8 août 2018 | International, Terrestre

Detect Nukes In Flight With Electron Beam Technology

So, I asked, could a sufficiently high-powered neutron beam not just detect a nuclear warhead from a distance, but actually disable it? Dent, who worked on the Safeguard missile defense system as a young Army officer and later on Reagan's Star Wars initiative for SAIC, pondered a moment. Then he said: “Could it fry the electronics ? Yes, it could."

SPACE & MISSILE DEFENSE SYMPOSIUM, HUNTSVILLE, ALA.: Imagine a technology that could detect roadside bombs and landmines buried underground, pick out a nuclear warhead from a cloud of decoys miles away, or even fry enemy electronics, potentially disarming those warheads from a distance. Well, physicist William Dent has invented that technology and briefed its potential to the Army and industry here. It's called a neutron beam generator.

Dent's idea is a potential breakthrough for bomb squads and missile defenses, enthused conference organizer David Mann, a three-star Army general who ran Space & Missile Defense Command here (SMDC) until his retirement in 2016. Despite the Star Trek-esque name, Mann told me after Dent's presentation, this is a feasible real-world technology, a matter of “when, not if.”

Dent is already working with the Army to explore the low-hanging fruit: detecting buried explosives at a distance. Now, the military already uses neutron generators for this, because neutrons easily penetrate most materials (they have no electric charge to interact with and a lot of mass to give them momentum) but will stop and generate a distinctive burst of gamma rays when they hit high-density materials like explosives. The problem with current systems is their range is very short, anywhere from one meter to 20-plus depending on the size of the explosive and the depth to which it's buried.

Why? Traditional neutron generators shoot off neutrons indiscriminately in all directions, the same way a light bulb emits light. That means the neutrons spread out rapidly, in fact exponentially (specifically, divide strength at the source by the square of the distance). Very soon, there are too few of them hitting any particular target to trigger enough gamma radiation to detect.

Full Article: https://breakingdefense.com/2018/08/detect-nukes-in-flight-with-electron-beam-technology/

Sur le même sujet

  • The US military’s chaff and flare industry is on fragile ground

    14 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial

    The US military’s chaff and flare industry is on fragile ground

    By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The two companies responsible for producing chaff and flares for U.S. military aircraft could be poised for a major shakeup, and the Pentagon and congressional critics have begun sounding the alarm about this small, vulnerable segment of the defense-industrial base. In an October report to the White House on the health of the defense-industrial base, the Pentagon relayed concerns about the small number of domestic chaff and flare producers, and stated that weakened demand — especially for flares — could leave companies little incentive to make internal investments. Only one producer of chaff exists in the United States: Esterline Defense Technologies, also known as Armtec. Esterline, which also makes flares, is joined by one other domestic flare manufacturer: Kilgore Flares Co., a part of Chemring Countermeasures USA, which itself is a subsidiary of a firm based in the United Kingdom. This already precarious industrial situation may be further rattled by TransDigm Group Inc.'s proposed acquisition of Esterline, two lawmakers said. In an Oct. 29 letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Reps. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and Walter Jones, R-NC, called on the Defense Department to block the deal until its inspector general completed an investigation into TransDigm's business practices. The letter was first reported by The Capitol Forum. “TransDigm has repeatedly purchased companies that are the sole providers of Department of Defense items and engaged in price gouging,” Speier and Jones wrote. “The abuses have been sufficiently common and severe enough to warrant a DoD inspector general investigation. Unsurprisingly, Esterline is the sole DoD chaff provider and one of two flare providers. The alarm bells should be ringing.” The industrial base issues, however, extend far beyond TransDigm's proposed acquisition. A small but critical market Chaff and flare are countermeasures used by military planes and helicopters to help evade a missile attack by an enemy aircraft. For the non-stealthy fourth-generation assets that make up the bulk of the services' inventory, these systems are pivotal to that aircraft's defense. Chaff — which comprises “millions of tiny aluminum or zinc-coated fibers” — is stored onboard an aircraft in tubes and ejected behind the plane to confuse radar-guided missiles, the Pentagon's defense-industrial base report stated. Meanwhile, flares distract heat-seeking, infrared-guided missiles “by ejecting magnesium pellets from tubes to ignite in the wake behind an aircraft,” the report states. Those pellets are so hot — more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit — that the temperature exceeds that of the aircraft's engine or exhaust, tricking an infrared-guided missile about the path of the aircraft. According to the industrial base report, “defense unique requirements and decreasing DoD demand drove out other suppliers, leaving a single qualified source for chaff.” Peter Navarro, the White House's director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, called attention to the fragile chaff supply base during a Nov. 9 speech at the Center of Strategic and International Studies, calling it a “single point of failure.” Meanwhile, the outlook for flare companies seems even more grim, with the report noting a number of explosions that had plagued both Esterline and Kilgore over the past several years, often leading to factorywide shutdowns that delayed deliveries of product to the Defense Department. “Both companies have experienced quality and delivery problems since the accidents,” the report stated. “As program offices look to improve quality and cost, they are beginning to look offshore at more modern facilities, where there are fewer quality and safety concerns.” One of the biggest problems facing chaff and flare manufacturers is the fluctuating demand signal from the Defense Department — their only customer for the product — based on the military's operational needs, the Association of Old Crows, a professional organization centered on electronic warfare and other countermeasures, said in a statement to Defense News. “Spending on countermeasures flares in the U.S. and among several NATO allies surged during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and then dropped sharply as these conflicts reduced their operations tempo or wound down,” the organization stated. “The industrial base is small, yet it must be able to meet big fluctuations in customer demand. This creates a tremendous challenge that could be managed more successfully with better coordination among U.S. military customers or even between NATO partners." A history of safety issues and scandal Though chaff and flare companies usually fly under the radar of the defense trade press, when they do appear in the media, it's usually related to life-threatening accidents at manufacturing facilities or the like. In May 2016, Esterline was forced to temporarily halt operations at its plant in East Camden, Arkansas, after an explosion injured two employees. Local newspaper El Dorado News Times reported that one of the victims suffered “a blast to the face,” which left burns on the hands, chest and face, and took shrapnel to the elbow, according to a Facebook post by the victim's relative. Kilgore Flares also sustained several high-profile accidents in recent years, most notably a 2014 explosion that killed one employee at its factory in Toone, Tennessee. The same plant was the site of a 2016 explosion where no one was injured, according to WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation of the 2014 incident, the worker had been removing residual flare materials that ignited, prompting the explosion. “The investigation identified noncompliance in process safety information, process hazard analysis and ... operating procedures. The employee suffered severe burns on multiple areas of his body and was transported to a hospital, where he received medical treatment and burn therapy, but died from his injuries,” the administration had said. Kilgore also came under the scrutiny of the U.S. Justice Department in 2016 for selling the Army flares made with magnesium that a supplier — ESM Group Inc. — illegally imported from China. The company was fined $8 million for violating a requirement that all magnesium used to make flares be sourced from American or Canadian suppliers, reported the Memphis-based CBS affiliate WREG. Kilgore and Esterline did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Pat Kumashiro, former head of the maintenance division for the Air Force's Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection Directorate and currently director of the Air Force market at LMI, said China is paying attention to weaknesses in the American defense-industrial base. “They are pretty savvy as it relates to understanding global supply chains, and when they have opportunities to buy mineral rights — and you see them doing a lot of work and being very aggressive in Africa — they are doing it for a reason,” he said. If an adversary such as Russia or China identifies that there are a limited number of sources for chaff and flare, they can find ways to impact U.S. suppliers — which in turn degrades the mission capability of fourth-generation planes, Kumashiro said. “Operational pilots are not going to go into harm's way without an operational chaff [and] flare system,” he said. The evolving landscape for chaff and flare Big changes appear to be coming down the pipeline for both Esterline and Kilgore Flares. For the former, the question is whether the Defense Department allows TransDigm to acquire Esterline. "Our general goal in this area is to promote competition among contractors but also ensure that DoD is paying fair prices for the best, most usable products that it can get,” a staff member of Rep. Speier told Defense News. But Speier and his colleague Jones believe TransDigm could artificially inflate prices by claiming there is a commercial market for those products, which would limit the ability of Defense Department procurement officers to have full access to pricing data, the staffer said. Should the Defense Department decide to allow the TransDigm deal to go forward, Speier may push to add language to next year's defense authorization bill that would pose additional limitations on what products are deemed “commercial,” or it could call on the Pentagon to study the level of competition throughout the industrial base, the staffer said. For Kilgore Flares, the changes appear to be more conventionally positive. This May, Chemring Group said it would spend $40 million to expand Kilgore's production facility in Toone and grow the plant's employment numbers from about 280 to 375 people. From 2018-2022, the company plans to improve existing facilities, construct new buildings and buy modern equipment, including a new flare extruder and assembly facility, the company said in a news release. In total, those expenditures will triple the plant's production capacity. Kilgore's investment may indicate that chaff and flare manufacturers see some relief on the horizon. Industry officials who spoke to Defense News about this sector said they were hopeful the Defense Department's industrial base report could indicate a heightened level of Pentagon interest. The department already has certain levers it can pull to address problems in its supply base. One such effort, called the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, involves targeted investments to sustain certain manufacturers who produce a critical capability. Another resource is the Defense Production Act Title III program, which offers grants, purchase commitments, loans or loan guarantees to portions of the industrial base that are weakening. The Defense Department called for an expansion of those programs in recommendations to the White House submitted as part of the industrial base report. A classified annex also includes detailed fixes for certain critical industries. So far, however, it's unclear what assistance could be coming down the pipeline for the chaff and flare industry. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/11/13/the-militarys-chaff-and-flare-industry-is-on-fragile-ground

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 24, 2020

    27 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 24, 2020

    DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY General Electric Aviation, Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded an estimated $259,403,817 modification (P00051) exercising the three-year option period of an eight-year base contract (SPE4AX-15-D-9412) with one three-year option period for supplies related to airplane engine platform support. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $892,596,638 from $633,192,821. This is a firm-fixed-price, requirements-type contract. Location of performance is Ohio, with a May 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Navy and Foreign Military Sales partner countries. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds and Foreign Military Sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4AX-15-D-9412). EFW Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $11,999,844 firm-fixed-price contract for Bradley Fighting Vehicle controller grip assemblies. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Texas, with a July 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0020). Curtiss-Wright Defense Systems, Santa Clarita, California, has been awarded a maximum $7,532,963 firm-fixed-price contract for an advanced mission management system in support of the MQ4-C Triton aircraft program. This was a sole-source acquisition using Justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 19-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with a Feb. 28, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Navy operations, maintenance and procurement funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-C-K019). NAVY RQ-DPR JV, Carlsbad, California, is awarded a $143,587,704 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of Hurricane Florence Recovery Package 2, Headquarters, located at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The contract also contains 45 unexercised planned modifications and 19 unexercised options, which if exercised will increase the cumulative contract value to $178,308,510. Work will be performed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This contract provides replacements for buildings damaged during Hurricane Florence. The construction is divided into eight separate projects encompassing the following areas: Combat Logistics Battalion Headquarters Facilities; 2nd Marine Division Tank Battalion and Company Headquarters and Armory; Regimental Headquarters, 2nd Marine Division; 1/8 Battalion Headquarters; 24th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Headquarters; 2nd Marine Division Transportation Support Battalion Headquarters; Environmental Management Division; and Marine Corps Advisor Battalion Headquarters. Work is expected to be completed by March 2025. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $120,616,899; and fiscal 2020 military construction (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $22,970,805 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website, and 13 proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-20-C-0044). Archer Western Construction, Tampa, Florida, is awarded an $117,995,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of Hurricane Florence Recovery Package 4, Bridges, located in Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Work will be performed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This contract provides replacements for bridges damaged during Hurricane Florence. The construction is divided into two separate projects encompassing a moveable bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway, the White Oak River and Queens Creek Trestles. Work is expected to be completed by March 2025. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $117,995,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website, and six proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-20-C-8505). American Petroleum Tankers LLC, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $26,462,500 firm-fixed-price contract with reimbursable elements for the U.S. Flagged, West Coast, Jones Act tanker vessel M/T Empire State. This contract includes one 12-month firm period, three one-year options and one 11-month option period, which if exercised will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $190,364,159. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by July 2025. Transportation Working Capital Funds in the amount of $26,462,500 are obligated for fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021, and will expire at the end of the fiscal 2021. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and two offers were received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-20-C-4105). Analysis, Computing & Engineering Solutions Inc., Columbia, Maryland, is awarded a $19,062,904 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems design and development. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $100,273,144. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C. The services to be acquired consist of continuing advanced research and development for scientific, technical and engineering efforts associated with the development and integration of C4ISR systems. Work is expected to be completed by July 2025. Fiscal 2020 Working Capital Funds (Navy) in the amount of $2,395,802; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) in the amount of $150,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured and three offers were received via Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps). This contract was a negotiated acquisition under the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(b)(2), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.203. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00173-20-C-6002). Deloitte Consulting, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $13,296,822 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for complete engineering changes to the Order to Payment System (OTPS), also known as NEST. The objective of this contract is to enable effective management of the current Next Generation Enterprise Network contracts, as well as to obtain the full range of systems engineering, software engineering, project management, integration and application sustainment services to assist and support the Navy's Program Executive Office Digital and Enterprise Services to complete OPTS/NEST engineering changes. The three option periods, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $49,158,628. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by January 2024 if all options are exercised. $3,486,500 in fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy); and $5,456,500 in fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding will be applied to this contract after contract award. $3,486,500 of the obligated funds would have expired at the end of the current fiscal year if this award had not been made. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). There is only one responsible source under the Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-20-C-0011). Oceanetics Inc., doing business as Truston Technologies,* Annapolis, Maryland, is awarded a $11,811,782 firm-fixed-price contract for the detailed design, fabrication and installation of a waterside security barrier (WSB) system at three commercial shipyards located in San Diego Bay: General Dynamics (National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.), BAE Systems Inc. and Huntington-Ingalls Industries. The effort will also include the training of personnel on the maintenance and operation of the WSB system and an initial suite of spares and repair parts. Work will be performed in Welch, West Virginia (75%); San Diego, California, (20%); and Annapolis, Maryland (5%). The new WSB will meet force protection requirements and allow for the cessation of manned security patrols. Work is expected to be completed by February 2022. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $11,811,782 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and three offers were received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-6303). DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $10,048,979 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-5228 to exercise options for the production of Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) AN/USG-3B equipment sets and installation and checkout replacement components. Work will be performed in Largo, Florida (60%); Johnstown, Pennsylvania (30%); and Menlo Park, California (10%). The CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information, such as the superset of data that is available to all participating CEC units. The CEC also improves overall situational awareness by enabling longer range, cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies. Work is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy); fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 procurement Marine Corps; and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,048,979 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $10,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-4447 to support USS Chosin (CG 65) extended dry-docking selected restricted availability. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington. This modification will provide docking and pier-side services to USS Chosin (CG 65) during the performance of the extended availability at Vigor Shipyard, Seattle, Washington. The contract will include all necessary docking and pier-side services, labor, material and equipment deemed necessary to support the performance of depot level repairs. Work is expected to be completed by October 2021. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,454,170 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,545,830 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity. ARMY Airfield Contracting,* Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $21,456,750 firm-fixed-price contract to repair airfield drainage at Laughlin Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, with an estimated completion date of March 26, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $21,456,750 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-20-C-0026). Government Marketing and Procurement LLC,* Wimberley, Texas, was awarded an $18,000,000 modification (P00005) to contract W912DY-18-D-0024 for Vocera wireless hands-free communications systems and supporting hardware/software infrastructure. Work will be performed in Wimberley, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2023. Fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $18,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Kearney & Company P.C., Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded an $11,119,320 firm-fixed-price modification (P00011) to contract FA7014-18-F-1022 for advisory and assistance support. This modification exercises Option Year Two that continues support for Total Force analysis to include capability and capacity analysis of Air Force mission areas; linking results to the strategy, planning, and programming process; performing planning, programming, and budgeting study excursions; analytically supporting Total Force initiatives, strategy review and assessment, and planning support. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and if all options are exercised, work is expected to be completed July 31, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with one offer received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,399,055 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force District of Washington Contracting Directorate, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2287902/source/GovDelivery/

  • USS Laboon shoots down four drones in Red Sea

    24 décembre 2023 | International, Naval

    USS Laboon shoots down four drones in Red Sea

    U.S. Central Command said the drones “were inbound” to the destroyer.

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