Military
Navy Yard Shooting: US To Review Security At All Military Installations (+video)
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is planning to order a review of physical security and access to all US military installations worldwide, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday, one day after a Navy reservist with a troubled history killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard . Skip to next paragraph Secretary Hagel spent much of the day on Tuesday collecting input from senior officials to define the parameters of the review, which could be formally announced as soon as Wednesday, according to the official. Word of the impending review follows news that a previously unreleased Department of Defense Inspector General (DOD IG) report detailed “critical flaws” in base security at Navy installations, including the practice of contracting out base guard duty to nongovernmental personnel. The DOD IG report, dated for release on Sept. 16, the date of the Navy Yard attack, cites instances in which “52 convicted felons received routine, unauthorized installation access, placing military personnel, dependents, civilians, and installations at an increased security risk.” This was the result of efforts on the part of Navy officials “to reduce access control costs,” according to the inspector general report. The report leveled another critique as well – that the commander, Navy Installations Command was “non-responsive” regarding the recommendations of the Pentagon inspector general. These revelations about the DOD IG investigation in turn prompted calls for change. In the wake of the Navy Yard attacks, “I am highly concerned that the access control systems at our nation’s military installations have serious […]
Source www.csmonitor.com
The Visitor Control Center At Navy?s Building 197
September 16th, 2013 | Defense | Posted by jim mcelhatton close Author: jim mcelhatton Name : Email: jmcelhatton@federaltimes.com Site: About: See Authors Posts (28) Access into the Washington Navy Yard’s Building 197, where a shooting rampage in Washington left at least a dozen people dead Monday, includes a security clearance check and vetting by contract-hired “visitor control technicians,” contract records show. Authorities have identified Aaron Alexis, 34, a Navy veteran, as the dead gunman. While it’s unclear how Alexis got into the building Monday morning, the Associated Press reported that he may have used someone’s identification. In April, the Navy hired Kansas-based contractor Transtecs Corp. for “visitor control office support services” at the Washington Navy Yard, according to the government’s online procurement database. While there’s no indication that Transtecs’ work has come under question in the shooting, contract records related to the company’s hiring do shed light on the sort of vetting the Navy requires to get into Building 197, which houses the Navy’s Sea Systems Command. A 30-page task order on the company’s website says Transtecs provides the labor to support the ID badging system and associated equipment at the building. A person who answered the phone for Transtecs Monday said the company declined to comment. Entry into the building includes a check of the Joint Personnel Adjudication System to verify an individual’s clearance level prior to authorizing access, the task order shows. “The contractor shall utilize the government furnished Picture Perfect Access Control System to issue […]
Source blogs.federaltimes.com
Tiny Recon Robots Herald New Generation Of Drones
London: Ex-U.S. Marine Ernest Langdon pulls a pin and throws a small black object onto the ground. But it doesn’t explode. Instead, the robot rights itself and swiftly scuttles away, feeding infrared video back to a small radio control screen. Unmanned drones have become an almost ubiquitous presence on the battlefield for U.S. and other high-tech forces. But the market for remote controlled vehicles is evolving from the sometimes multi-tonne craft that patrol the skies over Afghanistan or Yemen, carrying out reconnaissance and targeted strikes, to tiny robots that police and even film companies can use. The top end of the market continues to be dominated by U.S. companies such as Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman and General Atomics, formerly a division of General Dynamics and creator of the Predator and Reaper drones. Other major defence firms such as BAE Systems are pushing forward with next-generation drones with stealth and other features. Smaller companies are increasingly redefining the industry, however. Drones on display at this week’s DSEI defence fair at London’s Excel exhibition centre include undersea robots that can act as mini submarines or simply drive along the surface of the seabed to clear mines or conduct reconnaissance. Remote control “quadrocopters” with four or more rotors can be launched from backpacks. Even conventional military vehicles are becoming increasingly robotised. The stand of U.S. truck manufacturer Oshkosh Corp showcases a picture of a convoy of military trucks it says are being entirely remote-controlled. Critics of the use of drones controlled […]
Source www.newsyaps.com
NEA Looking To Drones In War On Mosquitoes… And Other Nuisances
Neo Chai Chin Today Online 14 Sep 13; SINGAPORE — A monitoring system to detect noisy vehicles on the roads and unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect high spaces like roof gutters for mosquito-breeding spots. These are two of the solutions being explored by the National Environment Agency (NEA), as part of efforts to better detect and tackle a myriad of bugbears, ranging from illegal hawkers to mysterious ambient odours. A Noisy Vehicle Monitoring System, for instance, is being piloted at an undisclosed location. It aims to use directional microphones installed on road lanes and video technology to capture the licence plate numbers of vehicles that make excessive noise. The pilot will go on for at least another year, given the extensive tests needed to get a shipshape system in place, said NEA Deputy Chief Executive (Technology and Corporate Development) Joseph Hui Kim Sung. Outlining new detection capabilities being developed by the agency yesterday at the World Engineers Summit, Mr Hui said it is now operating in a more challenging environment. The Republic is getting more compact and urbanised and feeling the impact of climate change, and the NEA has to deal with extreme events and crises like mass food poisoning, oil spills, the haze and nuclear incidents happening in Singapore and other countries. At the same time, the authorities are facing the need for greater transparency, accountability and public consultation, said Mr Hui, who was giving a presentation on integrated environmental management systems. Speaking to TODAY, Mr Hui cautioned […]
DHS Takes Control Of Arizona Border Blimp
A 208-foot long white blimp has been floating two miles above Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, using radar continuously to scan the area along the border, looking for low-flying aircraft drug […]
UAV Surveillance Drone for U.N. in Congo
First time the United Nations has used such equipment with officials and diplomats hoping the drones could be used by missions in Ivory Coast and South Sudan. The United Nations […]