Military Tech

(Credit: Seer Technology)

Ahoy, GPS-stranded motorist. Stop banging the dashboard, and consider this timely reincarnation of dead reckoning to help you find your way out of "GPS-denied environments," or at least alert others to where you can be found.

Seer Technology is offering a miniature, self-contained, electronic navigation unit called NaviSeer that mixes GPS and DR in a complex gumbo of hardware and proprietary algorithms to deliver user location in real time.

It does this by blending the output from three gyros, three accelerometers (one at each axis,) a magnetometer, and a baro altimeter, and then running it through a Kalman filter.

The result: coordinates accurate to within less than a yard, according to Seer. And no, it "does not require sensors to be worn on the legs or feet."

(Credit: MOD)

Bucking the open-source trend, the British Royal Navy has developed a modified version of Microsoft Windows XP and has begun installing it on its fleet of nuclear submarines.

The new Submarine Command System Next Generation (SMCS NG) employs standard multifunction consoles with double LCD screens, linked with "commercial grade" cables and software to internal Ethernet local area networks (LANs) aboard each sub.

Ever thrifty, the spit-and-baling-wire Brits went with Windows in part because it was cheaper to maintain. The use of commercial off-the-shelf technology is expected to save the U.K. taxpayers up to $32 million over the next 10 years -- or about one-thousandth of the operating costs of a Vanguard class submarine, according to one estimate.

"This is a fantastic achievement," Capt. Pat O'Neill said in a press release. "From speaking to operators and maintainers, I know how much they like SMCS NG. BAE Systems' work is proof that we can get commercial off the shelf technology to sea quickly and support it affordably."

The Royal Navy, working with defense contractor BAE Systems, installed an entire Windows SMCS NG LAN on the HMS Vigilant in a mere 18 days, according to BAE.

Training time is faster as well. Given that Windows runs on approximately 85 percent of the world's PCs, there is a good chance sailors are familiar with it. However, so are hackers -- both the amateur and the cyber warfare pro variety. Not a problem, according to BAE, since all hack-prone elements of Windows "were tended to during the modification."

Meanwhile the Yanks, citing better security and more versions to choose from, continue to go all-in with Linux to boot up both warships and the long awaited Future Combat Systems. But then, they still drive on the wrong side of the road.

(Credit: OTB)

Whether it's tacking your 10 meter off Tahiti or slipping over the gunwale of a super tanker in the Gulf of Aden, this stylish line of footwear is sure to keep you high and dry.

The OTB line of boots and topsiders uses footwear technology developed for high-performance boat shoes worn by U.S. Navy SEALs, according to OTB Footwear, of Scituate, Mass. OTB stands for "over the beach," navy parlance for sandy delivery.

The company says it designs products for "specific adventures" rather than fashion. The shoes are made from "water friendly synthetics" and feature plenty of ventilating mesh.

The perforated flat sole, or razor siping, is cut to channel water away and prevent the wearer from hydroplaning. Best of all, the shoes are stealthy; there's no tell-tale squeak on any kind of deck, wet or dry. A recessed arch on the outsole is helpful when climbing rungs. The result is fast-drying, sure-footed traction on both dry and wet surfaces, available in a range of styles and colors.

One caveat, keep them away from the heater and don't leave them to dry on the dash with the windows closed, as they can come unglued.

The Poseidon-pictured here in blue and white-runs $85. Over The Beach and into The Clubhouse, as the great sea dog himself would have it.

(Credit: OTB)

(Credit: SkySails )

For the first time, the US Navy is using a new breed of sailing ship to deliver military equipment, a move that can potentially reduce fuel costs by 20 percent to 30 percent, or roughly $1,600 a day per ship, according to the ship's owners.

The Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) has chartered the "kite-assisted", fuel-saving 400-foot MV Beluga to deliver Air Force and Army cargo to from Europe to the US.

The MV Beluga uses a paraglider-shaped, SkySails-System, which supplements its conventional, internal combustion engines. The sail is basically a huge, computer-controlled kite that soars 100 to 300 yards into the air, using the wind to tow the ship at the end of a long tear-proof, synthetic rope.

The SkySails System is operated by the crew from a workstation on the bridge. All the steering and flight path adjustments are done automatically. "Emergency actions" are taken care of with a "push of a button." But the SkySail is only deployed offshore, outside the three-mile zone and traffic separation areas--just in case.

Unlike conventional sails, the kite has no superstructures that can get in the way of loading and unloading dockside, or scrape the bottom side of bridges as it sails under. The kite folds up, and can be stowed in an area the size of a telephone booth, according to developer SkySails of Hamburg, Germany. And, the SkySail can "generate two to three times more power per square meter sail area than conventional sails," according to the company. The environmental benefits have yet to calculated.

Though wind power was not a factor in awarding the contract, the shipping company was likely "able to capitalize on fuel savings to make its offer more competitive," according to MSC. "MSC values innovation that leads to cost savings," said Captain Nick Holman, of Sealift Logistics Command Europe.

(Credit: Northrop Grumman)

Construction of the X-47B unmanned, tailless, stealth jet is ahead of schedule, with the first flight scheduled for November 2009, reports defense contractor Northrop Grumman.(pdf)

The X-47B is expected to be the first tailless UAV jet to operate off an aircraft carrier, which includes catapult launches and arrested landings; to do that it will also need to be capable of maneuvering precisely and autonomous around the flight deck. But none of that is expected to happen until sea trials in 2011.

The plane, developed under the Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, has the "potential to transform naval aviation", according advocates.

The Navy envisions it as a force multiplier to be deployed for everything from long range precision bombing runs to close air support.

Classed roughly as "strike fighter-sized" jet capable of high, "subsonic" speed, it boasts a 4,500 pound pay load, and a 40,000 foot operational ceiling. The project has had to overcome a number of marine environment specific challenges including dealing with the corrosive salt-water environment and the problem of directing what is essentially a remote-control plane within a carrier's high electromagnetic interference bubble.

(Credit: Mark Rutherford)

Here's the new Navy enlisted, BDU-style uniform as displayed at the Defense Logistic Agency exhibit booth, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association West 2008 (AFCEA) conference in sunny San Diego, CA.

The new Navy Working Uniform (NWU) will include several cold weather options, such as a unisex pullover sweater, a fleece jacket, and a parka. It comes in three camo patterns, the main one being the blue/gray variant you see here, with woodland and desert digital palette for those going ashore.

The permanent press, 50/50 nylon and cotton blend NWU will replace seven different styles of current working uniforms and is to be worn with a blue cotton t-shirt, eight-point USMC-style cover, a black web belt and black leather boots, according to the Navy.

"These are good uniforms, designed to support the modern Sailor," said then Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen who approved plans for the new outfit. "Durability, safety, ease of wear and cleaning were all factors that weighed heavily on my mind. This wasn't a popularity contest by any stretch, but we would have been foolish not to consider the opinions of the men and women who will wear these uniforms."

But a few of those men and women who filed by the exhibit were less than impressed. Biggest complaint...what's with the buttons? Two for each pocket. This is 2008, how 'bout some Velcro? And why no waist band adjuster strap?

"We'll be getting complaints three hours after these are issued," one Navy Captain grumbled as he filed out the comment form offered up by the DLA guy.

Next up for the sartorial service could be a revival of the Service Dress Khaki, a new pea coat and maybe a ceremonial cutlass for chiefs.

The USS Winston S. Churchill follows a suspected pirate vessel in the Indian Ocean.

(Credit: U.S. Navy)

Pirates have grown mighty bold around the Horn of Africa of late--so bold that the Navy is reportedly considering the deployment of 30-foot, armed robo-boats to challenge the dusty buccaneers. Surely they'll mend their ways.

Pirate RPG round stuck in metal hull. No word on how Hypalon inflatable tubes would hold up to similar abuse.

(Credit: U.S. Navy)

The Navy began testing the Israeli Protector unmanned surface vehicle (USV) last year. There is a civilian version of these rigid-hulled inflatables built by Rayglass Boats in New Zealand, a common enough sight around any harbor that's even used as the official chase boat for the America's Cup. But you'd hardly equate these with the unmanned version.

Extensively tweaked by defense contractors RAFAEL, BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin, the Protector looks to be a full-on armed plug-and-play, anti-terror surveillance and reconnaissance marauder (PDF). It comes equipped with a stabilized mini-Typhoon, remote-controlled weapon station (PDF) cameras, radar equipment, and Toplite electro-optics.

And in this corner: Somali pirates generally operate out of a brace or more of what look to be 6- to 9-meter outboard-driven, open-fishing skiffs. Armed with RPGs and AKs, they either surround and intimidate a ship into stopping or lure them in with false distress calls, according to the International Maritime Bureau. In any case, it seems fair to assume that they would dearly like to get their hands on a remote-controlled Protector.

(Credit: General Dynamics)

Maybe it's the trimaran's festive appearance that put off the scrambled-egg crowd, but one still wonders why the U.S. Navy took so long to adapt this 4,000-year-old Polynesian technology to its combat ship inventory.

In any case, they're making up for it now with the new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), which promises to deliver more payload per ton of displacement than any previous U.S. warship, all on a high-speed, stealthy trimaran hull made of aluminum and steel.

The LCS is the Navy's response to asymmetric threats in coastal waters. The trimaran hull enables the ship to do 50 knots, then sneak up through the sand bars and unleash multiple helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or a swarm of Stryker- and Humvee-mounted troops. An LCS can do all this while supporting mine detection, conducting anti-submarine warfare and blowing opposing attack craft out of the water with its Bofors 57mm Mk.1.

The Navy says it has opted for a plug-and-play open architecture because it not only offers greater mission flexibility but also allows it to exploit newly developed commercial software and other technological upgrades faster and more cost effectively. Unlike legacy systems, open architecture can be easily upgraded with off-the-shelf products, not having to rely on costly proprietary hardware and software.

The onboard systems will integrate seamlessly with others across the fleet, according to General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. Delivery of the LCS is scheduled for 2008.

EFO lighting on display at Whole Foods Market

(Credit: Energy Focus)

Here's that final touch you've been looking for in the kitchen remodel war with the Joneses: efficient fiber optics (EFO), the "breakthrough in accent lighting technology," could be perfect for your undercounter needs.

You want green? This is the most efficient fiber optic lighting system in the world, according to developer Solon, Ohio based Energy Focus. "One 70 watt EFO lamp delivers the center beam candlepower of eight 50 watt Halogen lamps - replacing a total of 400 watts." The government agrees--it handed out $12.7 million in R&D support and awarded the company a 2007 DARPATech Small Business Innovation Research Award for Excellence.

DARPA calls it a breakthrough technology with the potential to innovate lighting systems across the Department of Defense. The Navy is currently testing Energy Focus technology on two ships at sea, where it expects to save 52,000 kWh a year on one ship alone.

The technology--a patented compound parabolic collector surrounding a 70-watt HID lamp connected to adjustable EFO fixtures via optically pure, U.S.-made, flexible fiber--gives your breakfast bar what retailers call the "power walk" look, without browning out the neighborhood.

These fixtures put out no heat (they're used to light ice sculptures), no IR and no UV, which means they're closet friendly--no fading.

And they're supposedly easy to specify. The fiber comes custom-cut from the factory; you simply plug the illuminator and the fixture into a phone jack-like wall outlet. Check it out: the Energy Focus gallery.