Atlantic Organization for Security (AOS)

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1101 AOS Jan Brief

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Categories Acquisition – Air Defence – ATC/ATM – ATM – Border Control – Border Security – Comms – C4ISR – company balance – Contracts – Customs and Border Protection – Cybersecurity – Export Control – Homeland Security – piracy / antipiracy – Policy – sensor – site protection – training – VTS / VTM –

Companies / Organizations BAE Systems – BOEING – EU – EDA – DHS – FINMECCANICA GROUP – GENERAL DYNAMICS – LOCKHEED MARTIN – RAYTHEON – SAAB – THALES GROUP – DHS – EUROPEAN UNION – FRANCE – GERMANY – ITA MOD – NATO – TSA – UK – UK MOD – US COAST GUARD – US DOD – USA – BORDER SECURITY – CYBER SECURITY

Crisis Managenent

Systems and Technologies

  • New High Frequency Communications Capability Unveiled – SELEX Comms, a Finmeccanica company, has applied its expertise in high frequency (HF) communication to develop a new capability to meet the needs of today’s digital battlespace. MDH is independent of any large pre-configured infrastructures. It offers a high degree of functionality and reliability at low cost, providing safe data communications for short-range and long-range […]
  • Hydrogen-Powered Flight – UAS and piloted experiences – Recently two important demonstrations have been conducted using electric engines to fly different types of aircrafts. It is a new technique that can bring great advantages: one for all, they forecast 80% reduction of the Cost in respect of Existing Solutions 1 Official Demonstrative Flight in Italy under European Union program – RAPID200FC official demonstrative […]
  • High-Tech X-Ray Detectors Discover Drug Smuggling – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a drug smuggling attempt when they detected 640 pounds of marijuana with the aid of a high-tech X-ray machine. On Jan. 26 at approximately 2:30 p.m., CBP officers were utilizing a high-tech X-ray machine to screen commercial trucks coming from Mexico. While screening a 2001 Freightliner the officers […]
  • New Drone Sensors “Not Operationally Effective” – Air Force field testers concluded in a draft report that a new wide-area surveillance system for use with remotely piloted aircraft is “not operationally effective” and should not be fielded despite Air Force that expect the system will still be deployed by late winter in Afghanistan. A Dec. 30 report by the Air Force’s 53rd Wing Group […]
  • D.C. expanding public surveillance camera net – Big Brother may already be watching you in the District, and he will soon have a lot more eyes trained in your direction. The city’s homeland security agency is planning to add thousands of security cameras from private businesses around the nation’s capital and the Metro system to the thousands of electronic eyes that authorities […]
  • West Virginia State Police Tout License Plate Scanners – In a growing trend among law-enforcement agencies, the West Virginia state police say license plate scanners installed on police vehicles are responsible for 25 felony arrests during the past six months, according to published reports. The license plate reader being used is ELSAG North America Law Enforcement Systems’ “Mobile Plate Hunter-900” (MPH-900), and each device […]
  • Long-Range Radar Program: 740M$ for 35 unit in 2012 –  “3DELRR will be the primary ground-based long-range radar for tracking aircraft and ballistic missile threats in theater”   In Feb. 2011, two 20-month contracts for the initial technology development phase of the 3DELRR, which were awarded to Lockheed Martin Corp. and Sensis Corp., will conclude. The Electronic Systems Center’s Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar program is finalizing one […]
  • DRS Armor New Compact Tablet Computer – DRS Technologies, Inc., Tactical Systems Group has recently unveiled its newest ARMOR rugged mobile computer, the ARMOR X7 compact tablet. This all-new small mobile computer is specifically-designed for those mission-critical tasks that require connectivity, hand-held mobility, ease of use and the durability to support all-weather operations. “The ARMOR X7 is a completely new product created […]

Cybersecurity

  • US Better At Finding Cyber Attackers but a Growing Area of Concern is Africa The evidence of the improving investigations is the increase in cyber-related arrests. According to the FBI, there were 202 arrests on cyber cases in 2010, compared to 159 the previous year. And a number of those were high-profile, multimillion-dollar breaches involving investigations that spanned several countries and foreign enforcement agencies. The bureau has specialized agents […]
  • Hacked Laptop Causes Data Breach at Pentagon Federal Credit Union – Current and former members of the U.S. military were issued new bank account numbers and credit cards after attackers accessed a database containing bank account information at the Pentagon’s credit union. An infected laptop was used to access the systems at the Pentagon’s credit union, exposing the financial records of the members of the United […]
  • China Industrial Control Software Vulnerable To Trojan Attack – Widely used Chinese control system software is at risk from a serious vulnerability that attackers could exploit to compromise industrial control environments. The specific warning concerns KingView 6.53, a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) application used throughout China. The software has a process heap overflow bug that an attacker could exploit to execute arbitrary […]

Policy and Trends

  • Finmeccanica FY2010 Free Operating Cash Flow Over EUR410 Mln – Finmeccanica SpA expects its free operating cash flow to have been well above previous expectations, clocking in at between EUR410 million and EUR450 million for 2010. The Italian defense-and-engineering conglomerate had previously said it expected full-year free operating cash flow to amount to between EUR200 million and EUR300 million. The higher figure will have “a […]
  • new EDA Chief Executive: Foreign Affair – Defence 1 – 0 (*) – French diplomat Claude-France Arnould will be the new EDA Chief Executive. The « silent procedure » ended 14th days after the 21st of December. EDA’s previous Chief Executive, Alexander Weis, left the Agency end of September. At that time three candidates has been proposed: Gen Carlo Magrassi, General Manager delegate of the EDA strategy,  Mr Arto Koski, Deputy […]
  • U.S. Arms Sales: 2002-2009 – to download: U.S. Arms Sales Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 2002-2009 Report 154160 Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2002-2009 Report 41403 – The Report 154160 provides background data on U.S. arms sales agreements with and deliveries to its major purchasers during calendar years 2002-2009, made through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) […]
  • NATO Achieves 1st Step on TBMD Capability – On 27 January 2011, NATO’s first ever theatre ballistic missile defence (TBMD) capability has been handed over to NATO’s military commanders. The handover took place at the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, in the presence of NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, and civil and military authorities from NATO and […]
  • Obama ends color-coded threat warnings The Obama administration plans to replace the widely mocked color-coded terror warnings with a simpler, two-tier system: “imminent threat” or “elevated threat,” with more detailed information. “The alerts will be specific to the threat,” a senior administration official told POLITICO. “They may ask you to take certain actions, or to look for specific suspicious behavior. […]
  • DHS WCO to Strengthen the Security and Resiliency of the Global Supply Chain – Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced a new partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to enlist other nations, international bodies and the private sector in increasing the security of the global supply chain—outlining a series of new initiatives to make the system stronger, smarter and more resilient. “Securing the global supply chain […]
  • DOD Report Says Spying Focused on Naval Technology – The U.S. Department of Defense in a new report covering espionage for 2009 said that attempts by foreign spies to obtain classified or restricted U.S. technology increased and that foreign governments are focusing their spying efforts on naval and marine technology that could provide the foundation for a next generation “blue water” navy. The revelation […]
  • Air Force’s New Tool: ‘We Can See Everything’ – In ancient times, Gorgon was a mythical Greek creature whose unblinking eyes turned to stone those who beheld them. In modern times, Gorgon may be one of the military’s most valuable new tools. This winter, the Air Force is set to deploy to Afghanistan what it says is a revolutionary airborne surveillance system called Gorgon […]

Contracts

  • BAE Systems to Build Gun Systems for US Navy LCS – As the country’s leading naval guns producer, BAE Systems will provide the primary gun systems on 10 U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) to be built by the Lockheed Martin-led team. BAE Systems will equip the 10 ships with 57 millimeter Mk 110 gun systems. “We’re very happy to be part of the LCS program,” […]
  • Jordan: $37.1 M to DRS for electronic warfare systems – The Jordanian armed forces are receiving two electronic warfare battalion systems through a U.S. Foreign Military Sales Contract that will be provided by DRS Defense Solutions LLC, Intelligence, Communications and Avionics Solutions business unit in Merrimack, N.H.. “This award illustrates our strategy and supports our mission to provide superior electronic warfare capabilities for dominance on […]
  • France Inks Iveco Truck Deal After Renault Protest – The French government has signed a controversial contract worth 160 million euros ($214 million) with Iveco of Italy for a first batch of 200 heavy trucks for the French Army, an order which prompted a protest from the head of Renault Trucks, which lost in the bidding. The contract, signed at the “end of December,” […]
  • USCG: $89 M to LM for 5th National Security Cutter – The U.S. Coast Guard awarded a firm fixed-price contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation for long-lead material procurement on a fifth National Security Cutter. The contract is for $89 million, with options that would increase potential value to $94 million. The Legend-Class cutters are the flagships of the Coast Guard fleet, designed to replace the 378‐ft Hamilton […]
  • Brazil to spend $6 bln on border controls-report – Brazil is planning to spend $6 billion (10 billion reais) on a new project to protect its borders against smuggling and arms trafficking, Folha de S. Paulo newspaper reported on Sunday. The so-called Sisfron system, which is expected to be ready by 2019, is to be funded by long-term external financing, the newspaper said. The […]
  • ERA Surveillance System at Berlin, Munich and Hamburg Airports – Era a.s., a subsidiary of SRA International, Inc., announced it has been selected by Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS) to deploy a multilateration and ADS-B surveillance solution at the Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport. The award announcement follows Era’s recent successful installations for DFS at Munich and Hamburg. The Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport, scheduled to open in 2012, will become […]

Export Control / Contracting Policy

  • US Ends India Tech Restrictions – The United States said it was ending export restrictions for India’s defense and space industries, eyeing trade with a nation shunned for more than a decade over its nuclear weapons program. President Barack Obama’s administration also said it would welcome India into the club of nations that regulate export controls, bringing New Delhi full circle […]
  • IPR and Design Property: DoD ask for Full Ownership – As the Defense Department focuses on cost savings, it is putting new pressure on contractors to sell the design specifications and intellectual property associated with programs. Owning the data associated with a program helps the government open it up for competition in the future, which should help drive down prices. But industry groups are pushing […]
  • Pentagon Issues Conflict Of Interest Rule For Contractors – The Pentagon last week issued a new rule on organizational conflicts of interests — or instances in which a company provides multiple services that could have conflicting interests, such as building a system and then testing it — that instructs contracting officers to promote competition. The rule has been a hot-button issue in the contracting […]