national defense magazine april 2014

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Army Offloads Excess MRAPs

U.S. Navy Ponders Future Littoral Ship

Chinese Navy

Charts Course for

Global Reach

Chinese Navy Sails Into Blue Waters

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NDIAS BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

VOLUME XCVIII , NUMBER 725WWW.NATIONALDEFENSEMAGAZINE.ORG

News Features

Ethics

16 Military Ethics Lapses: Is There a Crisis of Character?

A new book posits that the growth of mili-tary misbehavior is because of declining morality in mainstream U.S. culture.

BY SANDRA I. ERWIN

Soldier Technologies

18 Army to Equip Soldiers With New Sensors for Night Targeting

The Army plans on buying a new enhanced night vision goggle that can receive imagery from a weapon sight, a move officials say will save soldiers lives.

BY SANDRA I. ERWIN

19 Outside the U.S., Buyers in Hot Pursuit of Night Vision Goggles

20 Counterterrorism Office Seeks Array of Technologies

As the threats of improvised explosive devices and chemical and biological weap-ons persist, the Defense Department pur-sues possible solutions.

BY YASMIN TADJDEH

Littoral Ships 28 After the Pentagon cut its planned buy of littoral combat ships from 52 to 32, the Navy is debating how best to fill out its fleet. Options include a new design, a modified LCS or an existing vessel.

Army Vehicles 36 As the war in Afghanistan ends, the Army is looking for ways to repurpose and divest its fleet of mine resistant, ambush protected vehicles. Law enforcement agen-cies that incorporate the vehicles into their fleets are reaping the benefits.

Cover Story 22 As China rises as a military power, it has beefed up its naval fleets with an aircraft carrier and plans to buy more submarines and surface ships. That said, the country is still decades away from becoming a global navy, analysts contend.

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Cover: The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning DIGITALGLOBE

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2 N at i o N a l D e f e N s e a p r i l 2 0 1 4

April 2014 volume xcviii number 725

EditorSandra I. Erwin (703)[email protected]

Managing Editor Stew Magnuson(703)[email protected]

SEnior Editor Dan Parsons(703)[email protected]

StaFF WritEr Valerie Insinna(703)[email protected]

dESign dirEctor Brian Taylor(703)[email protected]

EditoriaL aSSiStant Yasmin Tadjdeh(703)[email protected]

advErtiSing Dino Pignotti(703)[email protected] additional advertising information, go to the Index of Advertisers on the last page.

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National DEfENSE (ISSN 00921491) is published monthly by the National Defense Industrial Association(NDIA),2111WilsonBlvd.,Suite400,Arlington,VA222013061.TEL(703)5221820;FAX(703)5221885.advertising Sales:DinoK.Pignotti,2111WilsonBlvd.,Suite400,Arlington,VA222013061.TEL(703)247

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Cover Story

22 Chinas Navy Takes great Leap forward

Chinasnavyismodernizingandexpandingitsfleet,aswellasdevelopingnewsensorsandweaponssystems.AnalystscharacterizeitsrelationshiptotheU.S.militaryascom-petitive,notadversarial.

BySTEWMAGNUSON

24 anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Sparks Speculation, Concern

Naval Systems

25 Navy Ship Numbers for asia-Pacific Shift Dont add up

AccordingtoPacificCommand,theU.S.Navyoperates180shipsandsubmarinesintheAsia-Pacific.Thenumberandtypesofvesselsneededintheregion,however,isstillupfordebate.

BySTEWMAGNUSON

27 Littoral Combat Ship faces uncertain future

Thelittoralcombatshipprogramrecentlysuffereda20-vesselcuttoitsplannedbuy.However,expertsbelievetheLCSmayemergevictorious.

ByVALERIEINSINNA

29 operations with Navys New afloat Network get underway

TheNavysnewtacticalnetwork,theConsolidatedAfloatNetworksandEnterpriseServices,recentlyconducteditsfirstat-seaoperations.Sofar,thefeedbackhasbeenpositive.

ByVALERIEINSINNA

32 Sailor-Less Ships Soon Could Be a reality in u.S. Navy

Navyofficialshavefloatedtheideaofusingaswarmofsmallcombatantshipstogainandmaintainaccesstoanarea,butareloathetoexpendmannedvesselsthatcouldbelostinamajorbattle.Operatingunmannedshipscouldsolvethatproblem.

ByDAVIDANTANITUS

Wheeled Vehicles

34 Lawsuit Stalls Special operations ground Mobility Vehicle Program

SpecialOperationsselecteditsnewgroundmobilityvehiclelastAugust,butalawsuitfiledbyoneofthecompetitorsisdelayingprocurement.

ByDANPARSONS

36 repurposed MraPs find New Life in Police Departments

Themineresistant,ambushprotectedvehi-cle,morecommonlyknownastheMRAP,wasrushedintotheaterafterimprovisedexplosivedevicesprovedtobeaprobleminIraqandAfghanistan.Now,asthewarsend,theArmywantstoberidofthem.

ByDANPARSONS

Departments4 Presidents Perspective BudgetSetsStageforFightWithCongress by Lawrence P. Farrell Jr.

6 Defense Watch Ruminationsoncurrentevents by Sandra I. Erwin

8 Inside Science + TechnologyTacklingthemilitarystoughestproblems

by Dan Parsons

9 Ethics Corner

10 Business + Industry NewsWhatsnewandnextfortheindustrialbase

by Valerie Insinna

12 homeland Security News Monitoringthehomefront by Stew Magnuson and Dan Parsons

39 NDIa News

40 NDIa Calendar CompleteguidetoNDIAevents

44 Next Month Previewofournextissue

44 Index of advertisers

Departments4 Presidents Perspective BudgetSetsStageforFightWithCongress by Lawrence P. Farrell Jr.

6 Defense Watch Ruminationsoncurrentevents by Sandra I. Erwin

8 Inside Science + TechnologyTacklingthemilitarystoughestproblems

by Dan Parsons

9 Ethics Corner

10 Business + Industry NewsWhatsnewandnextfortheindustrialbase

by Valerie Insinna

12 homeland Security News Monitoringthehomefront by Stew Magnuson and Dan Parsons

39 NDIa News

40 NDIa Calendar CompleteguidetoNDIAevents

44 Next Month Previewofournextissue

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It initially appeared that the Defense Departments budget for fiscal year 2015 had at last offered some much needed

breathing room for the military to prepare for leaner times. But it is now clear that the same challenges will continue into 2016.The fiscal year 2015 defense discretionary budget top line is

$495.6 billion. The request includes an additional $26 billion fund called the Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative, part of a government-wide proposal by President Obama that for defense is targeted at readiness, modernization, base sustainment and military construction. About $336.3 billion, or roughly two-thirds of the proposed budget, pays for operations, while the other third, or $159.3 billion, makes investments in modernization and recapital-ization of equipment and facilities. The budget request includes a 20 percent cut in headquarters

operating costs, a base realignment and closure round recommend-ed for fiscal year 2017, proposed adjustments to military compen-sation and healthcare benefit reforms, 26 F-35As, six F-35Bs and two F-35Cs with a total of 343 Joint Strike Fighters over the five-year future years defense program.The budget funds 59 Air Force combat-coded air squadrons,

provides $900 million for the long range strike bomber in 2015 and $11.4 billion for it over the FYDP; seven KC-46 tankers in 2015 and 69 aircraft over the FYDP; $1 billion over the FYDP for a next-generation jet engine; a 288-ship Navy in 2014 which is proposed to grow to about 309 ships over the FYDP; two Virginia-class sub-marines and two DDG-51 guided-missile destroyers per year over the FYDP; three littoral combat ships in 2015 and 14 total over the FYDP; a Marine Corps end strength of 182,700 in 2015; 32 active Army brigade combat teams and 28 Army National Guard brigade combat teams; $7.5 billion for the Missile Defense Agency and $5.1 billion for cyber operations; and $7.7 billion for special operations, a 10 percent increase over this years funding.The FYDP for fiscal years 2016 through 2019 included in this

budget request exceeds the current budget caps for those years by about $115 billion. In order for that funding to be appropriated in 2016 and beyond, Congress would need to change the budget caps established by the 2011 Budget Control Act and amended by the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act.The budget reasonably tries to balance near-term readiness

against long-term modernization, although the Army will struggle more than the other services as it tries to shed force structure to free up funds for investments. The Army sees a drop of budget authority from $125 billion

to $121 billion, a 3 percent reduction. But the personnel account stays level, so the burden shifts to the procurement account, drop-ping 6 percent from $21.4 billion to $20.1 billion. The Army is divesting 898 helicopters from the fleet. Research and develop-ment continues to decline with the cancellation of the ground combat vehicle. The Army seeks to bolster combat training with 19 major exercises planned for fiscal year 2015. Procurement is weighted toward the soldier night vision, communications, weapons upgrades and new helicopters. The problem for the Army is that its personnel costs eat up

nearly half its budget about 46 percent and it takes several years to ramp down. The Army needs relief from the BCA caps not only to fund modernization but also to avoid falling below 450,000 active-duty soldiers, which is the size the Army insists it must be

in order to meet the strategic requirements set in the Quadrennial Defense Review. If forced to stay within the caps, the Army would have to drop to 420,000 soldiers.The Department of the Navy has a budget of $148 billion

$125 billion for the Navy, $22.8 billion for the Marine Corps. Per-sonnel costs account for 31 percent of their budgets. Most of the $38 billion procurement budget goes to ships and aircraft. Navy manpower remains steady at 323,000 while the Marines would drop to 175,000 if Congress does not provide relief from sequester.The Marine Corps continues to attempt to maintain the maxi-

mum force readiness, but future procurements of equipment are being slowed down. It is still committed to buying a new amphibi-ous assault vehicle. But like the other services, the Marine Corps must perform a balancing act. The Air Force continues to emphasize full spectrum warfare in

its budget. It is reducing force structure and capabilities, as well as associated support and infrastructure. It is cutting back on service contracting, limiting travel and divesting entire fleets of aircraft, notably the A-10 attack plane and the U-2 surveillance aircraft. It is fully funding its flying hours requirements and its top three procurement programs: the F-35A, the KC-46 tanker and the next-generation bomber. A big effort is underway to shore up munitions procurement. Air Force personnel costs are even lower than the Navy, at 27

percent of the budget. Air Force ranks will be drawing down to 308,000 active-duty airmen in fiscal year 2019, with proportional reductions in reserve components also planned. The Air Force is trying to balance capabilities across the force and wrestling with the trade-off as expressed by Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh: Do we want a ready force today or a modern force tomorrow?One major point of contention in the coming budget negotia-

tions with Congress will be military benefits the Pentagon is seeking to trim. According to the 2015 proposal, tax-free housing allow-ances which currently cover 100 percent of housing expenses will be slowed down until they cover an average of 95 percent of housing expenses with a 5 percent out-of-pocket contribution. The military would no longer reimburse for renters insurance. Over three years, the Defense Department will reduce by $1

billion the annual direct subsidy provided to military commissar-ies, which now totals $1.4 billion. The budget proposes increases to TRICARE copay and deductibles. It seeks to consolidate TRICARE programs for retirees under 65 and active duty family members. It appears that the relief granted by the Ryan-Murray Bipartisan

Budget Act does not provide enough headroom for the services to draw down quickly enough to protect procurement and readiness. The battle is now beginning as Defense Department leaders advo-cate more relief from BCA caps in 2016. It will be a difficult struggle. The $26 billion opportunity fund

which funds items of interest to industry has a slim chance of being approved. Given the pushback in Congress on the relief granted in the BBA for 2014 and 2015, it is hard to imagine more relief coming in fiscal year 2016. Lacking that reprieve, the services will have to further reduce force structure and continue to push needed procurements further into the future.

Presidents Perspective by lawrence p. farrell jr.

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Budget Sets Stage for Fight With Congress

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If defense industry CEOs can draw any conclusion from the Pentagons 2015 budget proposal it is that, except for the

too-big-to-fail joint strike fighter, most of the militarys moderniza-tion plan is on shaky ground.The most illustrative example is the Armys fruitless quest to

modernize its combat vehicles. The budget terminates the Armys ground combat vehicle, which was conceived as a replacement for another failed program, the future combat systems. The budget also kills the Armys tortuous modernization plan for its Vietnam-era scout helicopters. A similar story unfolded in the Marine Corps, which has long

sought to replace its aging armored vehicles that swim from ship to shore and serve in land combat roles. In both cases, Army and Marine leaders fought for their vehicle programs and named them top modernization priorities, but ultimately had to cut their losses. The conventional wisdom at the Pentagon now is that the safer course is to fix, rather than buy new. The services will have to try again when the budget climate improves.Navy shipbuilders, meanwhile, are trying to discern the conse-

quences of the Pentagons decision to truncate the littoral combat ship program to nearly half the number originally planned. Navy leaders spent the past decade championing the LCS as the linchpin of the future fleet, and gave shipyards assurances that they would be building vessels for decades. It turned out the LCS cannot sur-vive a missile strike and is ill-equipped to go into hostile waters, so the Pentagon told the Navy to go back to the drawing board. Doubts about future weapons also abound in the Air Force, which

is gambling the bulk of its modernization dollars on the F-35 and a new refueling tanker, but is still unsure where it will find the money for everything else. Like the Army, the Air Force expects to live with what it has and wait for the fiscal storm to clear. When it comes to new starts, whether for helicopters or airplanes, were in an envi-ronment now where we are having to be very careful about starting anything new, and were looking very carefully at what the tradeoffs are between something new versus extending what we have, said William LaPlante, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.The latest round of military acquisition flameouts caps a decade

of procurement misfires that has left the Pentagon billions of dollars poorer, but without the modern equipment to show for it.The substantive increases of the defense base budget after 9/11

have not resulted in equivalent gains in purchasing power, primarily because of escalating compensation, operation support and pro-curement costs, said Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Christine Fox. The result has been relatively little recapitalization of our militarys inventory.One of the big messages of the 2015 budget is that the Pentagon

has no desire to invest in bold, risky ventures. At least for the fore-seeable future, the strategy is to minimize full-scale development projects and instead fund prototyping projects that keep engineers employed but cost less than traditional programs. Its all about risk management, said Undersecretary of Defense

for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall. The Penta-gon is considering prototyping initiatives to retain critical parts of the industrial base in areas such as air superiority and space, he said.For the majority of defense firms, however, prototyping projects

are not going to cut it. Executives insist that to stay financially viable, they need production contracts and some predictability on

future Pentagon requirements. We need stability and certainty, said one executive who did not

want to be quoted by name because he works for a Pentagon con-tractor. The Defense Department is asking industry to invest in new technology, but in order to do that we need to be relatively sure that well have the opportunity to compete for sufficient quantities of systems, he said. We see a lot of uncertainty in the procurement area. They advertise lofty numbers and then they buy one-third to one-half of what they advertised, the executive said.Kendall gave notice that the uncertainty will continue as long

as the Pentagon and Congress remain at odds over funding levels. The 2015 budget that the Pentagon put forth, like the 2013 and 2014 requests, exceeds congressionally mandated spending caps set in 2011. Defense officials said they will continue to push back, and believe they can convince Congress that the restrictions are unreasonable. Until that dispute is settled, the clouds will continue to hang over weapons programs.The sequester chopped $16 billion from defense procurement

and research and development in 2013. For 2014 and 2015, those accounts will be $37 billion smaller than what the Pentagon had proposed three years ago. The overall annual budget for technology investment is about $160 billion. Fox said investments are being squeezed by stubbornly high

operating and personnel costs. As a result, the scrutiny will only get more intense on individual programs. Defense contractors have to brace for more pain, she said. Stra-

tegic priorities may in some cases require weapons programs to be delayed or even canceled outright, with commensurate loss of jobs, revenue and shareholder value. Industry analysts wonder whether it is time for executives to

stop whining and come to grips with fiscal and political realities. At least through the remainder of the Obama administration there is no chance of bipartisan consensus on any major issue, let alone the defense budget. Many lawmakers have been dependable supporters of the defense industry, but if the choice is to increase funding for weapons at the expense of military benefits, contractors will come out on the losing end. When industry CEOs complain that they have no visibility about

the future, what they are really saying is that they wish the Pentagon spent more money on the stuff they want to build, said James Hasik, a defense industry fellow at the Atlantic Council. A more plausible explanation for the Pentagons indecisiveness

regarding future weapons is that the building is more focused on the budget fight than on its potential enemies on the battlefield. The 2015 budget fails to provide any meaningful picture of where the United States is going and of the defense posture it is trying to create, said Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Pentagon is reposition-

ing to focus on the strategic challenges and opportunities that will define our future: new technologies, new centers of power and a world that is growing more volatile, more unpredictable. Fine, but how? Where? When? And to what end? Cordesman asked. The secretarys plans and sense of direction seem to go no further than getting through fiscal year 2016.

Defense Watch by sandra i. erwin


In 15 Budget, Red Flags for Contractors

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Much like the iPod beginning around 2002, Google Glass is slowly becoming a common modern fashion accessory.

The device immediately splashed across the Internet and televi-sion, then randomly showed up on subways and in coffee shops. Soon rumors circulated that the private sector had solved the wear-able-computer conundrum the U.S. military has tackled for years. Then, in February, the commander of all Navy ships in the Pacific

Ocean took to a stage in San Diego with the wearable computer strapped to his head. I think there is enormous potential for something like this wear-

able optical device like I had on today, where information is with me, its there, Adm. Harry Harris said. Not only can I do some-thing as simple as read a speech from it, but you can take pictures, video. I recognize the potential in things like that.The Army in particular has long sought the sort of all-in-one

wearable computer that Google has achieved with Glass, but after many stalled efforts it has failed to develop a feasible design. Still, some officials are wary of simply co-opting commercial technology for military purposes.Reports indicate the Army is considering including Glass in its

2014 round of Network Integrations Evaluations at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Special operations acquisition officials

have warned against presuming technolo-gies like Glass can solve the militarys tactical communications needs. Industry has taken the hint and begun to design heads-up display computers specifically for tactical applications.Take BAE Systems Q-Warrior, which

the company has been shopping around as a Google Glass for special operators in the field. Based on helmet-mounted displays worn by helicopter pilots and door gunners, the system was designed for use by the individual dismounted soldier. It allows for identification of hostile and friendly forces and small-unit coordination without obstructing the wearers view.By projecting information, including troop positions, maps and

alerts directly onto the environment, BAE hopes the device will minimize or even eliminate friendly fire incidents. Like Glass, it can overlay information on the soldiers view in real time.The system also can allow soldiers to coordinate air support,

artillery fire and communication during hectic firefights without handling a separate device like a radio or smartphone.The biggest demand, in the short term at least, will be in roles

where the early adoption of situational awareness technology offers a defined advantage, Paul Wright, soldier systems business devel-opment lead at BAEs electronic systems, said in a statement. This is likely to be within non-traditional military units with reconnais-sance roles, such as [joint tactical air controllers] JTACs or with Special Forces during counterterrorist tasks. The next level of adop-tion could be light role troops such as airborne forces or Marines.Raytheon joined the wearable computing market in 2013 with

a JTACs system that allows ground forces to tag elements in the environment using a helmet-mounted monocle that covers the whole eye, but is see-through. The Advanced Warfighter Awareness for Real-time Engagement system consists of a chest-mounted com-

puter, monocle and smartphone worn on the wrist or elsewhere. It allows a soldier to call in an air strike on a target simply by viewing it through the eyepiece and clicking the phones screen.But the suite of gadgets is unfortunately similar to defunct Army

programs like the Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble and Land Warrior that were scrubbed when deemed too cumbersome and complicated. The latest effort, called Nett Warrior, is trudging along but struggling to deal with the swift leaps of commercially available smartphones and tablets. Q-Warrior is being marketed as a device for unit commanders

and above, but if the technology is proven effective in the field, it could become standard equipment, according to material from the company. It is descended from BAEs Q-Sight family of heads-up displays for rotorcraft pilots and crews. The Q-Sight weighs less than four ounces and can be clipped to

any standard military helmet. A version for door gunners, already used by the U.K. military, allows the wearer to aim down the bar-rel of a machine gun without having to line up with the weapons sights. That functionality also gives the gunner a wider arc of fire. The U.S. military is seeking similar capabilities in the third genera-tion of enhanced night vision goggles (see story on p. 18).

General Dynamics took a different approach to tactical mobile computing with its ruggedized arm- or chest-mount-ed GD300 wearable device. Weighing in at less than 10 ounces, the smartphone-like gadget can operate as a commercial GPS unit or on a secure tactical network. Some form of wearable computer like

Glass or Q-Warrior likely will be included in the tactical assault light operator suit. Special Operations Command chief Adm.

William McRaven has challenged industry to develop the advanced infantry uniform that will include integrated computers and bal-listic protection to enhance a soldiers strength, durability and situ-ational awareness. Special Operations Command is teaming with 56 corporations,

16 government agencies, 13 universities and 10 national laborato-ries to put together such a suit and its components. Harris personally requested that Glass be made available for use

as a teleprompter during his speech so he could demonstrate the practical applications of emerging commercial technology. The Navy will need big-ticket items like ships and missiles to fight future wars, but gadgets like Glass might also help the Defense Department maintain its technological edge over competitors, he said.Weve got a big shopping list. We need platforms, we need

weapons systems, cyber tools, handheld devices and, yes, even cool wearable optical devices like the one Im wearing, he said. If it makes us better war fighters, were interested. Interested,

but skeptical. Because not only do we need technology that allows us to do our jobs better, we need technology that is resilient and reliable whether were ashore or at sea, and its got to be secure, and its got to be affordable. Wearable computers like the one Im wearing today may only meet one or two of those requirements today, but its got to meet them all tomorrow.

Inside Science + Technology by dan parsons


Wearable Computers Closer to Combat Use

The Army in particular has long sought the sort of all-in-one wearable

computer that Google has achieved with Glass.

A p r i l 2 0 1 4 N At i o N A l D e f e N s e 9

Most people picture high stakes civil litigation taking place in a courtroom where a party has the chance to persuade a

judge or jury to validate or reject huge claims for damages. But envision a different picture, one that takes place in a United

States attorneys office, where only an investigator is running the show, along with a prosecutor, a court reporter and a companys ex-employee who was in the know. Law enforcement is questioning this former worker under oath, on

the record, about claims against a company in a sealed complaint. And this testimony could lead to treble damages. The company doesnt know about this meeting or even that there is a complaint against it. Welcome to the new front in high stakes False Claims Act litiga-

tion: civil investigative demands, or CIDs.While the second scenario is not necessarily common place

usually companies eventually learn about an investigation or a whistleblower lawsuit it can, and does, happen. Use of CIDs in False Claims Act investigations is increasing and defense contrac-tors need to recognize the risks and implement best practices in the event a CID is served on one of its employees. Civil investigative demands can request any combination of

documents, answers to interrogatories or oral testimony. As to oral testimony, the witness has the right to be accompanied by an attorney and any other representative. CIDs are typically used to gather information and testimony prior to a lawsuit against a com-pany or individuals or prior to intervening in a qui tam (a complaint filed under seal by a whistleblower). The government has no duty to notify a company when serving a current or ex-company employee with a civil inves-tigative demand.The act gives the attorney general the

power to issue civil investigative demands. In March 2010, he delegated to all 93 U.S. attorneys the power to issue CIDs in False Claim Act investigations. As a result, attorneys across the country are increasingly relying on them as an investigative tool a trend likely to continue in investigations of defense contractors.In fiscal year 2013, the Justice Department recovered $3.8 billion

from FCA cases. While much of that came from health care fraud matters, $887 million came through settlements and judgments in procurement fraud matters, with most of those dollars relating to the defense industry. As stated by Justice, the act is the govern-ments primary civil remedy to redress false claims for government funds and property under government contracts, including national security and defense contracts. . . . While CIDs are issued by the civil division of the Justice Depart-

ment or a U.S. attorneys office, either can share the information with the criminal division. In January 2012, an attorney general memorandum called for coordination of parallel criminal, civil, regulatory and administrative proceedings, and specifically noted that [c]ivil attorneys can obtain information through the use of False Claims Act civil investigative demands and that information may be shared with prosecutors and agency attorneys. The risk for defense contractors and employees is that the gov-

ernment has no obligation to give notice that information is being shared with criminal prosecutors. Therefore, a company should always assume information is being shared with the criminal divi-

sion until learning otherwise. Anyone served with a CID must assess criminal exposure, if any,

with little or no information from the government. Typically, when a prosecutor issues a grand jury subpoena, it alerts the witness as to whether they are a subject or target. With a CID, the civil prosecutor is unlikely to use these terms because the investigation is civil in nature, not criminal. Yet, because the information that the civil prosecutor obtains

can be shared with the criminal division, an individual must make a somewhat blind, early assessment of whether to testify or to assert the Fifth Amendment. If the witness does invoke the Fifth Amend-ment and is later named in a civil complaint, he or she may now be subject to adverse inferences based on the Fifth Amendment invocation. Those inferences can be used to establish FCA liability. Companies in particular should assume that if a CID has been

issued to a current or former employee there is a real possibility that a qui tam naming your company as a defendant has already been filed. Firms should treat it the same way they treat any new litigation. Take it seriously and act accordingly. Hire outside counsel to handle litigation, if necessary.In addition, do not assume that the issuance of a CID is the

initial phase of an investigation. For defense contractors in par-ticular, the government may already have the documents it needs to proceed with an case through the companys routine document submissions. This is especially true if Defense Contract Management Agency representa-tives have a history of requiring explanations, memoranda and testing related to products a company provides to the Department of Defense. The government may already have what it needs but is using the civil investiga-

tive demands to find storytellers who can connect the dots. Some suggested best practices for contractors include educating

employees about civil investigative demands so they know to con-tact a companys legal department if one is served. Also, discuss CIDs during employee exit interviews. It is good

practice to inform employees who are leaving the company to con-tact the companys legal or compliance department if they are later served with any legal process, whether it be a subpoena, complaint or CID, related to work performed at or for the company.At all times adhere to the companys record retention require-

ments, and upon learning of a civil investigative demand, preserve all documents and any other relevant evidence. This includes pre-serving all technology related documents such as metadata.For legal counsel of employees, before a client speaks to law

enforcement, strongly recommend to the prosecutor that an inter-view take place before any under-oath, on the record depositions. In many instances this is not only good for the client but for the government too, because it allows for issues to be sorted out on both sides before a final record is created.

Ethics Corner by MATT CANNON

Civil Litigation Can Sink Contractors

Matt Cannon is a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig, LLPs litigation practice group. He is the former lead prosecutor for the LOGCAP working group. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

Welcome to the new front in high stakes False Claims

Act litigation: civil investigative demands.


The Army wants to procure a new small unmanned aircraft which will

be packaged as a kit along with the RQ-20 Puma and RQ-11 Raven.The short-range micro unmanned aerial

system will be a part of the Armys family of small UAS, said product manager Lt. Col. Nick Kioutas.We dont know what the short-range

micro ... is going to look like, but its prob-ably some sort of a quadcopter, he said. The soldier can take that out and land it somewhere and continue to get video feeds. We call it perch-and-stare capabil-ity.Army officials in November signed a

capability production document for a kit of small drones called the rucksack-portable unmanned aircraft system. Along with the short-range micro aircraft, this family of UAS would include the long-range recon-naissance surveillance system and medium-range mobile system. The Army has no immediate plans to buy new aircraft to perform those roles. Instead, the kit will include AeroVironments Puma and Raven, respectively. While some units operate both Pumas

and Ravens, the aircraft have never been part of a common kit, Kioutas said. The idea is that a unit would have a mixture of all three systems, and soldiers would be able to choose what UAS to bring along during a mission.The soldier goes in that kit and says,

Right now, I need something that does this longer endurance or on another occasion he might say, Okay, I might need something thats a little smaller. Im going to be carrying it farther, he said. Procurement of the short-range micro

version could be affected by budgetary con-straints. So far, there has been no funding allocated for a competition, Kioutas said.Theyre telling us to go ahead and start

putting unfunded requests in for the next POM [program objective memorandum], which would be 2017 to 2021, he said.The Army has a requirement for 1,213

long-range reconnaissance surveillance sys-tems, but the services current inventory of Pumas only fills about half of that, Kioutas said.

The Army could buy more Pumas to fill that requirement. However, the service is currently working on software called tactical open government architecture, or TOGA, that would be able to fly any UAS regardless of manufacturer.

If we can get this TOGA in place, that would allow us to go procure any-thing thats competitive for that require-ment, he said. In that case, the service wouldnt necessarily need to order addi-tional Pumas.

By Valerie insinnaBusiness + Industry News

Unmanned aerial SyStemS

Lockheed Martins replacement for the Hellfire missile hit a milestone in Febru-ary, when the company demonstrated that the dual mode guidance section on its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile could engage targets with a laser.We had a moving target out at about

six kilometers. We acquired that target, engaged it with the semi-active laser sen-sor [and] collected radar data all the way to the target, said Frank St. John, the companys vice president of tactical mis-siles and combat maneuver systems. JAGM will be deployed from rotary

wing aircraft and unmanned aerial sys-tems. The dual part of the guidance sec-tion alludes to the fact that the missile can use both a laser and radar to track and hit a target. Lockheeds next demonstration will involve testing the radar capability.

Its a similar test scenario using a dif-ferent mode of the sensor, St. John said. Well be flying the radar all the way to impact as opposed to using the laser all the way to impact. The February test was funded by Lock-

heed to reduce risk as the system heads into component qualification, where the Army will test the guidance sections hardware against different temperatures and vibrations to ensure they are working properly, he said. Qualifying the guidance sections com-

ponents, and then later the system itself, is part of the companys $60 million con-tinued technology development contract with the Army. After that ends this year, there will be

a milestone decision resulting in low rate initial production, St. John said. Today, the majority of missile engage-

ments are carried out using laser-desig-nated targets. Having a radar guidance capability will be important in the future, as battlefields become less permissive, he said. The military has a long history of trying

and failing to replace the Hellfire.

preciSion Strike

army plans to Buy new Small drone

Joint air-to-Ground missile program inches Forward

an rQ-11 raven is launched defense dept.

Business + Industry News


A new company that manufactures water-proof coatings is hoping to break into the defense market. DryWired was launched in 2013 at the

Consumer Electronics Show and displayed its products at the Association for the U.S. Army Annual Winter Symposium and Exposition in February. The company has multiple products

that could be of use to the military, said Alex Nesic, vice president of business development. But first, they must undergo testing to ensure they hold up to military standards.DryWireds most mature product is its

101x nanocoating, which is applied at the manufacturing level and yields a hydropho-bic coating of about 250 nanometers thick, he said. The 101x nanocoating is currently

undergoing military standard testing with avionics manufacturers that would use it as a substitute for conformal coatings, he said. The company should know the results by September. Testing will evaluate the

coatings performance when confronted with environmental factors such as extreme tem-peratures, seawater, fog and humidity. Conformal coatings,

such as parylene, are messy to apply, trap heat and are not easy to deal with if a piece of equipment needs to be reworked, Nesic said. DryWired offi-cials believe the 101x coating solves those issues. At any point in production, you can dip

the electronic components in our product and then cure it, and its effective. So once youve populated the entire circuit board, you can then dip it in our fluorosolvent, and its coated, he said. The company used the 101x coating on

its SpareOne Plus, a battery-powered cell phone that can be submerged in water as deep as one meter for up to 30 minutes. At the DryWired booth, company repre-sentatives immersed the phones in water to demonstrate the coatings hydrophobic quality.The phone repels water without any

mechanical seals. We have no o-rings or

gaskets preventing water going in, Nesic said. The company also showcased its Phan-

tom system, a machine that operates under vacuum pressure and uses plasma to coat manufactured items. Its a batch system and its fairly useful

for, for example, special operations units that want to coat certain mission critical items such as communications equipment or clothing, Nesic said. Commercial businesses such as cell

phone repair centers are already using the machine to coat smartphones, tablets and other electronics, he said.

Battlefield technologies


Manufacturer Markets Water-Repellent coatings to Military

The effort originated as the joint com-mon missile, which was canceled in 2007. A request for proposals for JAGM was released shortly afterwards. The Navy and Marine Corps initially also planned to acquire the missile, but in 2012 they withdrew from the program.Lockheed is currently the only com-

pany receiving money from the Defense Department for its JAGM design. A team of Raytheon and Boeing started as com-petitors to Lockheed but were dropped in 2013 during the technology develop-

ment phase. MBDA Missile Systems intends to mar-

ket its Brimstone missile as an alternative to Lockheeds, MBDA officials have said. The European company recently set up an office in Huntsville, Ala.The Brimstone missile is already in

use by the U.K. Royal Air Force, Doug Denneny, vice president of MBDAs U.S. subsidiary, told National Defense in November.

101x nanocoating drywired

airmen prepare to load a hellfire missile on an MQ-1B Predator air force

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Adm. Robert Papp, with only months left in his tenure as commandant of

the Coast Guard, said his successor must push to update the services oceangoing cutter fleet. The challenge that my relief will face

and hopefully Im leaving him as well posi-tioned as possible is the recapitalization of our fleet, Papp said at the AFCEA West conference in San Diego. Ive been making the case as powerfully and as constantly as I can that, for the Coast Guard, weve got to recapitalize that fleet that is offshore.Though it is often starved for funding

compared to the larger military services, Papp said the Coast Guard has succeeded in keeping its fleet of smaller, inshore patrol boats up to date. Weve recapitalized almost all of our

[in]shore forces, Papp said. Were nearing 170 new response boats that went out to our stations. Weve recapitalized our small boat fleet. We put more conventional Coast Guardsmen at our stations. Weve created deployable specialized forces, and were building more patrol boats. We have more patrol boats than weve ever had in our his-tory, and were building more.

The Coast Guards oceangoing fleet is woefully inadequate, Papp said. Its high-endurance cutters are on average 45 years old. The workhorse medium endurance cutters that range from 200 feet to 270 feet long are approaching 50 years of service.Weve got to replace those ships, he

said. The Coast Guard already has funding

for 30 new fast-response cutters, which is about half of a planned fleet of 58 ships, he said. But as the Defense Department, particularly the Navy, gears up to police the Asia-Pacific region, the Coast Guards law-enforcement authorities are needed farther from the U.S. mainland shoreline. When you are dealing with threats in

a coastal and near-shore zone, in football terms you are in the red zone. You need maritime patrol forces that can go out beyond the exclusive economic zone that patrol on the high seas and can intercept threats before they get into that red zone.The United States has a large exclusive

economic zone that extends throughout the Pacific for which the Coast Guard and Navy are responsible. At 4.5 million square miles, it is the largest EEZ of any nation on

Earth. Unlike the Navy, the Coast Guard has law enforcement authorities within the U.S. economic zone, which is why its per-sonnel are often deployed on Navy ships. They can make arrests and search vessels. Peer competitors such as China are

realizing the advantages of a non-military coast guard as they expand their influence throughout the South China Sea and else-where, Papp said. Weve always been present in the Pacific,

but were having to reassess due to a tight squeeze on the budget and fewer major ships available, he said. Papp said completion of the large 400-

foot national security cutter fleet is in sight. The service is ready to award a con-tract for long-lead materials purchases for the eighth ship.The offshore patrol cutter, which will

replace the 210-foot Reliance-class medi-um endurance cutters and eventually the larger 270-foot medium endurance cutters, is the largest procurement program the Coast Guard has ever undertaken. Plans are to purchase 25 of the ships.Three companies in February were

awarded contracts to design versions of the offshore patrol cutter. They are Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., Eastern Ship-building Group Inc. of Panama City, Fla. and General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works based in Maine. The contract to build the vessels could be worth up to $10.5 billion. I was a little worried we wouldnt get

that done and that would have been a big headache for my relief, Papp said. The Obama administrations fiscal year

2015 budget proposal released after Papp spoke requested $9.7 billion for the service, down from the 2014 enacted level of $10.4 billion. It included funding to complete the national security cutter fleet and for two additional fast response cutters.It also included development money for

a new polar ice breaker and the offshore patrol cutter.Its acquisition, construction and improve-

ment budget, which includes upgrades to ships, boats, aircraft and information tech-nology systems, is down from $1.4 billion in 2014 to $1.1 billion in the proposal.Ashley Godwin, senior defense advisor

at the Shipbuilders Council of America, said there were few surprises in this years budget request for the Coast Guard.Every year, the Coast Guard asks for

two fast response cutters, and Congress plusses them up to six, she noted.

12 N at i o N a l D e f e N s e a p r i l 2 0 1 4 12 N at i o N a l D e f e N s e a p r i l 2 0 1 4

Retiring Commandant Calls Oceangoing Coast Guard Fleet Woefully Inadequate

by Stew MagnuSon and dan parSonSHomeland Security NewsNational Security Cutter Waesche coast guard

After almost two years of gathering solicitations and testing sys-tems, Customs and Border Protection awarded a contract for a se-ries of new fixed towers in southern Arizona to the U.S. subsidiary of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems.Elbit Systems of North America won the hotly contested Inte-

grated Fixed Tower firm fixed price contract worth $142.5 million. Options could extend the contract an additional eight and a half years, the federal notice said.John Hernandez, a homeland security analyst with Frost & Sul-

livan, said the relatively small amount of money indicates that CBP wants to take a cautious approach in the aftermath of the misman-aged Secure Border Initiative, which ended up costing the govern-ment more than $1 billion and was ultimately canceled for cost overruns.Elbit beat out U.S.-based giants such as SAIC, DRS Technolo-

gies, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. Hernandez said he was not surprised that Elbit won the contract.

CBP officials have said they were not looking for any cutting edge solutions, but rather tried and tested systems. Elbits real-word ex-perience guarding the border between Israel and the Palestinian territory on the West Bank gave it an edge, he said. The other bigger contractors havent proven themselves in that

arena, Hernandez said. Some may have systems that guard sensi-tive facilities such as nuclear weapons plants, but that is not the same as the intense security situation in the Middle East, he said.I think they (CBP) see how they are securing their borders on

the West Bank, and said, Lets give these guys a try, Hernandez said.

Now it will be up to Elbit to deliver, Hernandez said. The eight years of options, along with the nearly two years it took to award the contract, demonstrates CBPs deliberate approach. The Government Accountability Office and DHS inspector

general probably gave CBP a lot of heat for not following good management processes during the SBInet program, he added. CBP stuck with Boeing as its contractor until the program was ended in 2011.Elbit also has experience using small unmanned aerial vehicles

to monitor the border, and that technology might be in the mix in the coming years, Hernandez noted.

Israeli Firms Subsidiary Tapped To Build New Border Towers

Mobile tower customs and border protection

14 N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E A P R I L 2 0 1 4

Experts are convinced that a cyber attack on a U.S. electric grid that could cut off power to millions is a near certainty.The question is, what comes next?A report by the Bipartisan Policy

Center, Cybersecurity and the North American Electric Grid: New Policy Approaches to Address an Evolving Threat, devoted a chapter to what authorities may need to do in the event that a terrorist group, nation state or insider successfully switches off elec-tricity in a major U.S. city.In the early phases [of the attack], it

may not be possible to identify either the origins of an attack or its implications for

the broader system, said the report.The example experts cite most often had

nothing to do with terrorism. The 2003 multiday blackout in the Northeast that

affected some 55 million customers in the United States and Canada was caused by a software bug in an Ohio control room and some unpruned trees. But it took almost a year for investiga-tors to find out exactly what happened.Ten years ago we would have this

conversation and say, What if? Today I think the question is, When? Curt Hebert, former chair of the Fed-eral Energy Regulatory Commission, and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, said of a cyber attack

on a grid.More recently, Hurricane Sandy in 2012

pointed out further shortcomings in power delivery recovery efforts. Since then, utili-ties and other companies with grid assets have been working to strengthen their recovery plans, the report said.That said, the disruptions associated

with a large-scale cyber attack are likely to challenge utilities operational abilities, the report said.There are two frameworks in place

that are intended to guide federal agen-cies in such an event. One is the National Response Framework, developed by the Department of Homeland Security and the other is the 2010 Interim National Cyber Incident Response Plan. It is incumbent on policymakers to

clarify how these two response systems can operate in a mutually supportive manner and to resolve ambiguities that may exist under the two frameworks with respect to roles, responsibilities and authorities for federal agencies, the report said. In the aftermath of an attack, a hacker

could further manipulate monitoring tools and data, and cause more disruptions on command-and-control centers and to com-munications systems, the report said.Actions to safeguard utilities from such

an attack are needed, said retired Air Force general and former CIA director Michael Hayden, because agents have already infil-trated computer systems that control the nations power grids.The supervisory control and data acqui-

sition computer programs that run power plants do not contain trade secrets or infor-mation of interest to a cyber spy. Infiltration could only be for two purposes: a recre-ational hacker in there just for the chal-lenge; or some agent who wants to conduct what the military calls IPB intelligence preparation of the battlespace.


Report Ponders What Follows a Cyber Attack on Electric Grid

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16 N AT I O N A L D E F E N S E A P R I L 2 0 1 4

BY SANDRA I. ERWINFollowing a string of scandals in the

military ranks, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is looking to appoint a senior officer to ensure that moral character is given higher priority across all activities.A steady stream of revelations about

military misbehavior over the past several months shocked many observers. Opinion polls have shown that the armed forces are among the most respected and admired institutions in the United States.But the alleged misconduct ranging

from cheating on tests to engaging in fraud-ulent contracting, sexual abuse and illegal drug use is not surprising considering the sliding moral standards in society as a whole, says J. Phillip Jack London, execu-tive chairman and chairman of the board of CACI International Inc. in Arlington, Va.CACI is a $3.8 billion information tech-

nology and professional services company, with much of its business coming from government contracts. London, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, served as CACI chief executive officer from 1984 to 2007. It was after he stopped running the

company day to day that he began to spend more time looking at trend lines, London says in an interview. Among the trends he saw was a degradation of moral character in American society and its implications on individuals and institutions. His thoughts and observations were captured in a recently published book, titled, Character: The Ultimate Success Factor.Hagels concerns about ethi-

cal lapses becoming a grow-ing problem are not off track, says London. I started thinking about this about three or four years ago, he says. I spend a lot time and energy looking at trend lines. Ethics is another trend line I see that is not going in the right direction.London believes every organi-

zation should put more empha-sis on shaping its culture as one based on moral character. I have incorporated the importance of character into CACIs culture, and over the years I have writ-ten it into CACI management manuals, he writes in the books foreword. In the interview, he character-

ized recent instances of military miscon-duct as sad and tragic. He believes it will take more than appointing an ethics czar to bring about lasting change. Ive been watching this for over four

decades, so Im kind of an authority on the subject, he says. This is not a problem that is fixed with a one-time memo solution, London says. You cant hire an ethics offi-cer and expect immediate results.What is happening now is the result of

a protracted lack of attention to ethics, he says. There hasnt been enough focus on this in my opinion.There are countless reasons that could

explain behavior lapses seen in the military, but London insists that they reflect a larger decline in the standards of what society finds acceptable. Its a cultural issue, he says. It will take a long time to change. Culture change comes with a sustained focus and reinforcing behavior in what you permit or not permit. The appointment of an ethics officer is

a good start, but its a longer term effort that is needed, he says.Military and corporate leaders have to

understand the change that has taken place in society at large. There is greater accep-tance of unethical behavior. I dont think we reward excellence the way we should. We are lax in our behavior standards.CACI was swept up in its own ethics

scandal in 2003 and 2004 for its alleged role in the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib during the war in Iraq. CACI employees served as interrogators at the prison under contract to the Defense Department. The company scored a major legal victory in 2013 when a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that had been filed against the company for the alleged mistreatment of prisoners. London fought back to clear the com-

panys name. The Abu Ghraib experience, he says, taught him that perception of misbehavior can be just as damaging to an organization as actual misconduct. We were accused of all these things that were not true, he says. But once a story gets out there, it is tough to counter. I worry about lynch mobs and kangaroo courts, he says.Instances of corruption by government

officials and contractors are directly attrib-uted to the massive surge in military spending after 9/11. People were handed too much money and power over years of war. There were temptations that came along with that, London says.Londons advice to current leaders is

to keep hammering at the importance of character as a key to success. The idea of character is probably the most impor-tant factor in business and government. There hasnt been enough emphasis of integrity, ethics and values. I try to make a big deal out of it. And Im going to con-tinue to try to make a big deal out of it because I think were going in the wrong direction. Were going through some tough times. I dont see this getting bet-ter. ND

Military Ethics Lapses: Is There a Crisis of Character?

Caption right here caption right here. CREDIT


The idea of character is

probably the most important factor in business and government.

There hasnt been enough emphasis of integrity, ethics

and values.


By Sandra I. ErwInThe wars of the past decade exposed

weaknesses in Army technology for infan-try troops. Close-combat equipment such as night vision goggles and weapon sights are bulky and drain batteries fast. In bad weather and darkness, soldiers want better visibility so they can correctly identify tar-gets. They also want to be able to aim their weapons without exposing themselves to enemy fire.The Army believes it has an

answer: A wireless network that connects soldiers night vision goggles with weapon sights. The idea is that if a soldier can receive the image of the target directly on his night vision goggle, he doesnt have to bring the weapon up to the eye. In a night firefight, hav-ing those extra seconds can make a huge difference, says Army Lt. Col. Timothy Fuller, product man-ager for soldier maneuver sensors at Fort Belvoir, Va. To bring this plan to fruition,

the Army is buying a new ver-sion of its enhanced night vision goggle, or ENVG, and designing a family of sights for different types of weapons. Both devices have to be engineered into a wireless network so the sight can transmit target imagery to the ENVG in real time. The goggle acts as a digital display for the weapon. The goal is to engage targets faster without the soldier having to remove his night vision goggle, Fuller says in an interview. The helmet-mounted ENVG is the

Armys most advanced night vision goggle that lets soldiers see through smoke and dust, and in complete darkness. It combines traditional night vision technology, called image intensification, with thermal sensors. Image intensification amplifies non-visible particles of light to a level of brightness that the human eye can detect. A thermal, or infrared, imager senses the temperature dif-ferences and warmer items appear brighter on a display.The new class of thermal weapons sights

are being designed with target acquisition software to allow the transmission of weap-on sight imagery into the soldiers goggles.The Army plans to spend the next three

years on this project. It will take that long to acquire the updated goggles and weapon

sights and make them function together in a seamless network that can endure the rigors of combat. It could be a tough road ahead, consider-

ing the troubles the Army experienced in the development of ENVG and past dif-ficulties with soldier electronics gear.The first generation of ENVG generated

many complaints from soldiers. It was heavy and consumed too much power. The Army fielded 9,077 generation I ENVGs through

September 2012. An improved generation II was delivered in January 2013, according to Maj. Melissa Johnson, assistant product manager for the enhanced night vision goggle. The Army expects to field approxi-mately 16,000 through fiscal year 2016.The next iteration, ENVG III, will be

designed specifically so it can be linked with the individual weapon sights, John-son says. Were really excited about this product, she says. In addition to receiving imagery wirelessly, the future goggle will have improved resolution and a wider field of view, she explains. Once the new sights are ready, ENVG III will be retrofitted with a smart battery pack that will provide the wireless connectivity.Two vendors, Exelis and L-3 Warrior

Systems, are producing the ENVG II. The Army is currently evaluating ENVG III prototypes. Its too premature for us to say when a contract will be awarded, says Johnson.

The Army has yet to make deci-sions on key features of the ENVG III, says Phil Cheatham, deputy branch chief at the Armys Maneu-ver Center of Excellence, in Fort Benning, Ga.

While the current goggle is a monocular device, the ENVG III might be a binocular, he says. The weight requirement is less than two pounds, but ideally it should be below 1.5 pounds, Cheatham says. Right now the soldiers have so much lightweight equipment that it adds up. We are also hoping to improve size, weight, power and cost. The current ENVG costs $13,700 each.The initial ENVG III prototypes still

require additional work, he says. So far, vendors have shown that they can get imagery into the goggle. One problem is that wire-less communications from the weapon sight to the ENVG con-sumes quite a bit of power, Cheatham says.The family of weapon sights is

being developed under a separate program. The individual thermal sight the size of a soda can clips on in front of the day scope of the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun. It provides visibil-ity in low light and bad weather conditions without removal of the day optic. The Army also is developing a sight for crew-served machine guns and one for sniper rifles. The individual sight is expected to begin low-rate pro-duction next year.Coupling goggles and sights

will be a challenge for manufacturers, but they believe it can be done. This is a complex contract. It will

require superior systems engineering and management, says David Smith, vice pres-ident of Exelis. Exelis, which manufactures night vision

goggles, teamed with weapon sight suppli-er Knights Armament. For ENVG III, the company has designed a binocular goggle. Vendors expect the Army to pick a

contractor for the new goggle sometime in 2014. The production run for ENVG II will end this year, Smith says.Militaries around the world are seeking

night vision goggles that are linked to other electronic devices in a wireless network, he says. Exelis developed a goggle for the export market that is connected to a tacti-cal radio so a soldier in the field can send images to his command center. It is not any harder to integrate sights than it is to integrate radios, says Smith. It is just

Army to Equip Soldiers WithNew Sensors for Night Targeting

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another device that is communicating with the goggle over wireless communications. In the Armys program, the network is internal to the soldier whereas the interna-tional system allows soldiers to communi-cate externally. One of the difficulties in the ENVG III is

that manufacturers have to design a goggle that will interoperate with weapon sights that are not going to be ready for another three years. You have to design ENVG to receive information in the future. Thats the big challenge right now, says Smith. We want to make sure you dont design the ENVG into obsolescence, and that you dont have to retrofit it later.The customer is aware of these issues,

Smith says. The Army has a good team. They believe theyre capable of doing this.Another contender in the ENVG III

competition is L-3 Warrior Systems. The company also manufactures weapon sights. It delivered to the Army samples of ENVGs connected to weapon sights, says Bob Kline, president of L-3 Warrior Systems. The weapon sight can transmit imagery directly into the goggle, he says. Engineers worked to reduce the size, weight and power consumption, says Kline. The Army wants more ergonomic systems.L-3 hopes it can bring down the price

of ENVG if international sales pick up, says John Morgan, vice president of busi-ness development. International sales boost

manufacturing efficiency and lower costs for the U.S. government, he says.The Army predicts the cost of ENVG

will fall over time if production volume ramps up. We continue to challenge industry to

produce the best equipment and to bring prices down, says Col. Michael E. Sloane, Army project manager for soldier sensors and lasers at Fort Belvoir. Over the life of the program we can drive down the cost from 10 to 50 percent from the original cost, he says. It has to do with volume, and partnering with other services to gain efficiencies.Another way to lower cost is to use com-

mercial rather than military technology, he says. A lot of our capabilities are military unique, but others are not, like digital cam-eras and computer chips.The family of weapon sights individual

variant uses fiber optic cabling, for exam-ple. Commercial wireless options also are being considered.A lot of the technology were using

is commercial off the shelf, says Scott McClellan, fire support branch chief at the Armys Fires Center of Excellence in Fort Sill, Okla.Big Army is slowly getting away from

six-year acquisition cycles to develop a rug-gedized piece of hardware that is outdated before we get it to the soldier, he says. But even the nimble commercial industry can-

not provide everything the Army wants. One of the toughest problems for Army electronics is power consumption. Were trying to leverage commercial battery tech-nology, says McClellan. The Army always had to develop proprietary batteries that are expensive. The Army also is buying commercial day cameras, instead of expen-sive glass optics. An Oregon-based company, FLIR Sys-

tems Inc., recently unveiled a thermal night vision sensor small enough to be an iPhone accessory. The $349 device dis-plays a live thermal image on the phones screen. Whether these breakthroughs can migrate to the military remains to be seen, says David Strong, the companys vice president of marketing. The government is interested in seeing the development of very low cost night vision technologies, he says. The FLIR product made huge leaps in size, weight and power, says Strong. It is the first thermal imaging camera that is small enough, cheap enough and low-power enough to be used in a cell phone. Military night vision technology is not

going to benefit from the thermal sensor cost curve, he says. But the government can take a small thermal camera, embed it in the goggles along with the current capability and end up with a more capable goggle for little added cost. ND



Night vision goggle manufacturer Exelis quickly expanded its assembly line in Roanoke, Va., to meet massive Army orders dur-ing the buildup to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. U.S. military demand collapsed in recent years, and the company is now relying on foreign customers to keep its plant in operation.The good news for Exelis is that the international market wants

night vision technology, says David Smith, vice president for busi-ness development. There is a lot of pent-up demand for night vision devices, he

says. One of the companys most successful products has been the

i-Aware goggle that is connected to a tactical radio. In the inter-national market, customers are integrating radios with goggles so you can move imagery and video, Smith says.Bob Durbin, senior vice president of strategy and government

relations, says Exelis has sold $50 million worth of i-Aware goggles to non-U.S. buyers and has another $50 million in back orders. Its main competitor in the overseas market is Frances Photonis.Smith says it is tough for U.S. companies to compete because

exports are more tightly controlled than they are in other coun-tries. Exelis got into trouble in 2007 when the State Department

charged the company with selling sensitive technology to China, Singapore and the United Kingdom without the required export licenses. The firm was banned from the export market until 2010.

It was fined $50 million and agreed to invest another $50 million in U.S. military night vision technology.Smith says export controls must be in place to protect sensitive

U.S. technology. But many of the same night vision systems that Exelis sells are available on the open market without restrictions. That hurts U.S. companies, says Smith. There is not enough busi-ness here in the United States to sustain a healthy industrial base, he says. We need capability to export and a production base so we can invest in U.S. products.Durbin says most of the opportunities are in Asia. Exelis is

focused on Australia, South Korea, Japan, India and Taiwan. He is optimistic that the Obama administrations export control reforms will help U.S. companies compete more fairly. We are not looking for any special advantage, he says. The domestic demand for night vision goggles has reduced significantly, and there is a considerable increase in demand overseas. Another major supplier of night vision systems, L-3 Warrior

Systems, also is bullish on the international market. We see heightened awareness of night vision capabilities in many coun-tries, says John Morgan, vice president of business development. The international market is expanding. The more advanced fusion goggles that combine traditional night vision with infrared imaging are still restricted from export to most countries, says Morgan, although the market is starting to open up for Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sandra I. ErwIn

Outside the U.S., Buyers in Hot Pursuit of Night Vision Goggles


By yasmin TadjdehThe Defense Department office

charged with developing technologies to tackle some of the most challenging coun-terterrorism problems released its annual wish list. Devices to defeat improvised bombs and chemical and biological weap-ons are among its most acute needs.The Combating Terrorism Technical Sup-

port Office uses rapid research, advanced studies and technical innovation to combat terrorism and irregular adversaries. The office incorporates numerous divisions that focus on different topics rang-ing from forensics to improvised explosive devices, each with their own critical needs. The chemical, biological,

radiological, nuclear and explo-sive arm of the office is looking to acquire new systems in the coming year such as a sampling device that can collect nano-gram-levels of explosives on the fly, training and simulation pro-grams, and gear that can suck up dangerous biological agents, said Program Manager Christina Baxter.The training program should

focus on the basic science of explosives detection, Baxter said. It should be a true simula-tion program that incorporates virtual environments, graphics and videos and not just a series of PowerPoint presentations, she said during CTTSOs annual advanced planning briefing for industry.What I dont want is to [give] the

operator a Ph.D. in explosive detection. What I do want is to teach them how to best operate their system, Baxter said. [That way] they get that repeated, repetitive training they need.Once completed, CBRNE intends to

distribute the system to members of the explosive community, she said.CBRNE is also seeking a new scalable

vacuum evidentiary powder collection device. Collecting powder-based biological samples is difficult because it can be tough to gather small quantities, Baxter said. Biological sampling was used during the

2001 anthrax attack that killed five people after they were exposed to the bacteria spores. The attack demonstrated the haz-

ards of handling biological agents and the need to recover as much as possible for forensic analysis, said CTTSO materials.The device would need to collect and

preserve a powder-based biological agent from a number of surfaces and scenarios, Baxter said. It should also be able to collect anywhere from 10 milligrams to 1 gram of powder. It needs to be portable, weigh between seven and 10 pounds and scal-able to accommodate different quantities of powder. It should also have a sterile and sealable collection chamber, Baxter said.

The device also should be able to collect liquids, Baxter said.A new explosives-sampling device that

can collect nanogram levels of particles both airborne and on surfaces for com-mercial, military and homemade explosives is also on CBRNEs wish list. One need that you see repeatedly

throughout the years is explosive sam-pling, Baxter said. Today, it is still our big-gest gap in the explosive detection arena. We dont get the sample to the detector well. We have great detectors out there, but because we dont get the sample to them well, were not getting great detection.CBRNE is seeking a device that will

collect samples and work with existing, commercially developed detectors, she said.

At the improvised device defeat and explosive countermeasures division of CTTSO, the group continues to monitor IED threats, said program manager Edwin Bundy.The proliferation of IEDs globally con-

tinues to increase, and it has become more and more of a problem for the public safety community here in the United States as well as overseas, Bundy said.One need is a way to remotely dispose of

homemade explosives, Bundy said.The primary way these incidents are

handled now is well have a bomb techni-cian that actually has to go into a space and manually remove sensitive homemade explosives and those sorts of things. Its often cluttered and [there can be] lots of unknown chemicals, Bundy said. We are

looking for a remotely oper-ated system for not only the onsite collection of those materials, but if they are identified to be homemade explosives, desensitize and dispose of that sensitive homemade explosive on site.The group wants a sys-

tem that can attach to an existing robot. A gripper on the device should be able to collect small quan-tities of suspected explo-sives and, if later deemed an explosive, desensitize and dispose of it. The dis-posal process should work by mixing small quantities of the material with a flam-mable liquid. The incinera-tion component does not necessarily have to remain attached to the robot dur-ing the process, but it must be able to remotely destroy

the explosive, Bundy said. It must also be configurable in 30 minutes.The division is also planning to com-

mission a report on worldwide improvised explosive device trends, he said. The report will analyze technical data from 2005 through the present and will include infor-mation on device construction, function, reliability, similarities to devices around the globe and other details, Bundy said.Were fortunate enough in our subgroup

to work with bomb technicians from all over the world. What we found out, really with respect to IEDs that are occurring in other places in the world, [is that] we have a lot less information than we probably should with regard to places outside of Iraq and Afghanistan, Bundy said.

Counterterrorism Office Seeks Array of Technologies

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He envisions the report as a reference guide for bomb technicians who have law enforcement level security clearances.The group is also looking to commis-

sion a report on vehicle-borne improvised explosive device countermeasures, Bundy said.There are numerous tools available for

bomb technicians that can assist in remov-ing IEDs in vehicles, but they arent com-piled in one repository, he said.All of that information is scattered in

different places, Bundy said. What we want to do is bring that all in together and put it in one place that is easy for bomb technicians, military, public safety to under-stand what the tools are, what the capabili-ties are and tool construction. The guide should include information

about tools and tactics that have been suc-cessfully used to disarm a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, he said. Once completed, it should be delivered as a soft-ware package that can be accessed using Android, Apple or Windows based laptops and tablets, he said. Smartphone accessibil-ity is not needed.We dont think that smartphones

really lend themselves well to this, but laptops and tablets give you plenty of real estate to be able to look at the directions and the effects that are incorporated into this, Bundy said.Officials at CTTSOs tactical operations

support group are seeking a new tactical day and night fiber optic camera system.TOS is looking to develop a tactical,

man portable, day and night fiber optic camera system capable of viewing a tar-get of interest remotely in real time. The system will be utilized to enhance target sectional awareness, increase force protec-tion, allow stand-off inspection of IEDs and provide for close target recon, said Marc Egan, of the group.It will be utilized to search under and

around corners, doors, interior and exte-rior walls, fences, through pipes and duct work, and in and through confined spaces, CTTSO materials said. The system will also allow inspection of barriers, enabling the

national defense magazine april 2014

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