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02 Oct 08. Navistar Defense has begun to produce the International(r) MaxxPro(tm) Dash at the company’s West Point, Miss., plant with delivery of 822 units to be completed by February 2009. Full production is scheduled to begin by mid-October. Designed for the unique conditions in Afghanistan, the Dash is a smaller and more mobile variant of the MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) advanced armored vehicle. The Dash maintains the survivability system used on all MaxxPro MRAP variants while also allowing for greater mobility in a smaller, lighter weight vehicle optimized for Afghanistan operations. A smaller turning radius and higher torque-to-weight ratio are among the improvements to its mobility. MaxxPro Dash is also capable of accommodating additional up-armoring. Supportability and maintainability are maximized with a high-degree of commonality of parts among all MaxxPro variants.
03 Oct 08. CERN launched the largest computing grid in the world which is destined to analyze the data coming from world’s biggest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The computing grid consists of more than 140 computers centers from around the world in order to be capable to analyze 15 million GB of LHC’s data. A big contribution to CERN’s Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) is made by the United States which has “allocated” 15 universities and 3 Departments of Energy (DOE) from 11 states. In order to make things work, the US are using the Open Science Grid that already was coordinating the national computing infrastructure of science and from now it will coordinate WLCG’s data, and it will provide computing power for the LHC. (Source: slashdot.com)
06 Oct 08. Alliant Techsystems and Elbit Systems Ltd. successfully conducted flight tests of the Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket (GATR) at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Targets were engaged at ranges up to six kilometers when the GATR semi-active laser seeker guided the rockets to within one-meter accuracy, resulting in “direct hits.” All rockets were fired from an M261 launcher. The rocket benefits from a robust design, which combines combat-proven performance, a minimum smoke signature, and the reliability of an ATK-produced propulsion system, similar to a system employed on millions of rockets produced for the United States Army. GATR contains a guidance and control system built with the experience of Elbit’s heritage in high-performance laser seekers for the United States and international customers. It employs advanced acquisition, tracking, and guidance algorithms to achieve one-meter accuracy against stationary and moving targets. In its tactical configuration, GATR will incorporate an Insensitive Munitions (IM) rocket motor and a family of IM warheads to include blast/fragmentation and penetration. GATR will be a low-cost, precision strike weapon that minimizes collateral damage, while providing stand-off deployment against a wide array of target sets.
03 Oct 08. The General Dynamics C4 Systems Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) radios have demonstrated their critical networked-communications capabilities in recent government-run Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) field tests. The tests have proven the radios’ interoperability, range, video transmission and networking abilities. Each of those capabilities is critical to accomplishing the Department of Defense’s transformational objectives of increasing connectivity among warfighters and military units. (Source: ASD Network)
07 Oct 08. The Boeing Company announced a new rotorcraft program, the AH-6 light attack/reconnaissance helicopter. Designed on a combat-proven platform with a heritage of successful service with Special Operations, the AH-6 is designed to meet the current requirements of international military customers while maintaining flexibility for future growth. “Boeing has been approached by