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www.oxleygroup.com
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04 Oct 11. The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) passed a resolution calling for the modernization of the Northrop Grumman Corporation-built E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) fleet. The resolution was voted on by a majority of delegates at the 133rd NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition annual convention in Milwaukee,Wisc. “The National Guard Association is a supporter of the Joint STARS platform. This resolution is a strong expression of support towards improving warfighting capabilities and enhancing future operations conducted by the Joint STARS Wing,” said Dale Burton, vice president of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Battle Management and Engagement Systems division, which leads the Joint STARS program. The resolution outlines several key upgrades that will ensure the readiness of the Air National Guard E-8C fleet and enhance the lethality of the current weapon system. Re-engining is at the forefront of the modernization effort. New engines increase the takeoff performance and allow for longer time on station and higher maximum altitudes, improving support to the operational forces. Re-engining the 17-ship Joint STARS fleet will improve the readiness and operational effectiveness of the fleet while lowering the overall ownership costs. Additional proposed modernization efforts include adding multi-intelligence sensors such as high resolution electro-optical/infrared cameras to enhance combat identification capabilities and radar and sensor upgrades which take advantage of the latest technological breakthroughs. The insertion of wideband communications and other connectivity enhancements will provide better communications and support to air and ground forces. The first E-8C Joint STARS was delivered to the Air Force on March 4, 1996, and the last fully-configured aircraft was delivered on March 22, 2005. On Dec. 20, 2008, the programs’ T-3 testbed aircraft flew with new engines for the first time and the company is currently testing additional radar and sensor capabilities on its aircraft in Melbourne. To date, Joint STARS has accumulated over 80,000 combat hours supporting operations, including ongoing support to Operation New Dawn over Iraq, Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan and Operation Odyssey Dawn over Libya.
06 Oct 11. Curtiss-Wright Controls Electronic Systems, a business group of Curtiss-Wright Controls and a leading system integrator of rugged deployed integrated electronics for the aerospace, defense and industrial markets, has announced a new rugged Power and Control Module (PCM) board that provides high level control and bridging to a system host via Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), USB, RS-232 and CANbus. This rugged intelligent system monitor board’s onboard software and logic can easily be programmed to autonomously manage a computing enclosure or platform. The PCM can also serve as a PMBus chassis management system to control fan controller boards (FCBs) and intelligent power supplies. This richly featured module speeds and simplifies the integration of system monitor software and hardware communications into rugged, embedded electronics systems. Available for both conduction-cooled and air-cooled applications, these products are available for integration into Curtiss-Wright Controls chassis level products and solutions.
06 Oct 11. SELEX Elsag builds on success as open communications systems architect at UK MoD Operating Base demonstration. SELEX Elsag, a Finmeccanica company, is supporting the UK MoD’s activities to establish a Generic Base Architecture (GBA), adopting a standards-based approach for the future evolution of individual systems within a tactical base. At GBA2 in October this year, SELEX Elsag will demonstrate that it has the capability to establish the base communications architec