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13 Apr 07. Thailand maps out high-technology missile programme. Thailand is launching an ambitious programme aimed at developing and producing a range of sophisticated rockets and missiles, according to an internal Ministry of Defence document seen by Jane’s. The initiative, which has yet to be formally announced, is particularly noteworthy as Thailand has never previously appeared to see development of the local defence industry as a priority. Current capabilities are mainly limited to the production of small arms under licence, as well as explosives and ammunition, and the modernisation and repair of aircraft and armoured vehicles. (Source: Jane’s Missiles and Rockets)
12 Apr 07. RADAR unveils ‘Spoon Rest D’ replacement. The Minsk, Belarus-based design bureau RADAR has developed a solid-state, ground-mobile air-defence surveillance radar called Vostok as a replacement for the Soviet-era P-18 ‘Spoon Rest D’ radar.A prototype version has been trialled by an undisclosed Asian country, according to RADAR. Vostok is described as being able to detect and track targets, measure their range, azimuth and radial speed, and then disseminate acquired data via an air-defence system’s communications network. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)
27 Apr 07. The Boeing Company has begun flight testing the AC-130U Gunship with new 30 mm cannons at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Boeing is modifying four gunships for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command by installing and testing the cannons so existing airplanes have increased combat effectiveness. The AC-130U features increased weapon stand-off range, improved first-shot accuracy, and a suite of electronic and infrared countermeasures that greatly enhance its survivability. Boeing will deliver the gunships later this year. The Bushmaster 30 mm cannons protrude from the gun ports of AC-130U gunships as shown during tests in January at Hurlburt Field. The 30 mm cannon eventually will replace both the 40 mm cannon and 25 mm gun on U-model gunships. (Source: ASD Network)
26 Apr 07. IPv6 sets network speed record. The Internet2 advanced networking consortium announced that its researchers have broken their own bandwidth record for long-distance data transfer. On Dec. 31, the research team engineered a throughput of 9.08 gigabits per second across 20,500 miles of network, or over three-quarters of the Earth’s circumference. The packets traveled between Tokyo and Amsterdam, by way of Chicago. For this test, the team used a modified version of Transmission Control Protocol, in conjunction with Internet Protocol version 6. A day earlier, the research team engineered a throughput of 7.67 Gbps over the same path, using standard TCP. For Internet2 researchers, the tests showed the validity of IPv6. “The team surpassed the current IPv4 records, proving that IPv6 networks are able to provide the same, if not better, performance as IPv4,” trumpeted an Internet2 announcement issued Tuesday. The former record, set in February 2006, achieved a throughput of 8.80 Gbps across 20,500 miles, using IPv4. An Internet2 Land Speed Record is calculated by multiplying the rate data is transferred by the distance that data travels. University of Tokyo led the research team, and was supported by NTT Communications and network operators from the Japanese Widely Integrated Distributed Environment, the Japan Gigabit Network 11, the Netherlands’ SURFnet, Canada’s CANARIE and the Pacific Northwest Gigapop. (Source: GCN)
02 May 07. SELEX Communications has deployed a new broadcast management centre into a RAF base in the UK, creating a centre that has an enhanced capability to deliver quickly and efficiently large data products directly to users in overseas theatres of operation, a significant extension of the UK Armed Forces’ C4ISTAR capability. Providing a direct broadcast capability, the SELEX Communications Intelligent Information Dissemination