News
Sandia National Laboratories utilizes wind tunnel, laser diagnostics to push boundaries of flight
Sandia National Laboratories is pushing U.S. development of autonomous hypersonic aircraft, using a unique wind tunnel and advanced laser diagnostic technology to get there. The goal is to advance aircraft past five times the speed of sound. It is a top national defense priority, and as such, a... Read More »
HHS officials reaffirm support for Global Health Security Agenda
Officials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department attended the Fifth Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia this week to reaffirm U.S. support for the initiative and commit additional funding. GHSA, which launched in 2014, is a worldwide effort to... Read More »
Researchers examine antibiotics resistance threat
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is funding a broad research effort designed to assess elements surrounding the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Officials said the CDC recently awarded contracts to Amy Pruden and Marc Edwards, professors in the Charles Edward Via, Jr. Department of... Read More »
New device aids smuggling vehicle stop
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Calexico Station recently used a new vehicle immobilization device known as the Grappler to stop a smuggling vehicle. Authorities said the immobilization effort, the first recorded within the United States Border Patrol using the device,... Read More »
Lockheed Martin adapts new radar system with unmanned aerostat
Lockheed Martin’s modern Telephonics RDR-1700B -- an advanced radar system -- was successfully integrated onto a 74K aerostat this week, expanding the capabilities of the unmanned aircraft. That aerostat floats, tethered, over a vast array of terrains, utilizing wide-area communications and... Read More »
CBP expanding its Los Angeles Global Entry Enrollment Center
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced it would be expanding and relocating its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Global Entry Enrollment Center. The center’s improvements will double the number of applicants processed by allowing CBP officers to conduct up to 10... Read More »
Infectious Disease Society of America urges support for Global Health Security Agenda
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase its support of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). The GHSA, launched following the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2013, is focused on pandemic prevention. It helps... Read More »
BMT curriculum changes target readiness, core values
Air Force officials announced recent changes to the Basic Military Training (BMT) curriculum focus on readiness and lethality, Airmanship, fitness, and the warrior ethos. The modifications, which began Sept. 4, will transform trainees into more “combat ready Airmen.” “The future of BMT... Read More »
Shorter treatment time possible for pulmonary tuberculosis
A study published in Nature Medicine this week revealed that nearly half of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed patients each year could potentially be cured with treatments shorter than those recommended. Specifically, the study examined three TB trials previously thought to disprove the efficacy of... Read More »
GAO makes recommendations to DOD on inspections of ammunition storage sites
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) made several recommendations to the Department of Defense on how security inspections of locations that store Security Risk Category (SRC I) ammunition are done in accordance with policy. The DOD maintains stockpiles of SRC I ammunition—which... Read More »
GAO assisting nuclear arsenal budget estimate prep
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is assisting the Departments of Defense and Energy in updating 10-year nuclear arsenal cost estimates and reporting them to Congress. GAO officials said an essential element of the effort involves capturing fundamental programmatic changes in nuclear... Read More »
USC researchers discover biomarkers linked to Zika-related birth defects
The possibility of early prenatal screening for and enhanced understanding of the link between Zika infection and fetal abnormalities may have grown, with a University of Southern California (USC) discovery of birth defect-associated biomarkers. Publishing their findings in the Journal of... Read More »
Raytheon’s GPS control system fends off cybersecurity challenges
Raytheon is pressing forward on a GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX) in time for the launch of GPS III next month, and initial test data indicates huge successes against cybersecurity threats and data corruption. In all tests so far, the system has blocked the broadcast of... Read More »
New technology better detects drones
A camera combined with machine learning is assisting Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) create more precise drone detection capability than possible with visuals alone. Acoustic, radio or thermal detection of drones... Read More »
Tyndall AFB to resume missions after Hurricane Michael damage
After a month-long recovery from Hurricane Michael, Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., will resume operations with many key missions returning, following a U.S. Air Force announcement made last week. Among the units that will resume operations at Tyndall AFB are the 601st Air Force... Read More »
National Nuclear Security Administration releases annual Stockpile Stewardship, Nuclear Nonproliferation report
The Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently released its annual reports outlining its efforts to maintain the U.S. nuclear stockpile and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. “The Trump Administration’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review sets a clear... Read More »
Report emphasizes measles severity, vaccination importance
A report released last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases highlighted the importance of maintaining high measles vaccination coverage to protect those with compromised immune systems. The report detailed a circumstance in which a 26-year-old man receiving leukemia treatment for leukemia went... Read More »
Zika anchored to Americas through wild monkeys
Though mosquitoes are the feared spreader of Zika virus in the Americas, researchers recently said that it is wild monkeys passing the disease to them, and guaranteeing its staying power. Published in Scientific Reports, the collaborative effort from researchers of the University of Texas... Read More »
Raytheon awarded $191M contract for advanced radars
The Ku-band radio frequency radar (KuRFS) developed by Raytheon is front and center in a new, $191 million contract awarded to them by the U.S. Army. KuRFS has already seen deployment with “sense and warn” capabilities in several areas, from rocket detection to swarming unmanned aircraft... Read More »
Triad National Security takes over management of national laboratory
Triad National Security (Triad) recently began the management and operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. In June, Triad signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The contract took effect Thursday and expires... Read More »
DHS unveils virtual training program for critical school safety situations
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has introduced a new training platform to help teachers, staff, first responders, and local law enforcement prepare for response plans to critical incidents at schools. The virtual training platform is called the... Read More »
Conference addresses chemical terrorism
INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters served as the backdrop for the recent Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats conference, which was designed to address chemical terrorism and related factors. “This Congress comes at a pivotal time in the international security... Read More »
Lawmakers seek Saudi nuclear pact talks suspension
In the wake of recent developments in Saudi Arabia, several lawmakers are seeking suspension of civil nuclear cooperation talks with that nation's government. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) has forwarded correspondence to President Donald Trump requesting... Read More »
New FirstNet board members appointed
The Board of the First Responder Network Authority gained six new members this week, appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Its newest members include Richard Carrizzo, chief of the Southern Platte Fire Protection District in Kansas City, Missouri; Welton Chase, former General... Read More »
Chagas disease threatens US service dogs
Researchers have found dogs working for the U.S. government are at an increased risk of Chagas disease, and the associated parasite is riddling them with heart disease. At one time found only in Mexico, Central America and South America, Chagas has begun pressing forward into the United States,... Read More »
DHS calling for submissions for Biometric Technology Rally
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has opened submissions for its Biometric Technology Rally that will be held in the spring. Biometric systems include fingerprint, iris or face recognition. The rally challenges participants to develop... Read More »
Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Pittsburgh Synagogue Murders
The man charged with murdering 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last Saturday was indicted on 44 counts, including hate crimes, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Robert Bowers, 46, of Baldwin, Pa., was indicted on 44-counts,... Read More »
Groups address nuclear waste, fuel disposal
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently met with waste management personnel to discuss safe, efficient disposal of high level radioactive waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel. The session at the IAEA in Vienna included a delegation from the International Association for... Read More »
Payan named Chief Patrol Agent for Buffalo Sector in New York
Eduardo Payan, a 31-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, was recently appointed as Chief Patrol Agent for Border Patrol’s Buffalo Sector, the regional water border between ports of entry in New York and Pennsylvania. Payan was appointed by U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost, following... Read More »
Lockheed Martin presses forward on laser-based missile interception system
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin is proceeding with a Missile Defense Agency contract to develop a Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD) missile interceptor, which utilizes a laser and beam control system to intercept hostile missiles. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will improve and mature... Read More »
DHS hosts international first responders conference
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently hosted the first North American International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation (IFAFRI) Industry Stakeholder Summit. IFAFRI’s goal is to advance the development of innovative yet... Read More »
Air Force leadership discusses trends, changes at symposium
Top Air Force leadership convened last week in Grapevine, Texas, to discuss critical issues and upcoming changes within the Air Force at the 50th annual Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium. “We have returned to an era of great power competition where the challenges we face are complex and... Read More »
15 technologies may change how to monitor, treat infectious disease during catastrophe
Combating diseases such as Ebola, influenza, and a host of other global catastrophic biological risks could be addressed by 15 emerging technologies, many of which are easy to use, high-tech and low cost. In “Technologies to Address Global Catastrophic Biological Risks,” the report issued... Read More »
DARPA autonomous flight system tested
The U.S. Army recently tested a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) - developed autonomous flight system designed to deliver advances from unmanned aircraft to piloted aircraft via innovative interfaces. During the demonstration, the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System... Read More »