Search Results for: "Fob Freedom"
US Places Urgent Jammer Order for Navy Seals
Relevance Score: 3.216 2009-06-09 22:20:51
The US Department of Defense has placed a large order for new electronic jammers urgently needed by navy seals in Iraq working as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The $36.5m order will see electronics company Sierra Nevada Corporation produce joint counter radio-controlled improvised explosive device electronic warfare (JCREW) 3.1 systems to the military by December 2010. The JCREW systems are electronic jammers that can stop the initiation of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIED), protecting forces from one of the biggest threats in Iraq.
U.S. Navy Unveils New High-Tech Ship Called USS Freedom That Can Fight Pirates
Relevance Score: 3.118 2009-05-14 18:36:36
The United States Navy unveiled a new high-tech ship it says can chase down pirates off the coast of Somalia faster and more aggressively than previous vessels could. The USS Freedom can go up against massive enemy fleets and is one of the fastest ships in the Navy to date, its commander said in a FOX News "America's Newsroom" exclusive. "It's more than an evolutionary step forward, it's a revolutionary step forward," Cmdr. Michael Doran told FOX News on Tuesday. "It's highly automated and it's very fast. ... For a piracy mission, we can go out there and cover more water with fewer ships." The USS Freedom has a modular design and requires fewer crew members, he said — about 40 total. It can go up to 45 mph. "What we can do is we can go out there and cover more water with fewer ships because of the sprint speed of the ship," Doran told FOX News. "We can tailor the ship to perform that counter-piracy mission." Some are calling it the Navy's corvette. "It is kind of like driving a sports car around," Doran said. "All of my friends have told me, 'drive it like you stole it, drive it like you stole it.'"
LCS 1 Completes Structural Test Firing
Relevance Score: 1.745 2009-07-19 16:51:59
USS Freedom (LCS 1) successfully completed structural test firing (STF) exercises off the coast of Virginia June 25; the STF exercise was held to test the ship's weapon systems to ensure they operate as installed and integrated with the hull structure. During the week of tests, Freedom fired two Rolling Airframe Missile test rounds, 70 MK 110 57mm gun rounds, 24 chaff rounds and more than 1,000 50-calibre and smaller rounds. "The successful completion of these live fire events proves the design, construction and integration of these weapon systems on LCS 1," said Capt. Jim Murdoch, LCS program manager with the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The fit and function of these systems meets our expectations." In addition to the ship's crew, the tests were conducted by engineers from Naval Sea Systems Command's Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme's Louisville detachment as well as NSWC Dahlgren. LCS is a new breed of U.S. Navy warship with versatile warfighting capabilities, capable of open-ocean operation but optimized for littoral, or coastal, missions. Operational experience and analyses indicate that potential adversaries will employ asymmetric means to deny U.S. and allied forces access into critical coastal regions, such as strategic chokepoints and vital economic sea lanes. LCS is specifically designed to defeat such "anti-access" threats, which include fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines and various types of mines. LCS 1 began its second industrial post-delivery availability July 8 at Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk. This availability is a planned event in Freedom's post-delivery period to provide for the correction of problems discovered during test and trials events conducted so far. The post delivery test and trials period is intended to fully examine the ship's installed systems' performance and allow the ship's crew to become familiar with and exercise the ship's systems. PEO Ships is responsible for the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface ships and is currently managing the design and construction of a wide range of ship classes and small boats and craft. These platforms range from major warships such as frontline surface combatants and amphibious assault ships to air-cushioned landing craft, oceanographic research ships and special warfare craft. PEO Ships has delivered 32 major warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 30 shipyards and boat builders across the United States.
Satellite service lets Taylor soldier participate in birth
Relevance Score: 1.670 2009-06-29 00:46:13
Despite not making it back to the states for the birth of his first child, Taylor soldier Nicholas Jevahirian did everything but cut the cord during his wife’s labor and delivery Monday – just by satellite. The 20-year-old Marine stationed in Al Asad, Iraq, coached his wife, Chelsey, 19, for the birth of Brayden Allen at 5:20 p.m. Monday with the help of the Freedom Calls Foundation. The New Jersey-based nonprofit provides phones, satellite service, computers, monitors and other equipment necessary for soldiers in the Middle East to participate in births, birthdays, weddings and other life events going on while they’re deployed. Jevahirian appeared on a video monitor next to his wife’s bedside at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn starting at noon Monday. His father, Richard, also of Taylor, cut the baby’s umbilical cord, hospital spokeswoman Paula Rivera-Kerr said. Those requesting the foundation’s help, which is free for those stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, or who want to donate to the group can call 973-290-7886.
A Higher-Tech Hog: USAF A-10C Upgrades and Refurbishments
Relevance Score: 1.626 2009-06-17 11:05:56
The Precision Engagement modification is the largest single upgrade effort ever undertaken for the USA’s unique A-10 “Warthog” close air support aircraft fleet. While existing A/OA-10 aircraft continue to outperform technology-packed rivals on the battlefield, this set of upgrades is expected to make them more flexible, and help keep the aircraft current until the fleet’s planned phase-out in 2028. When complete, A-10C PE will give USAF A-10s precision strike capability sooner than planned, combining multiple upgrade requirements into one time and money-saving program, rather than executing them as standalone projects. Indeed, the USAF accelerated the PE program by 9 months as a result of its experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the PE program, and for other modifications to the A-10 fleet. It covers the A-10’s battlefield performance and advantages, the elements of the PE program, other planned modifications, related refurbishment efforts to keep the fleet in the air, and the contracts that have been issued each step of the way. In the latest updates, the A-10C program’s $2 billion re-winging effort became a higher priority, as wing cracking became a problem for the entire A-10 fleet.
$5.8M to Improve FOB Speicher, Iraq
Relevance Score: 1.453 2008-06-03 23:41:16
Wintara, Inc. in Fort Washington, MD received a $5.8 million firm-fixed price contract for replacement facilities for Forward Operating Base, Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq. Work is expected to be complete by Jan 31/09. 98 bids were solicited on Feb 4/08, and 12 bids were received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Programs Center in Winchester, VA. Capt. Speicher’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter was shot down over Iraq during Operation Desert Storm on Jan 17/91, and was listed as killed. There has been considerable controversy regarding his fate, however, and in January 2001, the Secretary of the Navy took the extremely rare step of changing his status to “missing in action.” In 2002, it was changed again, this time to “missing-captured.” Many also believe that his aircraft was not shot down by a surface-to-air missile, as claimed at the time, but by an Iraqi fighter that passed American planes who were not allowed to engage it. See also the March 27/01 CIA report. After Operation Iraqi Freedom, evidence was found that included a flight suit believed to be his, an escape and evade sign located on the desert floor, and what appear to be the initials “MSS” scrawled on a wall of a cell in the Hakmiyah prison in Baghdad. Speicher’s name was also found on a document in Iraq, dated January 2003, that had the names of prisoners being held in the country. Despite these efforts and clues, however, Speicher’s whereabouts and the exact details of his fate remain unknown.
Relevance Score: 1.440 2010-02-02 00:13:39
Motorists Can Be Targeted By Police Spy Planes The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), programmed to capture high resolution images at a distance of 20,000ft, could be in use by Kent and Essex Police as early as 2012. Designed to operate in potentially hazardous environments, the drones have been used by British troops in Afghanistan to monitor enemy action and were originally intended to boost maritime surveillance and border controls. But documents released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed they will now be used for the “routine” monitoring of anti-social motorists, protesters, agricultural thieves and fly tippers. The collaboration between Kent and Essex Police and BAE Systems, called the South Coast Partnership, was launched in 2007. Developed by BAE Systems, a prototype drone, equipped with cameras and sensors, is due to take flight this year. Andrew Mellors, Head of Civil Autonomous Systems at BAE Systems, informed: “From 2012 fully autonomous unmanned air systems could be routinely used by border agencies, the police and other government bodies.” He told the Police Aviation Conference in 2007: “These systems will be fully autonomous so that operators task the vehicles and receive the relevant imagery and intelligence direct to the ground control station in real time.” Unlike manned police helicopters, which can fly for only a few hours, the UAS can stay in the air for up to 15 hours and can take off and land at the click of a mouse, the developers have informed.
Motorists Can Be Targeted By Police Spy Planes
Relevance Score: 1.440 2010-02-02 00:15:51
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), programmed to capture high resolution images at a distance of 20,000ft, could be in use by Kent and Essex Police as early as 2012. Designed to operate in potentially hazardous environments, the drones have been used by British troops in Afghanistan to monitor enemy action and were originally intended to boost maritime surveillance and border controls. But documents released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed they will now be used for the “routine” monitoring of anti-social motorists, protesters, agricultural thieves and fly tippers. The collaboration between Kent and Essex Police and BAE Systems, called the South Coast Partnership, was launched in 2007. Developed by BAE Systems, a prototype drone, equipped with cameras and sensors, is due to take flight this year. Andrew Mellors, Head of Civil Autonomous Systems at BAE Systems, informed: “From 2012 fully autonomous unmanned air systems could be routinely used by border agencies, the police and other government bodies.” He told the Police Aviation Conference in 2007: “These systems will be fully autonomous so that operators task the vehicles and receive the relevant imagery and intelligence direct to the ground control station in real time.” Unlike manned police helicopters, which can fly for only a few hours, the UAS can stay in the air for up to 15 hours and can take off and land at the click of a mouse, the developers have informed.
New wireless internet services offered to Bamberg Soldiers
Relevance Score: 1.413 2010-01-21 14:42:20
Soldiers throughout the world are beginning to enjoy a new wireless Internet service, and Soldiers at U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg will be no exception. Through the Army Recreation Machine Program, the Family Morale and Welfare Recreation Command is providing Soldiers with a unique Wi-Fi service. The project has been developing stateside for almost two years, but it's only just branched out to overseas installations. The project, which began at Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in 2007, was designed to give Soldiers an Internet service that was not only affordable, but flexible. The provider gives customers a chance to subscribe by the hour, week, or month, allowing Soldiers to work around training or deployments. For those who are changing duty stations they need not worry about setting up a new account. Once an account is made, it can be used at any facility worldwide, as long as they have this wireless infrastructure. This wireless network is not only giving Soldiers Internet access, but it's giving them better quality. On Warner Barracks, the contractors are focusing on empty barracks; their goal is to have them prepared for redeploying Soldiers. After all the barracks are completed, recreation centers will be next in line to get connected. The Birchview Lanes Bowling Center is already enjoying this service, but the Community Activity Center, Moonlight Cabin, and Freedom Fitness Center will soon follow. The Library is also scheduled to receive this Wi-Fi service from Aptilo Networks, but no account will be needed for access at this location. The Community Activity Center already provides free Wi-Fi paid for by MWR.
Airmen Preformed 2000 Missions In Afghanistan.
Relevance Score: 1.380 2009-07-14 00:23:56
Airmen at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan hit a major milestone this week when they completed their 2,000th combat mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. An EC-130H Compass Call crew assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing's 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron and deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., flew the milestone mission, delivering direct support to coalition ground forces in Afghanistan. The mission was like any other, claimed Air Force Capt. Kelly Weber, a Compass Call pilot from Fort Worth. "It was a very rewarding mission," he said, noting he couldn't discuss details due to operational security. Often called a "Super-E" model, some of the EC-130H aircraft are more than 40 years old. The aircraft's electronics disrupt enemy command and control, and often are used to attack hostile communications. "We're a small community with a small inventory of aircraft," said Air Force Lt. Col. Chris Kirschman, the squadron commander. "We're 100 percent committed to the mission, and this couldn't get done without our great maintainers on the ground." None of the three crewmembers discussing the mission was in the Air Force on Sept. 11, 2001, and they weren't even aware it was such a monumental flight. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ashley House, from Portsmouth, VA, informed the mission was almost routine, as airmen from around the world are in the skies and on the ground supporting operations here. The seven-hour mission was "very rewarding," said Air Force 1st Lt. Lori Brophy, an electronic warfare officer from Raymond, NE. "[The crewmembers are] very professional, and know what capabilities we bring to the fight."