A perfect distraction from a Friday that just keeps dragging on.
Best line: "We're not doing that anymore..."
Pinnacle Faces Contract Ban
It looks as if the Air Force has successfully debarred Dragon Skin-maker Pinnacle Armor from participation in government contracts with the service.
During congressional hearings on the issue in early June, Air Force director of the office of special investigations, Douglas Thomas, revealed the service was investigating Pinnacle for falsely marking its SOV 2000 vests as being NIJ certified Level III armor. Without getting into the minute details, Pinnacle owner Murray Neal has basically said he obtained a verbal certification from NIJ pending the official written one.
It’s unclear whether the Air Force investigation will result in any criminal charges, but suffice it to say the General Services Administration has included Pinnacle on its list of Excluded Parties that may do business with the Air Force, at least temporarily.
-- Christian
The Wall-Crawling Bot
Yesterday it was “Congo,” today it’s “Minority Report.”
Well, sort of.
They don’t look quite as creepy as the spider bots that crawled under doorways and scanned bath tub surfaces in the Tom Cruise hit, but you can see that it might only take a few years to make them that way.
A North Carolina company has developed a technology that can give robots the ability to climb sheer walls. Vortex Holdings, LLC ginned up the so-called “Vortex Regenerative Air Movement” technology that creates a “tornado in a cup,” making it possible for small payloads of up to 3.5 pounds to be adhered to walls.
It’s easy to see the potential military and law enforcement applications of such a device, especially in urban fights where snooping around the corner and peering over that window ledge could mean the difference between popping the bad guy and hitting civilians.
I’ll let DT readers decide whether this kind of thing could potentially result in unwarranted and excessive intrusion into civilian life.
There’s just something so agro about a claymore mine.
Tamp it into the ground, set a trip wire or a command detonation chord and clack one off when the bad guys get too close. Nothing like a spray of 700 ball bearings backed by C-4 to ruin your pursuer’s day.
But in today’s counterinsurgency fight, the mighty claymore comes with a lethal certainty far more final than a “hearts and minds” fight can stomach.
We’ve heard a lot about the controversial “Taser” system used primarily by law enforcement and civilians uncomfortable with firearms.
But take a look at the company’s newest rig – one that harkens back to that B-movie Michael Crichton dud “Congo.”
The TASER Remote Area Denial system uses an infrared camera triggering device that trips an electrifying jolt of “Do Not Enter” on those who tread where they shouldn’t.
TRAD is a revolutionary new concept in area denial, deploying TASER neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI) technology to incapacitate intruders who violate areas secured with a TRAD system.
The true power of TASERNET can be realized when TRAD modules are installed in a networked security solution. Ideal for protecting high value facilities or operations such as checkpoints, command centers, depots, aircraft insertions, and spec ops, as well as fixed installations such as embassies, air fields, utility facilities, pipelines, etc., TASERNET provides the user the capabilities of visual observation and oversight coupled with the ability to engage and incapacitate targets remotely. A simple user interface allows the operator to see, track, and identify targets with specific target designators indicating whether each target is a “friend” or “foe.”
The TASERNET application displays visual information from TRAD imagers as well as oversight cameras integrated with a graphic representation of targets positions and designations. Once an engagement decision is made (either by the operator or the system depending on user selected settings), the TASERNET program selects the specific TRAD units best suited for engagement and transmits fire authorization. The TRAD unit will then arrest the targeted individuals by providing complete incapacitation. Commands can be issued to the targeted individuals over the TASERNET system and the triggered TRAD unit can be reengaged by the operator as needed to restrain the targeted individuals until response teams can take the targeted individuals into custody.
And you can check out the (pretty creepy) promotional video here…
“Network centric warfare,” a term that was in vogue a few years ago, has been rehabilitated by Admiral Gary Roughead, recently appointed to the important position of Commander, Fleet Forces Command, i.e., head of the Navy’s Atlantic and Pacific ship and air type commanders.
Admiral Roughead spoke at a three-day conference in Virginia Beach on 19-21 June, sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). Roughead took over the Fleet Forces Command on 17 May.
He said that U.S. warships need improved capabilities to detect contacts, process data, and distribute the information to other platforms. In an address at the “transformation warfare” conference, Admiral Roughead expressed concern that the fleet needs a better picture of what other ships and aircraft are at sea as well as in the underwater dimension.
“Our strike groups are challenged in persistent surveillance today. And in 2010, I believe that we’re going to be suffering even more so in the area of persistent surveillance,” he said. “Maritime domain awareness is where it all begins. We cannot conduct the operations that we must if we don’t have a good sense of what’s out there, moving on, above or under the sea.”
Admiral Roughead continued, “We must take into account a network approach that goes from the sensor to the network to the weapons platform to the weapon itself and the decisions we make in each one of those must be integrated,” he said. “The war will be won and lost on the initial battles that take place on that network battleground. That is something that we must all be mindful of and ask ourselves the question, ‘Are we prepared to fight in that environment?’”
He also said the latest in low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles, target recognition, and anomaly detection systems are needed for the future fleet.
“We have some tremendous opportunities ahead of us. We have some great technologies there,” he said. “But I would submit that we have to maintain the focus on the war fighter and also look at how we come at the network solutions that are going to be so much a part of our future.”
Some observers believe that Admiral Roughead is the most probable candidate to succeed Admiral Mike Mullen as Chief of Naval Operations. Mullen has been proposed as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Roughead previously served as Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet and before that Deputy Commander U.S. Pacific Command. Before that he held major positions in the Atlantic Fleet.
Like Admiral Mullen , Admiral Roughead is a surface warfare specialist.
Marketwatch reports that the F-35C variant of the Joint Strike Fighter has passed its Air System Critical Design Review (CDR), which according to the report is "a significant development milestone that verifies the design maturity of the aircraft and its associated systems." Completion of the CDR allows the F-35C to move into the Low Rate Initial Production phase of the acquisition cycle.
As most DT readers certainly know, the F-35C will be the Navy's first stealth aircraft. (Remember the A-12?) The JSF is designed to replace the legacy Hornet and serve alongside the Super Hornet.
The Marketwatch report breaks down the variants like this: "While it shares its fundamental design with the F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing) and F-35B (short takeoff/vertical landing), the F-35C is specialized for the catapult launches and arrested recoveries of large aircraft carriers. It features 30 percent more wing area than the other two variants, larger tails and control surfaces, and wingtip ailerons -- all contributing to the precise slow-speed handling characteristics required for carrier approaches. The F-35C's internal structure is strengthened to withstand the punishment of repeated catapult launches and arrested recoveries on the carrier deck."
Although the Navy variant is heavier than the Air Force variant, it'll be flown by Navy pilots and therefore be able to kick the F-35A's booty in any 1-v-1 scenarios.
Of the 18 Ohio-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines built from 1976-1997, all are still in service. Four of them have been removed from strategic service and have been converted to SSGN cruise missile subs. USS Ohio (SSGN 726) and USS Florida (SSGN 728) rejoined the fleet last year, USS Michigan (SSGN 727) just rejoined the fleet a couple of weeks ago, and USS Georgia (SSGN 729) should rejoin this fall. The remaining 14 Ohios continue to serve as strategic nuclear deterrents much as they did during the Cold War.
Unlike the attack sub force, which has been nearly halved since 1990 with more cuts to come, the missile sub force has not been cut back nearly so much. Though Northrop Grumman's Newport News recently said it was ready and willing to start designing the next class of boomer, no current plans call for new boats.
If the attack sub fleet finds itself scrambling to justify its existence in an age of asymmetric land warfare, the missile subs have an even tougher task in convincing budgeters of the need for a massive nuclear deterrent in a post-Mutually Assured Destruction world. In fact, the four boats converted to SSGNs were to have been retired beginning in 2002 rather than undergo the upgrade to the D-5 Trident II missile.
How many ballistic missile subs are required to provide the US Navy the deterrent it needs? A study published last year suggests that a force of 10 SSBNs would strike the right balance between capability, cost-savings, and treaty agreements. Current treaty plans indicate a total of around 1440 nuclear warheads for US subs, meaning about 4 per missile if all 14 boats are retained. Each missile now carries up to 8 warheads. The report notes:
This distributes the available warheads across a large force which maximizes survivability but affords little savings in that additional missile airframes must be purchased to outfit a submarine force with a 45-year lifespan. The Navy should reduce the SSBN force to 10 submarines, which would increase the number of warheads per missile to six. Reducing the size of the SSBN force would save money in two ways. First, fewer D-5 missile airframes need be purchased. Second, depending upon the future missions assigned, the cost of continuing to operate four SSBNs in strategic service is eliminated. This second cost savings is reduced as the four submarines removed from the strategic mission would still be put to sea but not with the expense of maintaining a nuclear arsenal.
The study also recommends what to do with the four subs removed from strategic service. Two of them converted to SSGNs (bringing the total to six), particularly useful as special operations will continue to grow in importance in the coming years and talk of a intermediate range conventional ballistic missile means no shortage of work for the SSGN force. The other two could be used as training platforms, replacing two retired Lafayette class boats in that role.
Also, two recent columns by controversial Washington Post military blogger William M. Arkin noted the missile sub issue. In What the Weapons Makers Want he likened the boomers to the Air Force's long-range strategic bombers, and received a response from an officer on an Ohio-class sub claiming that the boats are contributing nothing, nothing at all, to the national security of the United States. Arkin discussed this response in More Subs, Fewer Boots on the Ground. Read the letter and the response for yourself and see if there's anything there. Also, check out Bubblehead's commentary on the matter.
The Army has issued an industry-wide request for a new kind of body armor that can defeat even more powerful rounds than the current ceramic plate and has opened the door for the new armor construction that includes flexible systems many say are more comfortable than today's vests.
The new armor insert, dubbed "XSAPI," is intended stop armor-piercing rounds more deadly than the ones the current "enhanced small arms protective insert" can defeat, will weigh less than a pound more than today's ESAPI and could have more coverage than the rigid ceramic plates currently fielded to U.S. troops in combat.
The Army's latest solicitation - dated June 20 - marks yet another chapter in the ongoing debate over allegations that the Army has ignored armor technology that could yield more protection and comfort than its current "Interceptor" vest. In May, an NBC investigative report raised questions over whether a certain type of body armor called "Dragon Skin" was stronger than the Interceptor - which is worn by most American troops in the field.
The NBC report - and the Army counter-attack that followed - gained the attention of the top lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee, which held a hearing on the subject June 6 and demanded a new set of tests to prove once and for all whether Dragon Skin - or other armor using similar technology - was better than Interceptor.
Dragon Skin employs a flexible system of interlocking ceramic disks that the manufacturer, Fresno, Calif.-based Pinnacle Armor, says is more comfortable and can endure more rifle shots than Interceptor. The ESAPI employs a series of rigid ceramic plates inserted into the front, back and sides of the Interceptor "outer tactical vest."
After the congressional hearing, the Army revised its earlier May 27 request for new armor to test, adding the XSAPI specs and opening the offer to flexible, or "scalar," systems. The Army also extended the period for manufacturers to submit their proposals by 30 days - until the end of August - a move congressional staffers say will give Pinnacle plenty of time to submit the vests needed for testing.
"The Army seems to be accommodating Pinnacle as far as it can," a top House Armed Services Committee aide told Defense Tech.
The Army declined to comment on the new XSAPI requirement or on upcoming tests until after the service has determined a contract winner.
Pinnacle president Murray Neal faced sharp questions from skeptical Armed Services Committee members during the June 6 hearing, many of whom wondered how earlier Army tests that showed massive failures of Dragon Skin could jibe with the NBC report and Neal's own contention that the government tests were inaccurate or rigged.
Neal demanded another "independent" test of his armor with outside government observers who could verify the truthfulness of the Army evaluation.
"I would like to recommend that the Army Test Center facility located in Aberdeen, Md., be used. It is independent of all parties [and] is the only [Pentagon] oversight ballistic laboratory capable of doing such testing left in the U.S.," Neal said in a recent letter sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
"My company stands ready to cooperate in any reasonable manner with your staff and designated agents when they begin the process that will result in the requested comprehensive technical assessment."
The Army acquiesced, writing in a June 22 letter to top Armed Services lawmakers in the House and Senate that both flexible and rigid ESAPI and XSAPI armor would be tested at Aberdeen and would include officials from the Operational Test and Evaluation office of the Pentagon.
In an effort Army officials have said was designed to deflect criticism that armor tests at Aberdeen could be rigged in their favor, the service has conducted most of its ballistic body armor evaluations at H.P. White labs, a civilian-run ballistic test facility in Street, Md.
"All potential body armor suppliers, including Pinnacle Armor, are welcome to compete," acting Army Secretary Pete Geren wrote lawmakers. "Pinnacle Armor has never submitted a proposal for a U.S. Army body armor solicitation. However, the U.S. Army stands ready to fairly evaluate their product and all products in response to the current solicitation."
The House committee aide added that representatives of the Government Accountability Office - the investigative arm of Congress - would also be present at the tests, satisfying lawmakers' desire for oversight.
The new armor solicitation also makes good on the Army claim that the service is always looking for new ways to protect its troops from enemy threats that continue to grow in sophistication and lethality. In late 2005, Army and Marine officials were shocked to find earlier versions of their rifle-defeating plates penetrated by a type of armor-piercing round previously unseen in Iraq.
Both the Army and Marine Corps moved quickly to strengthen their plates, fielding hundreds of thousands of ESAPIs within months.
The call for XSAPI technology raises the bar on armor protection offered to Army troops by providing a vest that can resist both 7.62mm and 5.56mm rounds with velocities much higher than the ESAPI and bullets with construction that might penetrate current plates, the Army says.
For those of you who might not have what it takes to make it on American Idol, the Navy has stepped in to help make your dreams come true.
The Chief of Naval Research has $1 million in cold hard cash to dole out to companies who have new and actionable ideas in certain areas of naval technology that can help boost the effectiveness of the force.
Companies with ideas the Navy can use will be offered the opportunity to meet face-to-face with Navy officials during a technology conference in Washington, D.C., that kicks off July 30.
The Navy is interested in the following technology areas:
Power and Energy
Operational Environments
Maritime Domain Awareness
Asymmetric and Irregular Warfare
Information, Analysis, and Communication
Power Projection
Assure Access and Hold at Risk
Distributed Operations
Naval Warfighter Performance and Protection
Survivability and SelfDefense
Platform Mobility
Fleet/Force Sustainment
Affordability, Maintainability, and Reliability
Last year, the Navy garnered over 50 “CNR Challenge” submissions, awarding research money to five of them.
A representative project is the Pegasus self-charging unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) for persistent littoral antisubmarine warfare from Nekton Research LLC. The Pegasus concept is an autonomous self-recharging underwater vehicle with capabilities for persistent wide-area surveillance that can operate against currents and in very shallow and riverine environments. It recharges itself by
extracting energy from microbially active sediments on the sea bottom. This enables it to act as a recharging station for other unmanned underwater vehicles or to rise again into the water column to conduct surveillance…
…Presented by the National Defense Industrial Association with technical support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the 2007 Naval Science and Technology Partnership Conference will provide key insights into the Navy and Marine Corps drive to enable revolutionary Naval operational concepts that meet the challenges of the 21st Century through strategic investment in science and technology. Special emphasis will be placed on power and energy for the fleet and force. Attendees from industry, academia, and government will be informed of the direction, emphasis, and scope of the Department of the Navy’s investment in science and technology and how to conduct business activities with the Naval Research Enterprise.
So, shipmates, do you have what it takes to meet the “CNR Challenge”?
After more than 23 years of service, the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (SSN 708) inactivated in a ceremony June 22 at Pier 3 at Naval Station Norfolk.
Concerns remain that our shrinking fleet is going to leave us with our pants down at some point, and that our anti-sub warfare capabilities (or, rather, our lack thereof) could leave serious gaps waiting to be exploited. Two world wars showed that submarine fleets were able to have a drastic effect on the wider military and economic efforts of the combatants.
While no one is going to challenge our supremacy in the realm of carrier-centered naval power, even just the threat of submarines could potentially keep those carriers from operating when and where we need them to. We've seen anti-mine capabilities whither over time. Are ASW capabilities going to suffer the same fate?
The attack sub fleet is part of the ASW effort, and when you couple the shrinking hunter fleet with the retirement of the S-3 Vikings, the delays in the P-3 Orion's follow-on (the P-8A Poseidon MMA), and questions about the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, I suspect that we've got reason to be concerned about our ability to combat enemy submarines that could threaten our surface forces and logistics fleet, let alone commercial ships.
The USS Hawaii (SSN 776) was just commissioned last month, so it's not like the fleet just shrank the other day. USS North Carolina (SSN 777) will join the fleet next year. But the long-term plan is to reduce the number of attack boats in the fleet by a significant number. Not every boat retired in the coming years will be replaced by a new one. We currently have 53 operational attack subs in the fleet.
A 2005 study by the Navy itself said that 48 is the "minimum number of attack submarines needed to maintain an acceptable level of risk at an acceptable cost." But the current plan to acquire Virginia-class subs like the Hawaii and North Carolina will put us under the 48-boat level for sixteen of the twenty-seven years between 2007 and 2034, bottoming out at 40 boats in 2028 and 2029. For more, see the Heritage Foundation articles The Navy Needs to Close the Projected Gap in the Attack Submarine Fleet and Congress Should Accelerate Submarine Procurement.
Britain Defence Secretary Des Browne said on 19 June that the capture of eight Royal Navy sailors (one female) and seven Royal Marines by Iran was -- according to the official investigation -- not the result of “a single gross failing or individual human error.” However, Browne did admit that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) erred in allowing the 14 men and one woman to sell the story of their capture and detainment to the news media.
There will be no disciplinary action in the wake of the investigation.
The investigation determined that the seizure of the sailors and Marines by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on 23 March 2007 resulted from “the coming together of a series of vulnerabilities.” While Browne presented the inquiry’s findings to Britain’s House of Commons, the full report will not be released because it is classified and contains tactical military information.
“The central lesson is that we must improve our ability to identify and assess the risks that this complex environment generates, and to train and posture our forces accordingly,” Browne told the lawmakers.
Admiral Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord, said that the Royal Navy would learn from the capture. “The navy is keen to repair any dent as quickly as possible,” he said. “We will recover from this. I accept it was a bad day.”
The MOD inquiry was headed by retired Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Fulton, the governor of Gibraltar and a former Commandant of the Royal Marines. The inquiry recommends that specialist teams should be employed for boarding operations when military personnel search ships for contraband and weapons. It also recommends further training for those teams, which Secretary Browne said was already being carried out.
A second inquiry -- into the Defence Ministry’s handling of the media storm that followed the capture -- also recommended policy changes. Conducted by Tony Hall, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s former director of news and current affairs, the second report criticized the ministry for allowing the seized sailors and Marines to sell their stories to the media.
Normally, serving military personnel of most countries are not allowed to take payment from media organizations. The telling of their capture and imprisonment for payment -- especially one young man telling how unhappy he was when his iPod was taken away -- infuriated many Britons.
British Defence officials cited exceptional circumstances in allowing the sale of their stories. “I acknowledge this failing was my responsibility,” Secretary Browne said..
Hall’s inquiry recommended that media payments “to serving military or civilian personnel, for talking about their work, should simply not be allowed.”
The parallel inquiries were ordered by Browne after the release of the 15 British naval personnel on 4 April. The British personnel, from HMS Cornwall, were searching a merchant ship when and their two rigid-hull inflatable boats were intercepted by Iranian craft near the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway. A helicopter from the Cornwall, which had been in the area, returned to the warship to refuel, apparently alerting the Iranians to the vulnerability of the British craft and their crews.
The recent upsurge on mortar attacks against key Iraqi and US government facilities in Baghdad could be partly attributed to Iranian training of insurgents, a top coalition commander said late last week.
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon recent sweeps in Diyala province have netted around 50 “high value” terror suspects, most of whom are Iraqis who’ve joined al Qaeda – and most of those are IED builders and truck/car bomb factory facilitators.
Some, however, are Shiite insurgents who have received training in Iran on mortar techniques.
Odierno explained:
We have found a few people that were Shi'a extremists that were connected to -- that had some training in Iran -- those mostly being the mortar and rocket teams inside of Baghdad where they were trained in Iran and came in here to conduct attacks against not only coalition and Iraqi security forces, but government of Iraq targets inside of the Green Zone.
The attacks on the Green Zone bolster arguments that the Baghdad security plan is a failure, pushing America closer and closer to an early withdrawal. Odierno said Iran is conducting a surge of its own.
I think it's Iran's attempt to continue to destabilize Iraq and inflict as many casualties as they can, frankly, on U.S. forces who are operating in Iraq. ... What I have seen, though, is a steady increase in support to Shi'a extremists. I think they are trying to surge their support to Shi'a extremists. We've seen an increased flow of training to mortar teams and rocket teams, we've seen an increase in some flow of weapons and munitions into Iraq. We are working very hard to cut those lines every day from Iran.
Though Odierno did tamp down accusations that Iran was supplying Sunni groups in Iraq to accomplish the same goal. This, after a top US diplomat in Afghanistan claimed evidence of direct links to Iranian government military shipments to Taliban insurgents.
And he went on to explain the intricate system of cut-outs that help deflect any direct links to the Iranian government’s support and training of Shiite insurgents.
I think it's the Qods Force working with Iraqi surrogates that work inside of Iraq. It's probably in some cases a network that was developed prior to Saddam Hussein's downfall and they continue to operate. And so we watch that extremely closely. We think that's the majority of where it's happening.
I would just say, again, I think some of the reason -- with the operations in Baqubah and Diyala province, we think, we're hoping will affect some of this. We want to put pressure also on that network, of cutting those supplies of weapons that are coming in from Iran. And that's one of the other reasons why we're conducting this operation.
I understand that many DT readers strongly debate the Iranian connection. But Odierno seemed to indicate there would be more concrete information emerging from the latest Diyala sweeps that would be shared with the media to prove out assertions of Iranian complicity in the deaths of Iraqis and US forces.
And I think, you know, we've had some indications of that through some of the people we've detained, and I think in the future here we're going to lay some of that out for you. So I think -- we feel pretty confident about those links.
The Associated Press raised a hoopla a couple of weeks ago about the use of the Vietnam-era E/A-6B Prowler to blast IEDs electronically from the sky. Many DT readers argued there was nothing new about the revelation, but as far as the “mainstream” press goes, it was new to the general public.
The Navy (and Marine Corps) is only too happy to be reaching down from the air to help their brethren on the ground however they can in the counter-IED fight both in Iraq and Afghanistan – using Prowlers, Hornets, Harriers to spot roadside bombs or blow them up.
But the Air Force is starting the grumble about this unglamorous work.
A former Defense News colleague of mine pulled out some interesting quotes from a speech delivered by Air Force Air Combat Command chief, Gen. Ron Keys, last week whining about the “effectiveness” of aerial observation by his jets in pinpointing IEDs.
Aerospace Daily’s Mike Fabey reports:
Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and pod-equipped combat jets to find improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is often a misuse of time and resources, said U.S. Air Force Gen. Ronald Keys, commander of Air Combat Command.
Often, requests for airborne surveillance are based on the assumption that such aircraft help find IEDs and save ground forces from such attacks, he said. Certain military leaders feel they need the full-motion video feeds to locate the explosives. The truth, he said, is much different.
Based on Air Force analysis, the number of IEDs found by UAVs, surveillance aircraft or combat jets outfitted with advanced targeting pods per 100,000 flight hours is very low, according to Keys. "It's a waste," Keys said June 20 during a morning keynote speech at the Transformation Warfare 07 conference and exhibit in Virginia Beach, Va…
…Keys said ACC has developed a "concept of deployment" to help fight IEDs that is air-centric "to a certain point." Without going into specifics, he said, "We ought to be attacking the system - to the left of 'the bang,'" meaning the process before the IED is emplaced. What needs to be looked at is the network, "not the thing that's buried out there," he said.
Flying pod-outfitted F-16s up and down streets no one will be on for another 12 hours will not help the IED fight, he said. Looking for buried IEDs in Iraq in that fashion is not the best way to stop attacks. "It's a junkyard out there," he said, adding there are too many false positives.
Sounds like the Air Force wants to tell ground commanders to shove it when they call for “eyes on” a hotspot.
The statistics can be manipulated to say anything the Air Force wants, but experience shows infrared targeting pod-equipped aircraft of any kind – on a normal close air support patrol – are invaluable in the IED fight for units maneuvering their way through insurgent strongholds. It’s like radioing for a 500 pounder … but a lot less lethal.
When a patrol sees a potential IED, the call goes up to any aircraft within range to scan the area with their IR scope. The components of an IED give off heat, making it pretty easy for the jet to give some reassurance that the pile of bricks is a trap or just that: a pile of bricks. The IED is then either bypassed or another call goes out for the explosive ordnance disposal unit to dismantle the bomb.
Instead of lending this passive helping hand, Keys wants to attack the system “to the left of the bang” – in other words, he wants to destroy the factory, the trigger man or the explosive storage areas with bombs of his own.
That’s pretty sexy stuff and makes for better headlines (if anyone bothers to report it). But with the Air Force’s recent bad press on civilian deaths in Afghanistan, it might be worth keeping the non-lethal counter-IED mission on the front burner, pulling the “left of the bang” card out only in extreme circumstances. The grunts will thank Airmen just as well.
Today's Washington Post has the first in a series of articles profiling Vice President Dick Cheney. Here's a snippet:
"Dan Quayle recalled the moment he learned how much his old job had changed. Cheney had just taken the oath of office, and Quayle paid a visit to offer advice from one vice president to another.
"'I said, "Dick, you know, you're going to be doing a lot of this international traveling, you're going to be doing all this political fundraising . . . you'll be going to the funerals,"' Quayle said in an interview earlier this year. 'I mean, this is what vice presidents do. I said, "We've all done it."'
"Cheney 'got that little smile,' Quayle said, and replied, 'I have a different understanding with the president.'"
So is the 46th Vice President of the United States a bold leader who's done much to ensure our way of life or a power monger who's hung us all out for years to come?
And before you go lecturing the DT staff about what's appropriate on this site and how we shouldn't talk politics, etc., remember that Cheney was secretary of DEFENSE under Bush the Father.
The V-22 may not have made it to the Paris Air Show this year, but it's little cousin did, performing an impressive demo for the crowd each day. The Bell Augusta 609 (pictured) is designed to be the business variant of the tiltrotor line. Think of it as half Citation, half Jet Ranger. It's a great idea that could change everything in commuter travel if it proves itself.
But like its big brother the Osprey, the BA-609 has taken longer than expected to get to market. In fact, a search of the web produced this sanguine industry release from the Paris Air Show . . . 1997 version:
Paris Air Show-Le Bourget, France, June 15, 1997 -- The Bell Boeing joint venture today announced sales of its new Bell Boeing 609 civil tiltrotor aircraft, slated for delivery beginning in 2001. Twenty-one buyers have placed deposits to date for 29 of the world’s first civil tiltrotor aircraft, matching the venture’s expectations for the nine-passenger tiltrotor. The announcement was made today at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France.
Okay, so the 609 is no longer a Bell-Boeing product. And okay, so 2001 came and went without any 609s being delivered . . . as did the next six years after that. That doesn't mean it's ceased to be a cool idea.
Here's a video showing the 609 in action around Bell's factory (with music by Crystal Method for you House/Trance/Acid fans):
The Project for Government Oversight has distributed a press release that flags the number of mishaps the H-47 Chinook has suffered as a result of "brownout." Brownout refers to the pilot's loss of ground reference created by the cloud formed due to the helo's downwash. Generally, more downwash, bigger cloud. Here's the release:
Brownout Accidents Plague CSAR-X Helicopter:
Controversy Surrounds Air Force Selection
The H-47 Chinook clocked only 7 percent of all U.S. Army helicopter flight hours between February 2003 and June 2005, yet accounted for 30 percent of all brownout mishaps between fiscal years 2002 and 2005, data from the U.S. Army shows. According to Aerospace Daily and Defense Report yesterday, "Congressional lawmakers are reviewing downwash data for the helicopters that competed for the U.S. Air Force's combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter replacement fleet to make sure rescue operations can be done safely." As part of this review, Congress should also look at Army data which show that the Chinook disproportionately suffers accidents from brownout (swirling dust and sand) compared to the rest of the helicopter fleet.
Boeing's H-47 Chinook helicopter was selected for the $10 to $15 billion combat, search, and rescue (CSAR-X) contract last year which required, but the contract is being re-bid in response to protests by competitors.
POGO recommends that the Air Force make a fair comparison of the bidder's proposals on the basis of this and all the other key performance parameters, and that the comparison and standards for comparison be made as transparent as possible to the bidders.
CSAR-X program documents clearly state the need for a helicopter which does not have a rotor downwash that will impede operations. According to the June 16, 2005, Capability Development Document for Combat Search and Rescue Replacement Vehicle (CSAR-X)/Personnel Recovery Vehicle (PRV):
The downwash produced by the CSAR-X (PRV), at mid-mission gross weight, in and around the recovery vehicle during a hover in all operational environments must not impede safe and successful recovery of isolated personnel. These environments include, but not limited to, heavily forested steep mountainous, smooth-level, rough-level, smooth-sloped, and roughsloped terrain in calm and high crosswind conditions. Loose particles such as tree limbs, sand, snow, water or rocks in the hover zone at mid-mission gross weights with SCL in Appendix G must not prevent the Recovery Team or injured and un-injured isolated personnel from conducting safe AIE operations (providing emergency life saving measures to isolated personnel, placement of a non-ambulatory personnel in a hoist recovery device, overland movement, self protection, communication, and swimming). (Emphasis added)
According to POGO Defense Investigator Nick Schwellenbach, however, "The Air Force seems to have ignored its own requirement when it picked the Chinook."
Despite the rotor downwash requirement, the initial competition picked a helicopter—Boeing's Chinook—that produces significant downwash, and is prone to accidents due to brownout (swirling sand and dust caused by downwash). According to the May 2005 article "Brownout on the Battlefield," in FlightFax, a magazine by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center,
In the past 5 years, there have been 11 Class A, B, and C aviation accidents involving Chinook aircraft with brownouts being the trigger event. These mishaps have resulted in 16 non-fatal injuries and equipment damage costs in excess of $37 million.
A look at data compiled by the U.S. Army shows that the Chinook disproportionately suffers from brownout, and other mishaps and accidents when compared to the overall U.S. helicopter fleet.
(AP) PARIS - BlackBerry handhelds have been called addictive, invasive, wonderful - and now, a threat to French state secrets.
That, at least, is the fear of French government defense experts, who have advised against their use by officials in France's corridors of power, reportedly to avoid snooping by U.S. intelligence agencies.
"It's not a question of trust," French lawmaker Pierre Lasbordes told The Associated Press. "We are friends with the Americans, the Anglo-Saxons, but it's economic war."
Le Monde newspaper, which broke the story, described BlackBerry withdrawal among those who have given them up. "We feel that we are wasting huge amounts of time, having to relearn how to work in the old way," the daily quoted a ministry office director as saying.
E-mails sent from "Le BlackBerry" pass through servers in the United States and Britain, and France fears that makes the system vulnerable to snooping by the U.S. National Security Agency, Le Monde reported. The company that makes BlackBerrys, however, denies such spying is possible.
Lasbordes, who was commissioned in 2005 by then-Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to look into such issues, said he alerted the government to this "weakness" months ago. He said he met with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. to discuss the problem in the course of preparing his report on the security of French information systems.
The Canadian company "admitted that there was a certain fragility in the protection of information when you use the e-mail system" and promised it would be resolved, said Lasbordes, adding: "That was more than a year ago."
BlackBerrys pose "a problem with the protection of information" and "the risks of interception are real," Alain Juillet, in charge of economic intelligence for the government, told Le Monde.
Research In Motion insisted that BlackBerry e-mails cannot be read by the NSA or other organizations. The e-mails are more heavily encrypted than online banking Web sites, Research In Motion said in a statement.
"No one, including RIM, has the ability to view the content of any data communication sent using the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution," the company said.
The BlackBerry system has been accredited by security agencies in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Austria and Canada, Research in Motion said, adding that a certification process is under way in the Netherlands and Germany.
In France, the circular on BlackBerries from the General Secretariat for National Defense applies in theory to all ministries, and "it's up to everyone to be responsible," Lasbordes said.
Another official in a major ministry who got rid of his BlackBerry following the order said authorities are looking at other types of hand-held computers to use instead.
The prime minister's office would not confirm that it and the presidential palace were included in the circular, as Le Monde reported. But a spokesman, Severin Naudet, cited the General Secretariat for National Defense as saying that no type of hand-held computer is risk-free.
"It's not a problem if you're writing to your mother-in-law," Lasbordes said. But "one can imagine a minister coming from a meeting of the G-8 or G-7, et cetera, or a meeting in Brussels, and he sends information to his colleagues. It goes via Canada and the United States and that's it, game over."
Suspicion goes both ways. At a Group of Eight summit in Germany this month, White House aides were instructed to leave their wireless e-mail devices behind, apparently for fear of Russian eavesdropping.
Researchers behind the Army's top 10 greatest inventions for 2006 were recognized recently at a ceremony in Arlington, Virginia. The Army's Greatest Inventions for 2006 are:
Blow Torch Counter Improvised Explosive Device System, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. This vehicle-mounted system detonates IEDs at safe stand-off distances, minimizing vehicle damage and Soldier injuries.
"It's fairly easy to operate, and it gives a sense of security to the Soldiers when they're on convoy duty," said Maj. Brian Hackenberg, who helped develop the system.
Integrated Robotic Explosive Detection System, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Capable of crossing rugged terrain, this remotely operated system incorporates an explosive trace detector onto a robotic platform.
Plastic Shaped Charge Assembly for Remote Destruction of Buried IEDs, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. Remotely emplaced, the PSCA destroys known or suspected unexploded ordnance with higher accuracy than similar devices currently in use. Its low-fragmentation plastic housing eliminates collateral damage.
Humvee Crew Extraction D-ring, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Combat locks on the up-armored Humvee provide security for Soldiers but often get so damaged the doors can't be opened. The D-ring provides solid anchor points for the hooks of a tow strap, chain or cable to pull open damaged doors.
"There was an issue of Soldiers getting trapped inside Humvees that had been damaged for whatever reason ... enemy fire or being flipped. Soldiers had problems getting the doors off these up-armored Humvees so we took their advice and created the D-ring," said Wesley D. Patterson, who is part of a Fast Assistance in Sciences Team that deploys to help Soldiers solve problems that can be resolved within six months.
M1114 Humvee Interim Fragment Kit 5, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. This kit was fielded as a ballistic improvement for the M1114 Humvee in April 2006. A prototype door solution with fabrication and mounting instructions was provided within one week with automotive testing and safety certification.
Remote Urban Monitoring System, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. RUMS hardware combines emerging technologies in Wireless Local Area Network technology, night-vision cameras and unattended ground sensors to eliminate false alarms. Tripped sensors transmit an alarm signal to the camera module and operator after video and audio from multiple camera modules confirm the unattended ground sensor's alarm signal.
Constant Hawk, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Constant Hawk is a surveillance capability that uses an electro-optic payload to collect intelligence and identify areas that require increased surveillance by other assets.
OmniSense Unattended Ground Sensor System (pictured), U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. OmniSense is an unattended ground sensor system used to detect and classify personnel and vehicles in perimeter defense.
EM113A2 Rapid Entry Vehicle, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny, N.J. The REV provides rapid entry, non-lethal crowd control and rescue-squad insertion capabilities into areas requiring non-lethal intervention. The vehicle increases Soldier survivability through improved situational awareness and the ability to move and fire from within an armored vehicle.
BuckEye System, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Miss. BuckEye uses a digital camera to produce geospatial information for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It also produces high-resolution 3D urban mapping.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Harper said the BuckEye System has been instrumental in allowing a maneuver commander to rapidly map battle space through high-resolution imagery and to collect elevation data to give a 3D view.
"What it gives to Soldiers is added situational awareness they need to fight in an urban terrain," he said. "BuckEye has essentially mapped almost every major city in Iraq thus far."
AP is reporting that Airbus secured "huge" orders on the opening day of the Paris Air Show being held this week. According to the report "Airbus stole the spotlight from rival Boeing . . . announcing deals worth around $43 billion."
The article also mentions that while Airbus may have won the first round of the air show competition, they have a long way to go to regain the lead in the "traditional transatlantic rivalry." To date Boeing has received 584 orders for the 787 Dreamliner while Airbus has only received 105 orders for the A350 (including 92 orders yesterday - 80 from Qatar and 12 from Kuwait).
A more accurate tally will emerge at the Paris Air Show today as Boeing is predicted to announce additional Dreamliner sales during their press conference.
The world of commercial airline sales may seem far removed from the war in Iraq, but Boeing's fate here can be viewed as a barometer for foreign sentiment toward the U.S. And you can bet that a high opportunity cost to Boeing in that regard will play itself out in political arenas, including the 2008 Presidential race.
We'll keep you posted as the week goes on.
(Photo: A350 cockpit)
-- Ward
A U.S. - China Hotline Coming
U.S. and Chinese officials are expected to finalize arrangements in September for a “hotline” communications link between the Pentagon and China’s Ministry of Defense. Lieutenant General Zhang Qinsheng, the deputy chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, is planning to attend a meeting in Washington, D.C., in September to complete arrangements for the link.
At a recent conference of Pacific defense leaders in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, “I think it's an important start," and, referring to the conference, "There has clearly been greater transparency on the part of the Chinese."
There have been major concerns voiced in the United States about Chinese military activities and programs, beginning in 2001 when a Chinese fighter and a U.S. Navy electronic reconnaissance aircraft collided over international waters off the coast of China. Details of the communications link have not been made public. However, like the original U.S.-Russia hotline, the U.S.-China link will probably be a form of teletype in its initial installation.
That hotline was established in 1963 in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The Washington-Moscow hotline, installed in the Pentagon and the Soviet MOD buildings -- not the White House and Kremlin -- were initially hard-wire (cable) connected teletypes. As established, the sending nation’s leaders would compose the message in their native language and translate it for transmission.
While most films -- notably Dr. Strangelove and Fail Safe -- show the U.S. president and Soviet leader speaking by voice phone, at that time there was only the teletype link. The hotline was first used by U.S. and Soviet leaders in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War, when U.S. and Soviet warships were operating in the Mediterranean and the leaders wished to avoid an accidental confrontation.
An accord signed in 1971 provided for hotline upgrades, including an accompanying voice telephone and satellite links. The U.S.-Soviet hotline links remain in service today, being continually tested and ready for immediate use.
"Boeing is offering the Navy what one Pentagon source calls a 'tempting' deal for an all-time-low flyaway price of $49.9 million for new F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. The cost is guaranteed for a third multi-year buy of 170 aircraft, but this is nearly double the Navy's stated commitment for 92 more. Still, the deal 'is going to be pretty tough for the Navy to turn down,' says a Pentagon official.
"The proposal comes as Defense Dept. leaders worry that the cost of Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter will continue to grow. The Navy has told Congress it has a shortfall of 50 fighters, due in part to two factors--an accelerated burn rate of fighter hours combined with decreased projections of the design life of existing aircraft. Boeing could begin delivering the first aircraft from this deal two years after the award date. The offer would carry the production line to 2013; current work ends in 2009."
Damn, what a steal. How is Boeing going to make ends meet? (I'll bet they're scrimping on food at the Paris Air Show chalets.) Although I swore I'd never be caught dead in a Hornet (wouldn't fly an airplane that didn't have a front seat), at that price I might just have to get a couple for me and the missus.
The continued problems being encountered in flight tests of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) could lead to resurrection of the air-launched Tomahawk missile. The JASSM -- designated AGM-158 -- was initiated in 1995 following cancellation of the Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile (TSSAM) because of massive cost increases.
The Lockheed Martin AGM-158 had won out in competition with the McDonnell Douglas AGM-159 design. Procurement of the Lockheed Martin JASSM began in December 2001 with the missile intended for use on the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, and F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) as well as on the B-1B, B-2A, and B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers.
Some 600 JASSMs have been produced, but testing continues to indicate poor reliability. During tests launches from December 2006 to April 2007, the Air Force reported a system reliability of only 58 percent. Coupled with increased costs, this reliability factor has led Department of Defense officials to question the efficacy of the program, even at this late date.
The TSSAM cancellation -- and other never-completed air-launched programs, including the Medium-Range Air-to-Surface Missile (MRASM), which was based on the Tomahawk missile -- has led some weapon experts to believe that initiation of a new air-launched attack weapon of this type is beyond the near-term capabilities of the U.S. defense industry.
In this environment, the Air Force and Navy may be required to take another look at the Tomahawk cruise missile as a successor to the JASSM. The Tomahawk has been operational in U.S. surface ships since 1982 and submarines since 1983. Beginning with the Gulf War of 1991, the Tomahawk has a demonstrated a high effectiveness. During the 1991 conflict U.S. submarines launched 12 land-attack variants and U.S. surface ships launched 276. They had a launch success rate with transition to cruise flight of 98 percent, with a higher-than-predicted accuracy.
The General Dynamics Tomahawk was originally developed as a nuclear strike weapon, but all missiles carrying the W80 nuclear warhead have now been retired, as have the anti-ship missiles with conventional 1,000-pound warheads. The submarine-launched (UGM-109) and ship-launched (BGM-109) weapons in the fleet today are Tomahawk Land-Attack Missiles (TLAM). They carry several warheads and have undergone continued updates of engines and guidance. The large number of missiles being procured, which are also used by Britain and will be bought by Spain, have led to additional production by Raytheon and McDonnell Douglas.
Two proposed Tomahawk variants were not deployed, the Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) --named Gryphon -- which was cancelled because of the U.S.-Soviet Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement, and the AGM-109 air-launched Tomahawk. The latter weapon was flight tested from A-6 Intruder aircraft.
Should the JASSM effort be terminated, a prime candidate for the long-range, air-to-ground missile role will thus be a modification of the latest Tomahawk variants.
One of my earliest mental images (besides watching JFK's funeral on TV) is my mother crying as my father walked toward a line of A-4 Skyhawks on a cloudy morning in southern California. I didn't realize it at the time, of course, but he was on his way to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan for a 13-month deployment.
I also remember sitting around a small reel-to-reel tape deck with my mother a few years after that and listening to my father's voice as he related the tales of what was going on with the squadron in Da Nang, Vietnam. I imagined him flying through the clouds and helping the Marines on the ground by dropping bombs right where they were needed.
And then some months later I got the surprise of a lifetime: Without any warning from my mom, I walked into the small ranch house that we were renting in Kirkwood, Missouri (near where my grandparents on my mom's side lived) and found my dad waiting for me - a vision of strength, service, and honor in his green dress uniform. I was only seven at the time, but I'll never forget how I ran to him and the tears of joy we both shed.
Even as a long-haired, cynical teen I was overewhelmed with pride as I watched the skies over MCAS Cherry Point fill with A-6s returning from a NATO exercise, led by my dad, who was skipper of VMA(AW)-121 at the time.
His 30 years as a Marine had their share of challenges for the family, no doubt. Military life isn't easy. Long periods of separation are tough on a loving family. But those feelings were always eclipsed by a sense of pride in what he chose to do with his life. That pride is why I chose my first career. And I hope my sons feel the same way when they reflect on their experiences as military juniors.
So this Sunday Paper goes out to all of the military fathers far away from the sons and daughters who love them. When you face the trials of deployment know your dependents have a unique pride in what you're doing - pride that specific to your chosen walk of life. A joyous homecoming awaits, and that's what will be remembered over everything else.
One of America's leading military heroes passed away yesterday. Robin Olds, a 3+ times Ace with 13 kills during World War II and 4 more during Vietnam, died June 14, 2007.
Brigadier General Robin Olds, United States Air Force, retired, passed away peacefully, Thursday evening, June 14th, 2007 from congestive heart failure, one month short of his 85th birthday. He was born in Honolulu on July 14, 1922, the son of Major General Robert and Eloise Olds.
Robin spent his younger years and schooling in Hampton, Virginia and attended West Point, where he was an All American tackle and graduated in 1943 as a 2nd Lieutenant.
Following graduation from Pilot Training in 1943, General Olds was assigned to the European Theater at the end of WWII where he flew 107 combat missions in the P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang.
He shot down 13, enemy aircraft over Europe. He became a Triple Ace 23 years later during the Viet NamConflict when he downed 4 MIGS. He flew 152 combat missions in the F-4 Phantom while Wing Commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon AFB in Thailand.
General Olds' exploits as the creator and Mission Commander of Operation Bolo, the most successful aerial battle of the Vietnam conflict, has been documented in the recent History Channel Dogfights Special series, entitled "Air Ambush".
General Robin Olds served his country in assignments to England, Germany, Thailand and the United States, in positions of Squadron, Base, Group, and Wing Commander with assignments to Headquarters US Air Force and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He was assigned to the first jet P-80 squadron in 1946; was a member of the first jet Aerial Acrobatic Demonstration Team, won second place in the Thompson Trophy Race, jet Division, in Cleveland, 1946, and participated in the first dawn to dusk transcontinental round trip flight. He was a Squadron commander of Royal Air Force Fighter Squadron # 1 in Sussex during an exchange tour in 1948.
General Olds' military decorations include the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with 5 oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 39 Oak Leaf Clusters, British Distinguished Flying Cross, French Croix de Guerre, Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order, Vietnam Air Gallantry Medal with Gold Wings, Vietnam Air Service Medal.
After his duty in Vietnam, General Olds was named Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy 1967-1971. His last assignment before retiring from the Air Force was Director of Safety for the U.S. Air Force.
Up to a few months prior to his illness, Robin was frequently called upon as guest speaker and lecturer for his inspirational and motivational talks and he traveled all over the world speaking to military and civilian groups alike. General Olds was previously married to Ella Raines, who died in 1988, and then to Morgan Olds.
General Olds is survived by two daughters, Christina Olds of Vail, CO and Susan Scott-Risner of North Bend, WA; one granddaughter, Jennifer Newman of Santa Monica, CA. and half-brother, Fred Olds of Virginia. He died peacefully at his home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in the company of family and friends.
A memorial service will be held at the U.S. Air Force Academy within the next two weeks. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association towards scholarships for the children, or to assist the spouses, of Armed Forces aircrew members killed or missing in action.
Robin's family has asked for any re-communication of this detail, to include the family's request for privacy at this time. I will keep you all informed as to final arrangements when formalized.
Godspeed to a more than fine leader.
Your six is clear, General...a grateful nation thanks you for all your service.
This is the kind of story that puts a smile on the face of investigative journalists and throws congressmen into a tizzy.
Our friends over at the Center for Defense Information put together a compelling report on the kind of earmark program that’ll make DT readers want to reach through their computer monitors and wring Capitol Hill’s neck.
The DP-2 aircraft: A jet-powered STOVL aircraft designed by DuPont Aerospace shoved down NASA and the Pentagon’s throat that one congressional committee says “was first proposed by Tony duPont thirty-five years ago. Since then, every government review of the design of the DP-2 aircraft has found it technically flawed,” Capitol Hill at its best!
Straus Military Reform Project adviser Jason Vest discovered an aviation program for a plane called the DP-2, which after 20 years of American taxpayer funding still can’t fly. This aviation program owes its birth and ongoing existence to almost 20 years of earmarks from current and former members of Congress, including Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), and former Rep. Chris Cox (R-Calif.), who is now chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, among others.
Vest spent the better part of nine months investigating the history and current status of the DP-2 program, which is under the auspices of the Office of Naval Research/NASA. What he found was a fascinating history of how ideological visions over technological expertise, campaign contributions, lobbying fees and congressional bullying of the Pentagon have cost the American taxpayers nearly $100 million for an airplane the military doesn't want or need – and either blows up or crashes every time it's tested.
As a result of Vest’s and others congressional investigations, the House Science and Technology Committee's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a three-panel hearing on the DP-2 on June 12, 2007, to examine the “testing mishaps and management” of the aviation program. The subcommittee found that despite safety concerns over the aircraft, “poor management of the program and the company’s lack of adherence to safety protocols and procedures,” the U.S. government is still funding the development.
In fact, the fiscal year 2008 federal budget has a $6 million earmark reserved for the DP-2, all for an aircraft that even the U.S. military – the group it’s being developed for – has rejected.
You can also read the ABC news story on the DP-2 debacle here…
An additional $6 million is being proposed for the 2008 fiscal year, supported by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the former Armed Services Committee chairman who's now running for president.
Hunter's district is close by the duPont Aerospace Company in La Jolla, Calif., that's building the plane, and he and other Republicans have gotten tens of thousands in donations over the years from Anthony duPont, the company president.
The Air Force has been tracking aggressive cyber incursions by computer technicians in China, primarily focused toward gathering information on military network infrastructure and American trade secrets, the Air Force's cyber warfare commander said this week.
"China has put a lot of resources into this business," said Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, commander of Air Force Cyberspace Command. "China, at this point, is not interested so much in attack as they are in using the Internet to pull [industrial] data."
A recently-released Pentagon report on Chinese military development said Beijing is crafting an aggressive computer network operations strategy that the People's Liberation Army "sees as critical to achieving 'electromagnetic dominance' early in a conflict."
While his newly-established command is focused primarily on the defense of military information networks, communications nodes and command and control systems by "peer competitors" such as China, Russia and Iran, Elder told reporters during a June 13 breakfast meeting in Washington his cyber warriors don't see much of a threat from terrorist-initiated attacks.
"If you have a terrorist operating on their own they're going to have less capability than if they had nation-state sponsorship," Elder explained. "To seriously disrupt us, you're not going to be able to do this with a 'teenage hacker' capability."
Aside from the defense of Air Force cyberspace from would-be attackers, Elder said his command is focused on developing tactics to render adversaries' computer systems inoperable, dropping cyber bombs on enemy sensors, databases and battle management systems.
"Everything I talk about we're trying to do to an adversary we're trying to defend for ourselves," Elder said.
Of the 18 Ohio-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines built from 1976-1997, all are still in service. Four of them have been removed from strategic service and have been converted to 
