NEW TECHNOLOGIES

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Jan 07. Boeing’s [BA] Future Combat Systems (FCS) team achieved a major software test milestone on schedule Dec. 15. Completion of the System of Systems Common Operating Environment (SOSCOE) Build 1.0.8.0 qualification test and subsequent software release helps ensure the program is on track to support upcoming FCS exercises. Boeing and SAIC [SAI] manage FCS for the Army, which considers the 18 programs and the software that links them into a network with soldiers, as its major modernization plan. “This marks completion of the first major FCS software build that will feed into Spin Out 1 (SO 1) as well as future Army experiments,” Dennis Muilenburg, Combat Systems vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “The One Team did an outstanding job to make this happen and is already working on a follow up release and the next SOSCOE software build (2.0.0.0).” SOSCOE software build 2.0.0.0 is slated for release in December 2007. SOSCOE 1.0.8.0 will be used to support initial testing for SO 1 (Limited User Test) and 2.0.0.0 will be used to support final testing–the Classified Verification Test, a company spokesman said. SOSCOE is the common software “middleware toolkit” that will enable all FCS platforms to talk and interact with each other. (Source: Defense Daily)

1 Jan 07. After receiving encouraging results, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Michigan Research Institute (MRI) will grant Delphi Corporation an additional $950,000 to help fund the continuing development of Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW). The first two grants for DRW, totaling $2.17m, were used to perfect existing welding techniques, to create new ones, and to find new innovative ways to use DRW on suspension sub-frames. The new grant will fund work done by Delphi in cooperation with the Edison Welding Institute (EWI) and SpaceForm, Inc., (SFI), a company formed in 2005 based on DRW technology. Planned projects will develop the technology in the area of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, dissimilar material joints, lean tubular structures and concepts for future manufacturing cells.

Jan 07. New Applications for Blighter from Plextech. The traditional way of evading any high-end security system, whether using cameras, other ground sensors or radar, is to keep low to the ground and move very slowly. With Blighter’s patent pending technology the 200 series is able to take advantage of its highly stable electronic beam-scanning to allow it to see very small and slow targets out to ranges previously unattainable by existing traditional ‘crawler’ radar. Blighter can now detect the extremely slow movement of a
person crawling and discriminate it from the radar returns of vegetation, buildings, fences and the areas surrounding parked assets such as aircraft. Subject to LOS conditions, Blighter can detect a crawling person from 20m up to 1km, a walking person in excess of 2km, and vehicles out to the instrumented range limit of 5.1km. Each target is uniquely identified and has its primary characteristics displayed on the Blighter HMI.

10 Jan 07. Inmarsat and ViaSat Inc. have announced a co-funded project to develop a new mobile satellite communications terminal for the defense sector. The collaboration will provide secure, reliable and highly mobile voice and high-speed data communications to the armed forces. Targeted specifically at the U.S. and NATO markets, the ViaSat Integrated Terminal will combine Inmarsat’s IP-based Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) technology with ViaSat AltaSec(R) IP inline encryption equipment to create a portable, ruggedized BGAN user terminal capable of uplinking IP data fully compliant with HAIPE(TM) version 1.3.5 Type 1 security standards. The new terminal takes advantage of ViaSat’s long history of supplying ruggedized equipment to tactical warfighters in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. “Via