Suit of armor fits 21st century
ORLANDO, Fla.--The Army is developing a weapons and body armor system that will give foot soldiers a digital battlefield map on a helmet video display. The system, known as Land Warrior, is a combination of body armor, weapons system and command and control system. The soldier wears a helmet assembly subsystem with software and radio communications.
DOD task order system is ready for Iraq air strikes
If American warplanes eventually carry out air strikes against Iraq, Defense Department planners will use a newly completed system to pick daily targets and manage the air campaign. The Contingency Theater Automated Planning System is a portable network of workstations that links aircraft, weapons, terrain and target databases. The information is combined to create daily air tasking orders. Each day's ATO runs to several hundred pages and lists air strike targets.
Marine Corps wants to hand over some net operations to contractors
Marine Corps brass are weighing the advantages of turning over the day-to-day running of nontactical networks to vendors. The Corps wants to outsource part of its information technology and infrastructure work in the National Capital Region, perhaps within the next three months. If it works in the National Capital Region, the Navy will consider outsourcing the Corps' East Coast, West Coast and Okinawa, Japan, network operations, said Col. John Bouldry, director of plans and policies
Cohen nominates Money for ASD(C3I)
In a turnabout, Defense Department Secretary William Cohen has decided to leave the role of chief information officer in the hands of the assistant secretary of Defense for command, control, communications and intelligence. As part of the decision, Cohen has recommended Arthur Money, the Air Force's CIO and acquisition executive, as the next ASD(C3I).
VSATs supply global sky links
The need for flexible and affordable bandwidth is pushing the Army to use a new global commercial satellite communications service for two-way telemedicine applications. The Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) at Fort Detrick, Md., recently awarded a $1 million contract to Hughes Global Services Inc. of Los Angeles.
Netscape, DOD at odds over software pricing
In discussions, the Defense Department has not persuaded Netscape Communications Corp. to change a $50 million software agreement, even though Netscape is now offering its client and browser free to private-sector buyers. The Defense Information Systems Agency made a $50 million client-server agreement with Netscape in September 1997 to let more than 2 million DOD users download the company's browser and some software. But on Jan. 22, Netscape began offering free downloads of Netscape Navigator
DISA revamps COE training
DISA has been conducting three-day classes on the fundamentals of the DII COE only since August, but the agency wants out of the education business. "It outstrips any of our estimates on demand, and it's not our mission in the first place," said Don Black, head of new customer development at DISA's Center for Computer Systems Engineering.
Defense adds IP to the DMS mix
Defense previously based compliance on the X.400 and X.500 international standards. The goal was to ensure all products would meet DOD's messaging and directory service requirements. Besides X.400 and X.500 high-assurance products, the Defense Information Systems Agency will add medium assurance messaging products based on secure, interoperable commercial standards for Internet and World Wide Web services.
Transport becomes an IT lab
The Coronado has a unique shipboard environment for testing computers, communications and other information technologies, Navy officers said. As the test bed for the Joint Maritime Command Information System '98 program, the Coronado pioneered the Navy's use of Pentium PCs running Microsoft Windows NT for the service's Information Technology for the 21st Century initiative.
New Defense CIO will weave IT, buying
Gansler, former director of Tasc Inc. of Arlington, Va., was sworn in Nov. 10 as DOD's new acquisition and technology chief. The same day, Defense Secretary William Cohen announced plans to implement DOD reforms, including a reorganization of the office of the assistant secretary of Defense for command, control, communications and intelligence that gave Gansler CIO responsibilities as well.
Telecom clears up over Pacific
The Hawaii Information Transfer System will give Hawaii-based military services units switched voice, switched data, Integrated Services Digital Network, and digital and analog transmission services at bandwidths of T1 and higher. "The current Oahu Telephone System is not able to provide ISDN services and the futuristic type data services. But when we bring up HITS, we'll start connecting our islands in the Pacific," said Norman Nazworthy, HITS program manager for the Defense Information Systems Agency.
Marines map out an IT master strategy
With all the talk about the Navy's Information Technology for the 21st Century initiative, the Marine Corps again seems in the shadow of its larger sister service. Not to be outdone, the Marine Corps has devised a plan for modernizing its IT systems for warfare in the next century.
DOD is behind schedule in key date code size-up
According to DOD's third quarterly report to the Office of Management and Budget, DOD still is assessing code for 148 of its mission-critical systems. The department failed to meet its self-imposed June deadline for completing the assessments. The itemized list of these mission-critical systems is classified. In a November letter to OMB, deputy secretary of Defense John Hamre attributed the delay to the department's size, the variety of functions performed and the multiplicity of systems
DOD will recognize IT management structure
Under the organizational changes, the office of the assistant secretary of Defense for command, control, communications and intelligence [ASD(C3I)] will split into separate C3 and intelligence components, while the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and technology will take over duties from the ASD(C3I) as DOD's chief information officer. Jacques Gansler was sworn in Nov. 10 as the new undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and technology. He is the former executive vice president and director of
The sky's the limit at Defense
"If you look at what drives the engine of the information age, I would argue that it is driven by space. In the information age the lines of communication will no longer run on the surface of the Earth but they will run into space," said Air Force Gen. Howell Estes, commander of service's Space Command, at the MILCOM '97 conference this month.
Cyberattacks on DOD networks are rising fast
"We have evidence that our known network and computer-communications vulnerabilities are being exploited by real-world attackers," Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minihan, NSA's director, said at the Association of Former Intelligence Officers' annual conference last month. NSA is responsible for foreign signals collection and U.S. information systems security. NSA's Information Systems Security Organization helps to assess the vulnerabilities of communications and information systems and to design products and processes for protection.
System helps keep bases safe
At the center of this heightened state of security is the Tactical Automated Security System, an intrusion-detection system designed to monitor the perimeter of a military base. TASS, a high-tech approach to handling force protection, lets Defense installations leverage limited base security personnel, said Capt. Nate White, TASS program manager.
DOD three-star wants to fine bandwidth hogs
If DOD doesn't find a way to constrain its communications demands, supply will never catch up, said Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Buchholz, the Joint Staff's director of command, control, communications and computers systems, at the MILCOM '97 conference last week. How would the tax work? Simple, Buchholz said. He gave an example of an office presenting a system plan to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and saying it requires 5 megabytes/sec of throughput, when the
DISA plans to close 10 of 16 data megacenters
Bowing to the recommendations of the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Defense Information Systems Agency has come up with a plan to eliminate 10 Defense Department data processing megacenters. "It is a QDR direction that DISA got, and we are going to go back to the Defense Secretary with the plan to do so," said Anthony Valletta, acting assistant secretary of Defense for command, control, communications and intelligence.
DOD panel mines JWID gold
A Defense Department panel has recommended four information technology prototypes evaluated at the 1997 Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstration for rapid acquisition and fielding to active duty forces. JWID '97, sponsored by U.S. Atlantic Command, was held July 7 to Aug. 1 at 45 sites worldwide with the participation of eight allied nations. DOD conducts the exercise annually to discover so-called golden nugget applications. The nuggets are command, control, communications, computer and intelligence apps that DOD
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link
If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.
Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.
Cookie List
A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:
Strictly Necessary Cookies
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Functional Cookies
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Performance Cookies
We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.
Sale of Personal Data
We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.
Social Media Cookies
We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.
Targeting Cookies
We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.
Help us tailor content specifically for you: