The tests seek to confirm the production readiness of the APKWS rocket and its ability to meet Navy and Marine Corps requirements, including safely launching from a helicopter, and reliably acquiring, tracking, and hitting laser-designated targets.

In the most recent testing, a laser-guided rocket fired from a U.S. Marine Corps Cobra helicopter hit a stationary target. This test firing initiated a sequence of more than 20 firings that will comprise the program's final test phase, to be completed by the end of 2009.

"Shooting APKWS is just like shooting a conventional 2.75-inch rocket, except the APKWS goes exactly where it's told to go," said LCDR John "Doc" Dougherty, Navy APKWS deputy program manager.

With completion of this contractor test flight, BAE Systems and the Navy are preparing for Navy demonstration test flights and full government qualification testing. APKWS will enter production in 2010.

"When we enter production, we expect to be the only fully-qualified laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket in the U.S. inventory," said John Watkins, director of missile and munitions solutions at BAE Systems in Nashua, New Hampshire, where the APKWS guidance section is produced. "We are very proud that APKWS will be in the hands of the warfighters next year."

APKWS has hit its targets 18 times since September 2002, including five shots from helicopters involving several air crews and various mission scenarios.

The low-cost, low-yield precision munition system turns a standard 2.75-inch unguided rocket to a smart, highly precise laser-guided missile. Because it uses standard launchers, the system requires no platform integration or aircraft modifications, and the mid-body design of its guidance section enables use of existing warheads, fuses, and rocket motors.

APKWS can be fired from any helicopter that can launch 2.75-inch rockets, including the AH-1 Cobra, UH-1 Huey, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, and AH-64 Apache.

The Navy assumed acquisition executive oversight of the program in 2008 and has fully funded it for production. BAE Systems has been the APKWS prime contractor since 2006.

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During the U.S. Air Force-sponsored tests at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, Calif., the Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX), which was developed by Boeing under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory, used a single, high-brightness laser beam to shoot down five UAVs at various ranges. Laser Avenger, a Boeing-funded initiative, also shot down a UAV. Representatives of the Air Force and Army observed the tests.

"The Air Force and Boeing achieved a directed-energy breakthrough with these tests," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit. "MATRIX's performance is especially noteworthy because it demonstrated unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively low laser power."

Bill Baker, chief scientist of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, praised his team and Boeing for these successful UAV shootdowns.

"These tests validate the use of directed energy to negate potential hostile threats against the homeland," Baker said. "The team effort of Boeing and the Air Force in developing MATRIX will pay major dividends for the warfighter now and in the years ahead."

As part of the overall counter-UAV demonstration, Boeing also successfully test-fired a lightweight 25mm machine gun from the Laser Avenger platform to potentially further the hybrid directed energy/kinetic energy capability against UAV threats.

Boeing Directed Energy Systems, based in Albuquerque, developed MATRIX, a mobile, trailer-mounted test bed that integrates with existing test-range radar. Directed Energy Systems and Boeing Combat Systems in St. Louis cooperatively developed Laser Avenger, which integrates a directed-energy weapon together with the existing kinetic weapons on the proven Avenger air defense system developed by Combat Systems.

Boeing leads the way in developing laser weapon systems for a variety of U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy applications. These systems include the Airborne Laser, Advanced Tactical Laser, Free Electron Laser, High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator and Tactical Relay Mirror System.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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"McAfee began to warn of the global cyber arms race more than two years ago, but now we're seeing increasing evidence that it's become real," said Dave DeWalt, president and chief executive of McAfee Inc.

"Several nations around the world are actively engaged in cyberwar-like preparations and attacks," he said. "Today, the weapons are not nuclear, but virtual, and everyone must adapt to these threats."

The Santa Clara, California-based McAfee, in its fifth annual "Virtual Criminology Report," said China, France, Israel, Russia and the United States have developed "advanced offensive cyber capabilities."

McAfee said that cyberattacks with political objectives were on the rise and although there was disagreement among experts over its definition "cyberwarfare is a reality."

Among the cases cited in the report were the August 2008 cyber campaign against Georgia by Russian nationalists during the South Ossetia war and July 2009 attacks against official US and South Korean websites believed by some experts to have come from North Korea.

"Over the past year, the increase in politically motivated cyberattacks has raised alarm and caution, with targets including the White House, Department of Homeland Security, US Secret Service and Department of Defense in the US alone," McAfee said.

"Nation-states are actively developing cyberwarfare capabilities and involved in the cyber arms race, targeting government networks and critical infrastructures," it said.

McAfee said what it called a "Cyber Cold War" may already be underway.

"While we have not yet seen a 'hot' cyber war between major powers, the efforts of nation-states to build increasingly sophisticated cyberattack capabilities -- and in some cases demonstrate a willingness to use them -- suggests that a 'Cyber Cold War' may have already begun," it said.

The company said critical infrastructure was particularly vulnerable, in part because of its reliance on the Internet.

"If a major cyber conflict between nation states were to erupt, it is very likely that the private sector would get caught in the crossfire," it said.

"Most experts agree that critical infrastructure systems -- such as the electrical grid, banking and finance, and oil and gas sectors -- are vulnerable to cyberattack in many countries," it said.

"In most developed countries, critical infrastructure is connected to the Internet and lacks proper security functions, leaving these installations vulnerable to attacks," McAfee said.

It said some nation states "are actively doing reconnaissance to identify specific vulnerabilities" and quoted one unidentified expert as saying they were "laying the electronic battlefield and preparing to use it."

McAfee said what constitutes an act of war in cyberspace -- and the proper response -- was not yet clear.

"Cyberwarfare entangles so many different actors in so many different ways that the rules of engagement are not clearly defined," it said.

"Without a proper definition in place, it is nearly impossible to determine when a political response or threat of military action is warranted," it said.

The McAfee report was prepared by cybersecurity expert Paul Kurtz, a former White House adviser and included interviews with more than 20 international relations, national security and Internet security experts from around the world.

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Mission success is the goal of protecting networks from attack. In August, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz outlined steps Air Force officials are taking to centralize this mission. He said that those steps are just the beginning.

"To make significant progress we must also change the way we think about the cyberspace domain," General Schwartz wrote to Air Force members in a service-wide e-mail.

Cyberspace adversaries attack Department of Defense computer networks every day. They range from individual hackers, criminal organizations and terrorists to nation states. Though they aren't successful the majority of the time, they have stolen classified information from networks and computers, including future weapon systems, logistics information and Airmen's personal information.

The most common way of getting information is phishing. This attack targets the weakest link in network security: the user. It involves sending e-mails containing attachments and linked Web sites that appear legitimate. Phishing tricks Airmen into downloading malicious code which provides a door into that network or computer from remote locations. Phishing happens at work or home.

"Applying our wingmen in the cyberspace domain gives us a powerful advantage; every Airman is a defender in cyberspace," said Gen. C. Robert "Bob" Kehler, the commander of Air Force Space Command.

The activation of 24th Air Force Aug. 18 helped define Air Force requirements and establishes training standards for cyber warriors. The next step is to educate every Airman about the cyber wingman campaign.

"We must all conduct ourselves as "Cyber Wingmen," recognizing that our actions and activities on the network affect every other Airman and impact our ability to execute the broader Air Force mission," General Schwartz said.

The "Rise of the Cyber Wingman" philosophy incorporates the following 10 guiding principles every Airman needs to know and use to secure cyberspace.
1. The United States is vulnerable to cyberspace attacks by relentless adversaries attempting to infiltrate our networks -- at work and at home -- millions of times a day, 24/7.
2. Our adversaries plant malicious code, worms, botnets and hooks in common Web sites, software and hardware such as thumbdrives, printers, etc.
3. Once implanted, this code begins to distort, destroy and manipulate information, or "phone" it home. Certain code allows our adversaries to obtain higher levels of credentials to access highly sensitive information.
4. The adversary attacks your computers at work and at home knowing you communicate with the Air Force network by e-mail, or transfer information from one system to another.
5. As cyber wingmen, you have a critical role in defending your networks, your information, your security, your teammates and your country.
6. You significantly decrease our adversaries' access to our networks, critical Air Force information, and even your personal identity, by tak¬ing simple action.
7. Do not open attachments or click on links unless the email is digitally signed, or you can directly verify the source; even if it appears to be from someone you know.
8. Do not connect any hardware or download any software, applications, music or information onto Air Force networks without approval.
9. Encrypt sensitive but unclassified and/or mission critical information. Ask your computer security administrator for more information.
10. Install the free Department of Defense anti-virus software on your home computer. Your CSA can provide you with your free copy.

"By embracing, understanding and applying each of these rules, we will deliver on our promise to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace," General Schwartz said.

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Thomas Meitzler, a research scientist at the Michigan-based organization, said the aim is to give troops real-time situational awareness of the health, condition and structural integrity of their vehicle’s armor.

“Currently, the standard procedure is to go out of the vehicle, walk around and look at it,” Meitzler said during a Nov. 4 interview on the Pentagon Channel’s weekly podcast, “Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military.”

Meitzler, the team leader of TARDEC’s nondestructive testing and evaluation laboratory, said normal wear and tear can cause damage lamination and produce cracks that are invisible to the naked eye, and noise on the battlefield can prevent an armored vehicle’s occupants from hearing when small-arms fire causes damage.

Tiny sensors called piezoelectric transducers are manufactured right into armored plate materials and detect changes in the plates’ condition.

“We are basically using ultrasonic waves through the material as our probe on the health assessment of the armor,” Meitzler said.

The sensors send automated reports to graphical displays in the crew compartment. TARDEC developers have devised a color-coded system: green indicates the armor is healthy, black points out damage such as cracks, and red shows spots where the armor has been hit, for example, by ground fire.

The system runs a self-check each time the vehicle is turned on, and evaluations can be run manually at any time. Meitzler said initial tests have been successful and show the sensors are energy-efficient.

“We are actually surprised how little voltage we need to supply to the transducers to get them to send ultrasonic waves through the material and, in fact, we can even use piezoelectric transducer strips as a kind of energy harvesting device,” Meitzler said.

Just driving the vehicle around could cause the sensors’ piezoelectric fibers to generate energy.

“When there's any kind of strain or stress, those fibers will convert the mechanical deformation to a voltage, Meitzler explained. “And then that voltage can be stored in a battery, which can later be used.”

Other future uses for the sensors go beyond signaling when armor is damaged, he said. They also could be used to monitor temperature, act as antennas and perform other functions that would contribute to the survivability of U.S. servicemembers, including monitoring the condition of body armor.

“Most of the sensors and technology we’re developing for vehicles can be applied quite easily to body armor,” Meitzler said.

The first phases of testing involved shooting armored plates made with the sensors inside TARDEC’s lab and analyzing the results. Meitzler said the next step is to test their durability in the field.

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The U.S. Joint Forces Command exercise, Bold Quest 2009, was held at both Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. The joint exercise included participants from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division; the Marines, the Air Force, the Navy, and 10 partner nations.

The exercise allowed U.S. forces to team with multi-national partners to demonstrate and assess cooperative combat ID technologies that can provide warfighters with the means to better identify friendly forces on the battlefield. The objective of the exercise was to assess air-to-ground combat ID technologies in a stressful and challenging operational environment to enhance coalition combat effectiveness and reduce the potential of fratricide across all services.

"This was a great opportunity to come here and help evaluate some of these new CID technologies," said Army 1st Sgt. Joseph Gaskin, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division. "This was all about preventing fratricide and I'll be very interested to hear what the final results have to say. Excellent exercise."

Exercise technical initiatives included prototype systems to enable aircrew and controllers to exchange position information digitally with friendly ground elements. The expected outcome will improve target acquisition processes to reduce the risk of fratricide.

According to exercise leaders, the data collected during the demonstration will be analyzed to provide decision-makers with the information they require to determine the military utility of the technologies and to help make informed equipment procurement and fielding decisions.

"Our focus now is on conducting post-event analysis so that we can inform U.S. and allied investment decision-makers about the performance of these important CID technologies," said John Miller, USJFCOM Joint Capability Integration and Fires Division's BQ 09 operational manager. "We believe our BQ team was able to successfully collect the information needed to perform a thorough assessment of these respective combat ID technologies. We couldn't have done this without the tremendous cooperation of our entire joint and coalition team."

Joint partners said they found the exercise both challenging and relevant.

"In combat, the only thing worse than enemy fire is incoming friendly fire," said Marine Corps Sgt. Aldo Wong, section leader, Mobility Counter-Mobility Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Assault Amphibious Battalion, Camp Lejeune. "BQ provided us with a challenging environment to operate in, which is the only way to solve the complex issue of CID."

Miller said combat ID technology is just one more tool on the battlefield to help prevent unnecessary combat losses.

"While technology will never replace sound judgment and leadership on the battlefield, it can provide more time and situational understanding at the shooter-level to make those crucial engagement decisions," Miller said. "This was all about enhancing coalition combat effectiveness and reducing fratricide in today's complex warfighting environment - it doesn't get more important than that."

(Casey Bain writes for JFIIT, USJFCOM)

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Gen. Kevin P. Chilton laid out what he described as his "wish list" Nov. 4, emphasizing the importance of being able to predict collisions between debris and valuable satellites.

Given the scarce number of personnel tasked with carrying out this mission, "we are decades behind where we should be, in my view," General Chilton said in a speech at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

The collision in February of an American and Russian satellite changed an assumption underlying the use of space. General Chilton called the collision between the Iridium and Kosmos satellites the "seminal event" of the year for STRATCOM.

"The big space theory, like the big sky theory, kind of came to a close when that happened -- the thought that we wouldn't have to pay attention to the movement of every satellite up there because there's so much space up there and such a low probability that they'll run into each other," he said.

Those working in the field likely never bought into the theory that a collision was unlikely, the general said, and the event drove home the reality to those responsible for budgeting.

"It's amazing what one collision will do to the resource spigot," he said. "Once that happened, we started to see some resources start to flow in the right directions and some creative thinking going on to improve our ability to predict collisions between the 800 satellites that we care about up there that are active and the more than 20,000 pieces of total debris."

General Chilton cautioned that the 20,000 estimate could likely be off "by an order of magnitude" of actual materials able to damage satellites and systems in orbit.

As in other military scenarios, maintaining situational awareness is no less important in space than it is on land, in the air or at sea.

"Space situational awareness is no different than the situational awareness that we demand in any other domain," he said. "And we do not provide that in an adequate fashion to my component commander in charge of space operations for the United States of America."

To maintain awareness, General Chilton stressed the need for sensors, which he described as the start of the process.

"It starts with having sensors in the right place around the globe so you can surveil the domain," he said.

He also underscored the need to replace the space fence and keep on track the space-based surveillance system. General Chilton suggested more also could be done in the way the United States relates to its allies in space.

"I think there are also opportunities for us to reach out to friends and allies and leverage capabilities that others have in a teaming fashion to provide the increased surveillance assets, the increased observations, that decreases the uncertainty in the location of elements in space," he said. "I think there's great opportunity for us to reach out and do those better as well."

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The ECR-90 radar provides air-to-air and air-to-surface coverage. Its air-to-air radar features include search modes, lock-follow modes, and air combat acquisition modes. its air-to-surface radar features include search modes, track modes, and air-to-surface ranging and terrain avoidance modes.

A contract for 620 Eurofighter aircraft for the air forces of Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K was signed in January 1998, with overall production divided into three tranches. Tranche 1 consists of 148 aircraft. A contract for Tranche 2 production, involving 236 Typhoons, was signed in December 2004. A Tranche 3A contract for 112 fighters followed in July 2009. (Tranche 3A is approximately half the size of the originally negotiated Tranche 3 production quantity.) In addition, Austria and Saudi Arabia have signed on as Eurofighter customers.

Future Eurofighter contracts could result from 1) the four partner nations agreeing to a Tranche 3B order; 2) a follow-on contract from Saudi Arabia; or 3) new business. Several possibilities exist for new orders, with India being the most promising. The Euroradar consortium is embracing the growing popularity of AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars.

In May 2009, EADS announced the conclusion of the CECAR (Captor E-sCan Risk reduction) program, which developed the CAESAR - Captor AESA Radar demonstrator. CAESAR successfully completed a flight test program in May 2007. The CAPTOR-E is marketed as a low-risk upgrade to CAPTOR-M (mechanically scanning radar).

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Major General Robert Rowe told reporters in Baghdad he was at odds with Iraqi officials on whether the ADE 651, a pistol-shaped gadget sold by a British firm which uses an antenna and is known as the "magic wand," worked.

"We do not agree on the technical capability of the device that is used here widely by the Iraqi forces," said Rowe, referring to the chief of the interior ministry's directorate for combating explosives, Major General Jihad al-Jabiri.

Security at checkpoints is especially sensitive in the wake of twin bombings at government offices on October 25 that killed 153 people and wounded 500. The attacks were claimed by a group linked to Al-Qaeda.

The bombers managed to convey almost two tonnes of explosives into the heart of the capital in what was a major blow to confidence in Iraqi security amid fears of political violence in the run-up to a general election in early 2010.

Rowe, director of the US army's training and advisory mission in Iraq, was quoted Tuesday in a New York Times report as saying: "I have no confidence that these work," when talking about the ADE 651.

Jabiri in the same article defended the gadget, reputed to cost between 16,500 and 60,000 dollars each and used at hundreds of checkpoints, and said "whether it's magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs."

The ADE 651 uses a series of interchangeable cards said to be able to detect explosives and weapons. A police officer or soldier will walk along the side of a vehicle and the antenna will be drawn toward suspected contraband.

However, substances as diverse as perfume and metal tooth coatings are known to artificially trigger its sensors.

Rowe, who on a previous tour of Iraq served as an infantry brigade commander, said he preferred more traditional methods used to spot explosives.

"I am unaware and we have not been able to find for our forces an assured, highly probable technological solution that allows us to detect explosive devices," he said.

"From a distance, the best capability is highly trained soldiers and policemen attempting to recognise habits that might give you a reason to look closer. Much like when you go to an airport and your briefcase is swabbed."

He also said sniffer dogs, baggage screening machines, vehicle scanners and closed circuit television systems could be used more effectively.

A major consideration for Iraqi police is striking a balance between checkpoint security and sufficiently fluid traffic flow to allow people to go about their business with minimal disruption.

Vehicle checks using the ADE 651 take only a few seconds whereas a dog search will take several minutes.

"It is a difficult issue," Rowe added. "All over Baghdad and other cities there are people trying to get to work and those checkpoints are there to secure the population. This is the tension of an open society."

The October 25 attacks led to a dramatic increase in the overall death toll in Iraq for the month, with twice as many violent deaths than in September.

Statistics compiled by the defence, interior and health ministries showed 343 civilians, 42 police and 25 soldiers were killed last month, with only the military figure falling from September.

The figures were markedly higher than the previous month, which saw 203 people die as a result of violence, the lowest death toll since May, offering cautious optimism that security was improving.

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The global economic downturn and a renewed interest in domestic policies in the United States may force militaries to cut spending. But according to William Ostrove, FI electronics analyst and author of the study, "The need for sensors will continue to drive radar sales worldwide. For example, the United States has begun a new effort to invest in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities."

Ostrove adds that as militaries increasingly use network-centric tactics, "sensor suites that include radar, electro-optical sensors, powerful computers, and datalinks will become more prevalent.” And because radars form a critical part of the overall data-fusion schemes of network-centric warfare systems, Ostrove says that they will continue to be purchased by militaries to be fused into overall intelligence-gathering systems.

According to the study, which is based on a review of 127 radar production and funding programs, radar systems will also be purchased as nations seek to upgrade their air defense networks. A number of countries have already begun to replace their air defense networks with newer systems, including radar for air surveillance. In this regard, the U.S. has begun a program called the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) to develop a new air surveillance radar to replace its TPS-75s.

The increased use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for battlefield intelligence gathering is also driving radar sales. New technology is allowing smaller radar systems to be developed. UAV sensors have traditionally been dominated by electro-optical and infrared systems. However, these newer, smaller radars are opening a new market for the radar industry.

One of the key advancements driving current demand for radar systems is the development of active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. AESA radars are being sold in increasingly large numbers every year. Says Ostrove, "Australia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates have already signed contracts to purchase AESA radar from U.S. companies." He adds, "All entries in the Brazilian F-X2 and Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competitions include AESA radars." Sellers outside the U.S., such as France, Israel, Russia, and the U.K., are also developing AESA radars.

Despite an overall projected decline in radar sales over the next 10 years, the market continues to be lucrative. In terms of market leaders, major players such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman continue to top Forecast International's list of top five radar producers. Companies that join them in the top ranks include Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industries, and the MEADS International consortium. Consortiums such as MEADS International and Euroradar continue to play an important role in the radar industry.

Forecast International, Inc. is a leading provider of Market Intelligence and Analysis in the areas of aerospace, defense, power systems and military electronics. Based in Newtown, Conn., USA, Forecast International specializes in long-range industry forecasts and market assessments used by strategic planners, marketing professionals, military organizations, and governments worldwide.

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