Northrop Grumman tapped for new miniature navigation system
Woodland Hills, Calif. (UPI) Jun 6, 2013 -
A miniature inertial navigation system is to be built by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under an Army contract.
The award is for one year and has an initial value of $648,000. Its potential value, however, would be an estimated at $13.4 million if multiple contract options were exercised.
Northrop said that under the award it will develop ...
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Inmarsat to deliver in-flight connectivity across EU
London, UK (SPX) Jun 09, 2014 -
Inmarsat is to deploy a unique integrated telecommunications network delivering aviation passenger connectivity across the EU. The company has placed an order for a new S-band satellite, called Europasat, and expects to complement this satellite with a fully integrated air-to-ground network across the European Union.
Inmarsat's new aviation network will deliver high-speed broadband service ...
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DARPA Z-Man Program Demonstrates Human Climbing Like Geckos
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 09, 2014 -
DARPA's Z-Man program has demonstrated the first known human climbing of a glass wall using climbing devices inspired by geckos. The historic ascent involved a 218-pound climber ascending and descending 25 feet of glass, while also carrying an additional 50-pound load in one trial, with no climbing equipment other than a pair of hand-held, gecko-inspired paddles.
The novel polymer microstr ...
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Barriers to UAVs in US airspace
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 09, 2014 -
While civil aviation is on the threshold of potentially revolutionary changes with the emergence of increasingly autonomous unmanned aircraft, these new systems pose serious questions about how they will be safely and efficiently integrated into the existing civil aviation structure, says a new report from the National Research Council.
The report identifies key barriers and provides a res ...
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Russia Mulls Privatizing ERA-GLONASS Emergency Network
Moscow (RIA Novosti) Jun 09, 2014 -
The Russian government will consider privatizing the state-owned ERA-GLONASS emergency calls network, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
A source in the know told Kommersant Thursday, a plan to privatize ERA-GLONASS, a real-time satellite service for reporting and responding to traffic accidents, was recently discussed at a Kremlin meeting attended by President Putin's chief of ...
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Israel's Lieberman slams ministers over policy cacophony
Jerusalem (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday lashed out at fellow ministers for espousing contradictory solutions to the conflict with the Palestinians, maintaining Israel needed one binding diplomatic plan.
"Four senior ministers, appearing one after the other and each taking a totally different diplomatic direction, created a grotesque spectacle," he said, referring to a series of presenta ...
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US deploys 2 B-2 bombers to Europe for exercises
Washington (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
The US Air Force has deployed two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers to a British air base for exercises with NATO allies, the Pentagon said Monday.
The deployment, which the Pentagon said was pre-planned and short-term, comes against a backdrop of tension with Russia over unrest in Ukraine.
"It certainly is yet another demonstration of America's ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance ...
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Law enforcement technologies bundled into single package
Livermore, Calif. (UPI) Jun 9, 2013 -
Technology solutions for law enforcement agencies - small and large - have been bundled together into a cost-effective package by Vigilant Solutions.
Called the Intelligence-Led Policing Package, it contains an agency-wide license to Vigilant's hosted LEARN analytic software, unlimited access in LEARN to the company's national database of over 2 billion commercial license plate recog ...
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Checkpoint blasts kill 28 in northern Iraq
Kirkuk, Iraq (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
A roadside bomb followed by a suicide bomber detonating an explosives-rigged truck at a police checkpoint in northern Iraq killed 28 people Monday, while seven people died in other attacks.
Militants have launched major operations in five different provinces in recent days, killing scores of people and highlighting both their long reach and the weakness of Iraq's security forces.
Iraq is ...
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Elbit named preferred provider of unmanned aerial system
Haifa, Israel (UPI) Jun 9, 2013 -
Israel's Elbit Systems has been chosen by Switzerland as the preferred equipment supplier for the country's reconnaissance drone program.
The drone to be provided for the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport program, subject to additional government approval, is the Hermes 900 HFE.
The Hermes 900 HFE is a medium-sized unmanned aerial system with a flight endu ...
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Tehran says Geneva nuclear talks with US 'constructive'
Geneva (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
Senior Iranian and US officials held what Tehran's top negotiator dubbed "constructive" talks on Monday, as Washington warned tough choices were needed for a lasting accord on Tehran's controversial nuclear programme by a July 20 deadline.
The closed-door meeting in Geneva, due to last two days, marks a new effort to find common ground between Tehran and Washington, amid concerns that tensio ...
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Swedish military taps Saab for submarine projects
Lincoping, Sweden (UPI) Jun 9, 2013 -
Saab has received orders from Sweden's military procurement agency related to the construction and production plans of next-generation submarines.
The orders, which include mid-life upgrades to two Gotland-class submarines, are for the period of 2014-2015 and carry a value of about $70.42 million.
Saab reports it has also signed a letter of intent with the Swedish Defense Materie ...
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Optosecurity, Smiths Detection in new agreement
Quebec City (UPI) Jun 9, 2013 -
Optosecurity and Smiths Detection on Monday announced that they are expanding their cooperation in the area of security checkpoint solutions.
Under terms of a long-term definitive agreement, the two companies plan to develop, produce and distribute a new checkpoint enterprise software solution that will enhance the performance of checkpoint security systems and also cut operational cost ...
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New honor for Global Hawk UAS
San Diego (UPI) Jun 9, 2013 -
The U.S. Air Force's award for excellence in aircraft sustainment has been awarded to the service's RQ-4 Global Hawk program.
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude unmanned aerial system for surveillance and built by Northrop Grumman. The system has flown 100,500 total flight hours supporting diverse global missions, such as anti-terrorism, anti-piracy, humanitarian assistance, disast ...
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Eurofighter jet crashes in Spain, pilot killed
Madrid (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
A Eurofighter jet crashed while attempting to land at an air base in southwestern Spain on Monday, killing its pilot, the defence ministry said.
"A Eurofighter crashed on landing at the start of the runway of the Moron base," near Seville, a ministry spokeswoman told AFP.
The sole pilot of the plane, 30-year-old air force captain Fernando Lluna Carrascosa, was killed in the accident, whi ...
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Audit reveals 'systemic' access to care woes for US veterans
Washington (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
An audit on health care access for US veterans released Monday confirmed the existence of fake waiting lists, prompting a top official to slam "systemic" problems for America's wounded warriors seeking treatment.
The report is the latest revelation in a political scandal that last month led to the resignation of Eric Shinseki as Veterans Affairs secretary.
The audit showed that 13 percen ...
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US MDA and Northrop Grumman Conduct Wargame to Improve Understanding of BMD Complexity
Mclean VA (SPX) Jun 10, 2014 -
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Northrop Grumman have successfully completed multiple sessions of a missile defense wargame for the second annual Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Forum recently concluded at Fort Belvoir.
Wargames are often used to demonstrate future ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) capabilities to the warfighting communities, allowing them to develop concepts ...
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China decries Vietnam-Philippines island games as 'farce'
Beijing (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
China on Monday expressed displeasure after Vietnamese and Filipino troops played sports together on a contested island, with the foreign ministry denouncing the activity as "a farce".
The retort from Beijing came one day after Vietnam hosted Filipino troops on an island it controls in the disputed Spratlys archipelago in the South China Sea that the Philippines' navy said was designed to "f ...
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Pentagon report ignores China's peaceful defense policy
Washington DC (XNA) Jun 10, 2014 -
An annual report released by the Pentagon on Chinese military and security development on Thursday, which mainly focuses on China's defense spending increase, continued to overlook China's peaceful defense policy. The 96-page report, thicker than last year's, even targeted Chinese army's reconnaissance satellites and use of low-observable technology.
The report is far from factual, as desc ...
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China to join US-led naval drill for first time: PLA
Beijing (AFP) June 09, 2014 -
China has confirmed it will participate in a major US-organised naval drill for the first time, official media said Monday, amid heightened distrust between the two military powers.
The Chinese navy will participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational naval exercises, the military's official People's Liberation Army Daily reported.
China is embroiled in a series of rows with ...
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