Cray Wins Three New Computer Contracts
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Cray, Events, IT, Services, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, development program
Cray announced that it had been awarded a contract to provide three new computers to parts of the U.S. Defense Department. The value of the award will be $45 million. The computers will be provided to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), U.S. Army and the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center.
Cray had been struggling recently with the decision by the Defense Advanced Research Products Agency (DARPA) to cancel a contract with Cray to provide computers and support. That program was scaled back and its loss cost Cray about $60 million in revenue. That decision seriously impacted future projections but much of that will be made up for with this contract.
Raytheon BBN Technologies Demonstrates First-of-its-Kind Disruption-Tolerant Military Network
Raytheon BBN Technologies Demonstrates First-of-its-Kind Disruption-Tolerant Military NetworkFebruary 1, 2010
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Raytheon BBN Technologies demonstrated the successful transmission of voice and data across a wireless mobile ad hoc network that was in a constant state of flux, mimicking the communications challenges that military networks confront in tactical use.
These results mark milestone achievements for the Wireless Network After Next (WNaN) program, which is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Raytheon BBN Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN).
"The results prove that WNaN works in the field with affordable, commercially available radios," said Jason Redi, WNaN principal investigator, Raytheon BBN Technologies. "With these results, we are one step closer to getting this much needed, first-of-its-kind technology to the battlefield and putting a reliable network in the hands of every warfighter."
The WNaN network operates on low-cost radio hardware to establish a wireless network that adapts to changing conditions and enables warfighters to communicate on the battlefield despite frequent disruptions and high demand. Raytheon BBN Technology network software operates in concert with radio hardware developed by COBHAM.
Specific achievements during the field experiment included:
10 WNaN mobile handheld radios that participated in multiple, simultaneous call groups and delivered situational awareness data despite communications disruptions.
Proof of the network's ability to avoid interference from hostile signals and continue operation even when large numbers of warfighters try to use the channel at once.
Software that automatically assigns the best frequencies for use by each device as the warfighters move and the mission needs change.
Techniques that allow the network to scale to hundreds of nodes in a single group without the need for a fixed network infrastructure; and
Capability to relay voice transparently over more than four different network radios so that soldiers can communicate reliably regardless of their location on the battlefield.
Technorati Tags:
Information Technology (IT), Raytheon (NYSE:RTN)
Wyle to Develop Air Force Training and Operations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems — Press Release
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Events, Press Releases, Wyle Labs
Wyle to Develop Air Force Training and Operations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Wyle has signed an agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop formal flight and sensor operator training courses designed to enhance the proficiency and competence of Air Force Research Laboratory small unmanned aircraft systems flight operations with the goal of minimizing unmanned aircraft mishaps.
Wyle and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio will develop and validate detailed training, operations and related documentation for a radio-controlled aircraft system to support Department of Defense and other Federal agency intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and force protection missions.
“The objective of the agreement is to develop a commercial version of the AFRL small unmanned aircraft system for potential certification by the Federal Aviation Administration in the experimental aircraft category,” said Sam Carbaugh, who has led the project for Wyle. “This will assist in enabling both government and civilian use of small unmanned aircraft for research and development, flight demonstrations and aircrew training.”
The agreement transfers government aircraft technology directly to Wyle, enabling the company to provide training and cost-saving benefits to the Air Force. Development of a commercial small unmanned aircraft systems training course will also allow AFRL personnel to receive small unmanned aircraft systems flight qualification training during the course development phases and to obtain flight training on an as-needed basis without using limited and valuable research aircraft.
“Once we’ve proven our work with AFRL, Wyle plans to offer the training to other DoD operations, government agencies and contractors,” said Carbaugh. “As the military and other government agencies move towards more use of unmanned aircraft, there is a growing need for an adequate training program.”
To support the training portions of the program, Wyle will build and operate two aircraft, each weighing approximately 20 pounds with a wing span of approximately six feet. The aircraft are significantly modified versions of a common model radio controlled aircraft which AFRL uses for various sensor and flight control research projects.
The aircraft will be operated by a ground control unit with operator controls and a laptop computer which will program the aircraft and record operational data. An optical camera system will be installed as a sensor system.
Adaptation of commercially available hobby aircraft with advanced navigation, communications and computer flight controls for use in aviation sensor technology research has resulted in various configurations of aircraft that have proven reliable and useful. Wyle will evaluate these variants to select a configuration suitable for the formal training of small unmanned aircraft systems operators, observers and payload controllers.
Wyle is a leading provider of high tech aerospace engineering and information technology services to the federal government on long-term outsourcing contracts. The company also provides biomedical and engineering services for NASA’s human space missions; test and evaluation of aircraft, weapon systems, networks, and other government assets; and other engineering services to the aerospace, defense, and nuclear power industries.
Ref.: NR/10-04
Contact:
Dan Reeder
(310) 563-6834
Source: Wyle
Boeing Laser Systems Destroy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Tests — Press Release
Filed under: Boeing, Business Line, Companies, Events, Press Releases, S&T, development program, missile defense
Boeing Laser Systems Destroy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Tests
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 18, 2009 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] in May demonstrated the ability of mobile laser weapon systems to perform a unique mission: track and destroy small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
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.
# # #
Contact:
Marc Selinger
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
703-872-4240
marc.selinger@boeing.com
Chuck Cadena
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
703-872-4503
chuck.cadena@boeing.com
Photo courtesy of Boeing.
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Filed under: Syndicated Industry News
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Filed under: Syndicated Industry News
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Filed under: Syndicated Industry News



