Defense Technology

Boeing will upgrade (remanufacture) 126 AH-64D Apaches for the US Army (96) and the army of the United Arab Emirates (30), under a $1.15 billion contract signed last week. The first helicopter in this Block II production will be delivered in October 2007. The contract brings the total number of upgraded U.S. Army AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters to 597....

The network initiative currently under analysis and review, will partly derive from the FCS network technologies, and dovetail into an incremental network strategy to be implemented throughout the U.S. land forces. The network was designed as a central and critical component of the FCS strategy, hence, it was designed to be so robust and resilient, that it required a...

The Boeing Company announced last week that its new thin-disk laser system was repeatedly demonstrated laser firing at 25 kilowatt in recent tests, achieving the highest known simultaneous power, beam quality and run time for any solid-state laser to date. The Boeing laser integrates multiple thin-disk lasers into a single system. Through these successful tests, the Boeing team...

The announcement of the winner to provide the next generation fighter for the Brazilian Air Force has been postponed for at least a month, and could be delayed for a year, after the ministry of interior and prosecution have agreed to open an inquiry into the multi-billion-dollar tender in which France, the United States and Sweden are competing. The...

Developed by Virtually Better, with funding from the Naval Research Office, “Virtual Iraq” VR environment suitable for therapy of anxiety disorders resulting from the high-stress environment. The treatment involves exposing the patient to a virtual environment containing the feared situation rather than taking the patient into the actual environment or having the patient imagine the stimulus. The virtual environment...

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense terminated a contract for the upgrading of attack and assault helicopters awarded to Elbit Systems in 2004. Elbit Systems won the contract to modernize 12 Russian-built Mi-24 attack helicopters and six Mi-17 transport helicopters offering €57 million (about US$74 million) beating competition from BAE Systems, Sagem and IAI. // // The program faced serious obstacles...

Brazil squeezes Boeing and Saab to match the terms of the mega-deal agreed by the presidents of the two countries. After Eurocopter and DCSN have already invested large programs in Brazil, Dassault could be next if Rafale is selected for the F-X2. The Brazilian Air Force has extended the deadline for submitting best and final proposals for the F-X2 fighter aircraft, heating...

The first Block 40 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft was unveiled at Northrop Grumman. The aircraft will begin flight testing next year and will be one of 15 to operate from the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, beginning in 2010. "Carrying an advanced, all-weather multi-platform radar technology insertion program (MP-RTIP) sensor, the Block 40 aircraft will provide...

The new man-portable THERMITE wearable PC provides realtime 2D/3D tactical visual computing specifically designed for embedded training, mission rehearsals and deployed C4ISR applications. The system supports Linux and Windows XP, capable of running a wide range of C4ISR applications, battlefield visualization and embedded training applications. The system is powered by Transmeta Crusoe 1GHz processor with 512Kb Level 2 cache and...

Major acquisition programs currently being formulated will replace major fragments of the FCS. For example, instead of the eight variants of the tracked manned Ground Vehicle, cancelled along with FCS, the Army is seeking new vehicles to be developed under the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program being formulated these days. TRADOC and Ft. Monroe are working to map the capability-gaps...

August, 2006: New simulator programs recently announced by several programs mark the continued deployment of simulation systems with land forces worldwide. New programs are fielded with the German and Swiss Armies, Thai land forces and Australian Armored Corps. The Australian Army Armor School Deploy New M-1A1 Simulators is operating new training facilities at Hopkins Barracks in Puckapunyal and in Darwin, base...

The U.S. Army's Future Combat System (FCS) program comprises 14 integrated weapon systems and an advanced information network. The $160 billion program is the centerpiece of the Army’s effort to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. The program led by Lead Integrators Boeing and SAIC, represent a generation leap in technology, procurement and scale...

By Ray Peterson, Forecast International Although Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has no doubt been stirred by Venezuela's military buildup, he also recognizes the need for his own country to rectify its deficient level of armaments in order to strengthen Brazil's position as a regional leader. He has increased pressure to make funds available for two ambitious military programs, previously...

Can rapid fielding of modern and mature 8x8 IFVs reduce the risk and enhance the combat agility of NATO’s Eastern front? The combat experience gathered in the Ukraine War reflects the need for agile land combat systems that effectively integrate maneuverability and firepower and rely on logistical support from domestic or neighboring allied countries. How can NATO get them quickly? Marrying proven systems and platforms delivered by trusted sources from active production lines is paramount in reducing risks and accelerating delivery and fielding.