
"That was the first time we saw what this thing was going to look like," said Taylor. "We were briefed in the program to know that we were picking up something, we had no idea that it came from a Hexagon satellite. We knew it was a satellite, a U.S. satellite, we did not know exactly what it was and what it looked like was that [practice] bucket."
"The Navy didn't know what was on the satellite, or at least we didn't know what was on the satellite," said Taylor. "We know now, I heard in September [2012] what was there. We just knew we were picking up a satellite and it was ours."
The recovery of the submerged capsule took more than five hours, a two-hour descent and three-and-a-half hours to search for the wreckage. During the ascent to the ocean's surface, the film broke apart and dissolved into the ocean. The capsule was supposed to contain images of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe during the Cold War.
Taylor said he and everyone else could only imagine what data the capsule contained.
For the museum staff, the declassification finally enables them to provide information regarding the purpose and mission of Trieste II to people from, and those who visit, the Pacific Northwest.
"The Navy has never really talked about why it was built or how it was used, so we've only been able to say it's a deep submergence vehicle, which is fun, but the declassification of this mission means that we have some concrete and tangible, and [it is] very exciting [what] our Trieste has done," said Mary Ryan, museum curator.
Ryan said since the release of the information on the Trieste II the museum has received a huge amount of interest to this story.
"I think any time you say a secret mission and a spy satellite it's an exciting story, it's a nice hook and it draws people's interest to want to come see it and they usually come into the museum to see other stuff that they never heard about," said Ryan. "So, it's a really great way for us to let people know more about the museum that it's here, what we have and what we do."
Waltrop said he was just glad to talk about this operation and its historical significance, calling it a testament to the Navy and the CIA.
"A lot of people, when they talk about history they say, 'Why is it important,' I think a good story has importance," said Waltrop. "It gives us a shared sense of values, a sense of community, a sense of espirit de corps. I think it shows the extent to which we will go to get the information that our country needs to keep itself safe."
For Waltrop, the declassified operation and the successful mission of the Hexagon satellite throughout the Cold War, from 1971-1984, has a long-lasting meaning today.
"[During] the bulk and height of the Cold War this satellite was operating in space, and I think that this shows well before words like, 'joint-duty, interagency collaboration, multi-intelligence,' you know, those buzz words that we currently have today in the [DoD] and the intelligence community," said Waltrop. "Long before those words became popular, you had a group of people from different organizations, different groups, unique talents coming together to undertake a very difficult, dangerous mission that was never before attempted."
The mission of the HCD is the promotion of accurate, objective understanding of the information that has helped shape major U.S. foreign policy decisions and to present historical material that gives greater understanding to the scope and context of past actions.
Trieste II is currently on display for the public at the Naval Undersea Museum.
The event was sponsored by the Historical Collections Division (HCD) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in partnership with the museum and an independent publication called Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly.
The information released was on a salvage operation conducted April 25, 1972 by Lt. Cmdr. Malcolm Bartels, Lt. Cmdr. Phil Stryker Jr., and Lt. Richard Taylor describing the recovery of a satellite film capsule from a depth 16,400 feet below the Pacific Ocean.
"I think it was very significant because it's just a really great story," said David Waltrop, project manager CIA HCD. "There's only been two operations dealing with underwater intelligence activities that the CIA has declassified."
This is only the second time the CIA has declassified an underwater intelligence operation.
"The other thing that's really important with this declassification is that this is the first time the CIA...has released pictures taken on the bottom of the ocean," said Waltrop. "[Richard] Taylor, he took some very amazing pictures of the satellite film bucket as it was on the bottom of the ocean and as it was coming up, and we released that along with our collection."
The event was a panel presentation to inform the public about Trieste II's recently declassified operation and focused around Waltrop's article, An Underwater Ice Station Zebra. The panel members were Lee Mathers, retired Lt. Cmdr. Beauford Myers, and retired Cmdr. Richard Taylor, the former Trieste II pilot who conducted the CIA underwater recovery mission.
In 1972, Trieste II was the Navy's most advanced deep sea submersible. According to the CIA website, the Trieste II surfaced about 350 miles of the coast of the Hawaiian islands after completing a salvage operation from 16,400 feet below the Pacific Ocean. Known, at the time, as a nondescript data package from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the object was actually part of a film capsule from an American photoreconnaissance satellite, codenamed Hexagon.
Before digital technology, photoreconnaissance satellites used film that ejected from the satellite and returned to Earth. The capsules, called buckets, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere descending toward the primary re-entry zone near the Hawaiian Islands. In the case of the first Hexagon mission in 1971, the parachute broke off causing the capsule to fall into the water, sinking to the ocean floor.
Taylor said they started the training program for the mission in the summer and fall of 1971 in the area of Southern California. This was where Taylor and the crew of Trieste II saw the bucket that was brought out as a practice bucket.
"That was the first time we saw what this thing was going to look like," said Taylor. "We were briefed in the program to know that we were picking up something, we had no idea that it came from a Hexagon satellite. We knew it was a satellite, a U.S. satellite, we did not know exactly what it was and what it looked like was that [practice] bucket."
"The Navy didn't know what was on the satellite, or at least we didn't know what was on the satellite," said Taylor. "We know now, I heard in September [2012] what was there. We just knew we were picking up a satellite and it was ours."
The recovery of the submerged capsule took more than five hours, a two-hour descent and three-and-a-half hours to search for the wreckage. During the ascent to the ocean's surface, the film broke apart and dissolved into the ocean. The capsule was supposed to contain images of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe during the Cold War.
Taylor said he and everyone else could only imagine what data the capsule contained.
For the museum staff, the declassification finally enables them to provide information regarding the purpose and mission of Trieste II to people from, and those who visit, the Pacific Northwest.
"The Navy has never really talked about why it was built or how it was used, so we've only been able to say it's a deep submergence vehicle, which is fun, but the declassification of this mission means that we have some concrete and tangible, and [it is] very exciting [what] our Trieste has done," said Mary Ryan, museum curator.
Ryan said since the release of the information on the Trieste II the museum has received a huge amount of interest to this story.
"I think any time you say a secret mission and a spy satellite it's an exciting story, it's a nice hook and it draws people's interest to want to come see it and they usually come into the museum to see other stuff that they never heard about," said Ryan. "So, it's a really great way for us to let people know more about the museum that it's here, what we have and what we do."
Waltrop said he was just glad to talk about this operation and its historical significance, calling it a testament to the Navy and the CIA.
"A lot of people, when they talk about history they say, 'Why is it important,' I think a good story has importance," said Waltrop. "It gives us a shared sense of values, a sense of community, a sense of espirit de corps. I think it shows the extent to which we will go to get the information that our country needs to keep itself safe."
For Waltrop, the declassified operation and the successful mission of the Hexagon satellite throughout the Cold War, from 1971-1984, has a long-lasting meaning today.
"[During] the bulk and height of the Cold War this satellite was operating in space, and I think that this shows well before words like, 'joint-duty, interagency collaboration, multi-intelligence,' you know, those buzz words that we currently have today in the [DoD] and the intelligence community," said Waltrop. "Long before those words became popular, you had a group of people from different organizations, different groups, unique talents coming together to undertake a very difficult, dangerous mission that was never before attempted."
The mission of the HCD is the promotion of accurate, objective understanding of the information that has helped shape major U.S. foreign policy decisions and to present historical material that gives greater understanding to the scope and context of past actions.
Trieste II is currently on display for the public at the Naval Undersea Museum.
Exercise Mavi Balina 2012 Kicks off in Turkey
The trilateral training exercise Mavi Balina 2012 (MB12) kicked off in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Turkey, Nov. 5.
Mavi Balina is an invitational maritime exercise, hosted by Turkey, which focuses on providing realistic operational training in surface and submarine warfare for units and staffs of Turkish, Pakistani and U.S. Naval Forces, as well as promotes friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Training with other military forces enhances mutual awareness and the maritime capability of international partners. Mavi Balina helps create an environment that promotes maritime safety and security, and interoperability between the participating nations.
Participating U.S. Naval Forces are guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and an aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 9.
Mavi Balina is an invitational maritime exercise, hosted by Turkey, which focuses on providing realistic operational training in surface and submarine warfare for units and staffs of Turkish, Pakistani and U.S. Naval Forces, as well as promotes friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Training with other military forces enhances mutual awareness and the maritime capability of international partners. Mavi Balina helps create an environment that promotes maritime safety and security, and interoperability between the participating nations.
Participating U.S. Naval Forces are guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and an aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 9.
Sequester Would Cripple Our Economy
Sequester Would Cripple Our Economy
If the election results are pretty clear, expect to hear two things: the sounds of snoring from an exhausted Washington political class and the first tentative mentions of the shape of a solution to the dire fiscal cliff our country may fall off of in January. Given the enormity of the repercussions facing the country, Mackenzie Eaglen at the American Enterprise Institute spells out the larger national security implications at stake. Tea Party devotees should read this dedicated Republican's analysis closely.
If the election results are pretty clear, expect to hear two things: the sounds of snoring from an exhausted Washington political class and the first tentative mentions of the shape of a solution to the dire fiscal cliff our country may fall off of in January. Given the enormity of the repercussions facing the country, Mackenzie Eaglen at the American Enterprise Institute spells out the larger national security implications at stake. Tea Party devotees should read this dedicated Republican's analysis closely.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Army scientists earn patent for advanced neural chip
Two Army scientists and a university professor earned a patent for the forerunner of a powerful quantum neural dynamics computer chip. The device uses nonstandard mathematics to accomplish analog problem solving at high speed.
"The patent covers different ways to make computer chips," said Army scientist and principal investigator Ronald E. Meyers. "These computer chips can represent biological and physical processes."
Meyers and his colleague, Army mathematician Keith Deacon, joined forces with Gert Cauwenberghs, a professor of bioengineering and biology and co-director of the Institute for Neural Computation at the University of California at San Diego.
"This is as a first step toward large-scale non-Lipschitz intelligent information processing systems," Cauwenberghs said.
Cauwenberghs worked with Meyers and Deacon to map the mathematics onto an analog "continuous-time neural architecture." He also designed and tested the integrated circuit implementing the architecture.
"Experimental data from our silicon integrated circuit demonstrated the elements of terminal repulsion and attraction in neural dynamics and synaptic coupling," he said.
In other words, by using different mathematics, the scientists potentially removed a limit on how fast functions can change -- clearing the way for ultra high-speed computing.
"The chip has a lot of application to both the military and civilian use," Meyers said.
A unique aspect of the research is the use of synaptic connections for interfacing neurons and learning through feedback, which is modeled after biological systems, Meyers said.
It's all part of the futuristic vision of quantum computing. Researchers believe one day they will effectively harness individual atoms to build complex super-computers.
Meyers delves into quantum physics research projects at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. Currently his project is to invent a secure communications system immune to the awesome power of future quantum computers.
"Quantum computing will give unparalleled computational ability," he said. "We're talking about an ability to compute that exceeds exponentially millions of times greater than any of the computers that exist or are on the drawing boards using conventional approaches."
Meyers said neural chips can be made with classical computers or in the future with quantum computers.
"This is a different type of chip that we've developed and it's somewhat in between," Meyers said. "It's not a classical approach, and it's not quantum yet. But, we're wanting to evolve the concepts into quantum computing."
The research took several years. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent Sept. 11.
"It looks like a breakthrough to others but it's just a lot of hard work, continuous work," Meyers said. "When you put something out it's a milestone. It means you're able to explain it in a way that the Patent Office understands, or that other scientists understand. So what happened here is we're looking into one of the most important problems that the Army faces and it turns out -- from my perspective, the ones that are not solved and are most important."
Meyers is listed as the inventor on 14 patents. He co-authored a book, "From Instability to Intelligence: Complexity and Predictability in Nonlinear Dynamics," -- covering nonlinear equations in math, physics and biology, and authored a plethora of scientific papers.
"Problems are unsolved because they're difficult to tackle," he said. "I tend to seek out a different path to go toward solving problems that before have not been solved. I think I have a background that can do that. I've gained some insight. It's putting together your experience and you're trying to project it into the future. And so in my mind I see how things can be applied in the future and I look at how to solve these. Quite often if you go for the hardest unsolved problem, that's the one that gives you the most benefit."
Inspired by difficult problems, Meyers said he and his small team of scientists and mathematicians is focused on the end-user of this technology.
"We work for the Soldier," Meyers said. "We work for the warfighter and that's what our thinking is. That's why we're trying to solve these difficult problems. As Army scientists we are responsible to really help these Soldiers operate in a way that can defend the country and protect them and anticipate any threats and deal with them in an effective manner."
"The patent covers different ways to make computer chips," said Army scientist and principal investigator Ronald E. Meyers. "These computer chips can represent biological and physical processes."
Meyers and his colleague, Army mathematician Keith Deacon, joined forces with Gert Cauwenberghs, a professor of bioengineering and biology and co-director of the Institute for Neural Computation at the University of California at San Diego.
"This is as a first step toward large-scale non-Lipschitz intelligent information processing systems," Cauwenberghs said.
Cauwenberghs worked with Meyers and Deacon to map the mathematics onto an analog "continuous-time neural architecture." He also designed and tested the integrated circuit implementing the architecture.
"Experimental data from our silicon integrated circuit demonstrated the elements of terminal repulsion and attraction in neural dynamics and synaptic coupling," he said.
In other words, by using different mathematics, the scientists potentially removed a limit on how fast functions can change -- clearing the way for ultra high-speed computing.
"The chip has a lot of application to both the military and civilian use," Meyers said.
A unique aspect of the research is the use of synaptic connections for interfacing neurons and learning through feedback, which is modeled after biological systems, Meyers said.
It's all part of the futuristic vision of quantum computing. Researchers believe one day they will effectively harness individual atoms to build complex super-computers.
Meyers delves into quantum physics research projects at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. Currently his project is to invent a secure communications system immune to the awesome power of future quantum computers.
"Quantum computing will give unparalleled computational ability," he said. "We're talking about an ability to compute that exceeds exponentially millions of times greater than any of the computers that exist or are on the drawing boards using conventional approaches."
Meyers said neural chips can be made with classical computers or in the future with quantum computers.
"This is a different type of chip that we've developed and it's somewhat in between," Meyers said. "It's not a classical approach, and it's not quantum yet. But, we're wanting to evolve the concepts into quantum computing."
The research took several years. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent Sept. 11.
"It looks like a breakthrough to others but it's just a lot of hard work, continuous work," Meyers said. "When you put something out it's a milestone. It means you're able to explain it in a way that the Patent Office understands, or that other scientists understand. So what happened here is we're looking into one of the most important problems that the Army faces and it turns out -- from my perspective, the ones that are not solved and are most important."
Meyers is listed as the inventor on 14 patents. He co-authored a book, "From Instability to Intelligence: Complexity and Predictability in Nonlinear Dynamics," -- covering nonlinear equations in math, physics and biology, and authored a plethora of scientific papers.
"Problems are unsolved because they're difficult to tackle," he said. "I tend to seek out a different path to go toward solving problems that before have not been solved. I think I have a background that can do that. I've gained some insight. It's putting together your experience and you're trying to project it into the future. And so in my mind I see how things can be applied in the future and I look at how to solve these. Quite often if you go for the hardest unsolved problem, that's the one that gives you the most benefit."
Inspired by difficult problems, Meyers said he and his small team of scientists and mathematicians is focused on the end-user of this technology.
"We work for the Soldier," Meyers said. "We work for the warfighter and that's what our thinking is. That's why we're trying to solve these difficult problems. As Army scientists we are responsible to really help these Soldiers operate in a way that can defend the country and protect them and anticipate any threats and deal with them in an effective manner."
U.S. needs Japan to remain nuclear, expert says
U.S. needs Japan to remain nuclear, expert says
A "zero-nuclear" Japan will be a serious concern for the United States as its key ally both from economic and security standpoints, the chief of an influential U.S. think tank said at a recent seminar on Japan-U.S. relations.
The policy set out in September by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Cabinet seeking to phase out nuclear power generation in Japan by the end of the 2030s — in response to strong anti-nuclear sentiments in the country following the triple meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011 — is not viable given Japan's vast economic needs, said John Hamre, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Hamre, a former deputy U.S. defense secretary, and his CSIS colleague Michael Green were speaking at a seminar organized by the Keizai Koho Center on Oct. 25 to discuss American policy on East Asia ahead of the U.S. presidential election as well as the imminent change in leadership in China.
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