Boeing Fatigue Test to Validate Predicted Life of B-1 Bomber Fleet

Boeing Fatigue Test to Validate Predicted Life of B-1 Bomber Fleet Boeing has begun a five-year fatigue test on the wing of a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber to validate the predicted life of the bomber fleet, currently forecasted to be 2050. The test also will reveal potential areas of concern for which Boeing and the Air Force can develop maintenance and repair plans. "This comprehensive testing is a proactive way for Boeing to meet its mission of keeping the B-1 bomber fleet ready and viable," said Rick Greenwell, Boeing B-1 program director. Boeing and the Air Force also plan to fatigue-test a B-1 fuselage at Boeing Tukwila beginning in November 2013.

Navy to Give 'Colonoscopies' to Jet Engines

The Naval Air Systems Command announced Aug. 27 that it has developed a device that is doing for aircraft inspections what colonoscopies have done for cancer detection. Used to inspect interior engine components and airframes for cracks, corrosion and other debris that can harm Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, the Common Video Borescope Set, or CVBS, is scheduled for "initial operating capability" in September when units will be delivered to Sailors and Marines. "Compressor blades rotating in an aircraft engine power naval aviation on a daily basis, but anything accidentally entering the engine intake can create nicks and chip the blades," said Lt. Cmdr. Francini Clemmons, assistant deputy program manager for nondestructive inspection equipment, who oversees the CVBS project for the Aviation Support Equipment Program Office (PMA-260). "Instead of taking the engine apart, the video borescope allows inspectors to look into the jet engine, saving time and energy." The borescope will not only bring commonality to the fleet and revolutionize the way the Department of the Navy inspects aircraft and engines but it will also provide real-time digital images and video for examination, Clemmons added. "The CVBS can be likened to a colon screening, but ours is kinder and gentler to the aircraft," he said. "It will instantly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our inspection procedures." The CVBS is a naval modified version of a commercial-off-the-shelf product and will support all aircraft platforms requiring video borescope inspections of their airframes and engines. It offers many advantages over its varied predecessors, PMA-260 officials said. While previous borescopes in the naval inventory detected engine debris with a rigid probe and generated low-quality, black-and-white pictures, the CVBS has a 2-meter long, flexible, insertion tube that captures photos and video images on a 3.7-inch color screen. Technicians will use a joystick to maneuver the device's insertion tube, giving them a 360-degree view of hard-to-see places. All CVBS handsets are capable of defect measurement and offer two hours of battery operation. The CVBS Type V variant comes with a working channel and tools that can retrieve debris. At 3.74 pounds, the CVBS is also less expensive and lighter than its 30-pound predecessors. Many of the 27 varieties of legacy borescope systems could cost as much as $30,000 per unit, Clemmons said. The Navy plans to buy 960 CVBS units at an approximate cost of $15,000 each. Marc Donohue, nondestructive inspection Common Support Equipment integrated program team lead for PMA-260, said he has received positive feedback from both fleet and fleet support team personnel who have used the CVBS during the test and evaluation phase. "The unit is ruggedized, highly portable and over 80 percent lighter than many of the legacy units it replaces," Donohue said. "The CVBS improves equipment survivability and reliability while providing enhanced capability. The program achieves cost-wise readiness at less than 50 percent of the CVBS program's cost objective and at only 31 percent of the cost of sustaining legacy system requirements."

Clinton's planned Pacific trip 'sends message to China'

Clinton's planned Pacific trip 'sends message to China' US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to make a rare foray to the South Pacific this week, in a move analysts say is aimed at curbing China's growing influence among the region's small island nations. While Clinton's previous trips to the area have focused on Canberra and Wellington, this time she is expected to visit the Cook Islands, a nation of just 11,000 people whose 15 islands cover an area barely larger than Washington DC. The reason is to attend a regional summit hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a group consisting mainly of small island states, along with resource-rich Papua New Guinea and the dominant regional powers Australia and New Zealand, both US allies. The impoverished, strategically unimportant island states dropped off Washington's radar many years ago, former New Zealand diplomat Michael Powles said, as China cultivated diplomatic ties through aid and bilateral agreements.

Taking the edge off a pipe bomb

Taking the edge off a pipe bomb The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate's (S and T) new low-cost device for dismantling dangerous pipe bombs may look like a tinkerer's project, but that's no accident. The Semi Autonomous Pipe Bomb End-cap Remover (SAPBER) is unassuming in appearance, but sophisticated enough to preserve the forensic evidence needed to track down the perpetrator. "From ten paces away, you might mistake the contraption for a pressure washer," says S and T Program Manager Christine Lee. "But step closer and you'll find an ingenious device bristling with four video cameras, radios, a telescoping mast, cutting wheels, a twisting wrist, an electric motor, and a chain-driven gear, all powered by a pair of 12-volt batteries."

Israeli media buzz on attacking Iran aims to pressure US

Israeli media buzz on attacking Iran aims to pressure US A high-volume public debate in Israel over a possible imminent military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is designed to pressure Washington to back its ally more firmly, experts say. Media chatter over Israel's intentions has become a cacophony, fed daily by pronouncements from politicians, retired generals, former security officials and various commentators. They fill newspaper columns and radio and TV broadcasts with their opinions for or against a pre-emptive Israeli operation against Iran, with or without US approval or assistance. "There is an orchestrated hysteria, deliberately timed, to put the country in a state of anxiety, artificial or not," former military intelligence chief Uri Saguy wrote this weekend in the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper. Apart from preparing public opinion for the consequences of a conflict, the surge in public statements aims to push US President Barack Obama to take a more hawkish stance on Iran, said Denis Charbit, professor of political science at Israel's Open University.

USFJ commander focuses on bilateral operations

With the Department of Defense's rebalance of military forces to the Asia Pacific region, the focus on bilateral operations is more critical now than ever, said the new U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force commander. "We plan to increase our bilateral and multilateral cooperation throughout the Western Pacific," said Lt. Gen. Salvatore Angelella, who became the USFJ and 5th Air Force commander July 20. Angelella noted there will be more opportunity for joint training, and that in the future for the rebalance to the Pacific, the U.S. will send more of its newest equipment and highly trained crews. The current deployment of F-22 Raptors to Okinawa and the ongoing deployment of MV-22 Osprey aircraft are prime examples of this. "I think you'll see more of that in the future and also more opportunities for interoperability with our Japanese partners," the commander said. With the mission focus shift, several challenges may present themselves along the way -- one of them being the global economy, Angelella explained. "Because the global economy is not doing well right now, we're going to have to rely on a lot of the other partners to maintain peace and stability in the region," he said. "There will be more bilateral operations and more multilateral cooperation in areas like humanitarian assistance and disaster relief." Lessons learned from previous disaster relief efforts, like Operation Tomodachi in March 2011, will help build the continuity for the future, the general said. "We are going to have to institutionalize what we learned during the Great East Japan Earthquake last year," he said. "There was some great work between the forces and the components of U.S. Forces Japan, and also some great work between U.S. Forces Japan and the Jieitai, the Japanese Self Defense Force. "They did a great job taking the lead of the relief effort, and we teamed with them and other nations," Angelella said. "So what we want to do is institutionalize (those lessons learned) as we transform our staffs." With this being his fifth assignment to Japan, Angelella relies on his previous experiences here to help shape and influence the way he leads in the future. "It's really all about relationships," he said. "Throughout those years (stationed in Japan), I developed a lot of close relationships with civilians and the military in Japan at the highest levels, so I think we're going to be able to get right to work and continue our cooperation and strengthen our alliance even more."

US Army certifies soldiers ready to defend battlespace with JLENS

US Army certifies soldiers ready to defend battlespace with JLENS Combatant commanders moved one step closer to being able to detect, track and engage threats such as swarming boats and incoming cruise missiles, around the clock, from hundreds of miles away. In June 2012, the first class of U.S. Army soldiers completed mission operator training on the Raytheon JLENS elevated, persistent over-the-horizon sensor system. "Now that the classroom studies and simulation activities are complete, these soldiers are fully prepared to begin structured, on-the-job training on the actual JLENS hardware," said Dean Barten, the U.S. Army's JLENS product manager. JLENS uses a powerful integrated radar system to detect, track and target a variety of threats. This capability better enables commanders to defend against threats, including hostile cruise missiles, low-flying manned and unmanned aircraft, large caliber rockets, and moving surface vehicles such as boats, SCUD-launchers, automobiles and tanks.