The Nuclear Operations Group of B&W supports not only propulsion plants for the Navy’s ships and submarines but also R&D and component production. It also sells to the civilian nuclear power industry as well as conventional power plants.

B&W has been designing, manufacturing and installing boilers and steam plants for use in power generation and ship propulsion since the middle of the 1800′s. In 2008 it acquired Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. as a subsidiary to expand its products into nuclear fuel.

The U.S. Navy now operates only aircraft carriers powered by reactors as well as a large submarine fleet. These require periodic refueling. The U.S. is also planning to continue to construct several new aircraft carriers and submarines over the next ten years which will also require power plants.

L-3 already has a growing electro-optical sensor business and the addition of Kollmorgen will only add to that growth. In their most recent quarterly report the company reported earnings of $2.72 a share on net sales of $4 billion. This was an increase of earnings of twenty-eight cents over the previous year. Interestingly the Electronics Systems division of the company where Kollmorgen will fall had a decline in net sales of $110 million in 2011 primarily due to less demand for night vision products, power devices and the lack of revenue from technology licenses. The division did, though, sell $43 million more in Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) products.

Kollmorgen is estimated to add sales of $160 to $170 million and earnings of up to $30 million for L-3. This additional revenue will help offset any further drops in sales by the Electronics Systems part of the company.

The addition of the company to L-3 allows them to expand their overall market share of the EO/IR business. With the expected reductions in U.S. defense spending the more diverse product line and markets should help L-3 maintain its sales and earnings. For 2012 the company is predicting $14.4 to $14.6 billion in sales and earnings per share (EPS) of between $8.35 and $8.55. This compares to sales of $15.17 billion in 2011 and EPS of $8.77. Clearly L-3 is expecting some contraction in the defense business in the coming year. This estimate does not include Kollmorgen.

As will all of the defense industry L-3 will have to adjust to the changing market in 2012 and one way of doing this is through M&A. The addition of Kollmorgen not only adds revenue and earnings but also increases their exposure in the EO/IR market while reducing potential competitors. There should be more moves of this type by defense contractors as they make moves to cushion the changes in spending.

Photo from Daniel Garcia Neto’s flickr photostream

PUEBLO, Colorado (February 2012) – The United States Air Force Air Mobility Command Systems Group (AMC SG) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has awarded Safety of Flight Approval for GPS Source’s GLI kits aboard US Air Force C-130 (E/H/J models) and C-17 aircraft.

Safety of Flight Approval confirms the safe operation of GLI kits aboard military aircraft. It also provides an official USAF account of the testing which was accomplished in order to grant full flight approvals.

Robert Horton, CEO of GPS Source, said “Supporting our military with first class products like our GLI kits is an honor. It is important that the United States Air Force considers them to be safe and effective in supporting HAHO or HALO, SOF parachutists, precision airdrop capability and time-critical applications during humanitarian relief operations. The military can depend on our kits in the most extreme situations.”

The GPS Source GLI-kits enables an end user to perform JPADS and Military Free Fall (MFF) Missions with guaranteed mission equipment compatibility, greater ease and reliability. The mil-spec designed systems ensure 100% GPS L1/L2 signal coverage throughout the cargo compartment and flight deck of any medium to large military transport aircraft.

About GPS Source, Inc.

Founded in 2000, GPS Source, Inc. designs, development and manufactures solutions that bring GPS inside for the military, defense, aerospace, and other markets. This includes a complete line of mil-spec GPS antennas, splitters, repeaters, cables, etc. The “GPS Live Inside” products ensure GPS signal availability inside. GPS Source, Inc. is a veteran owned, AS9100 certified company. For more information, visit www.GPSSource.com.

The company was awarded one of five contracts to provide Operations Support to the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). The contract is an Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ)one that could have a value of up to $900 million depending how the tasks area awarded. The initial contract is for two years with three option years.

The JIEDDO was established by DoD to focus efforts on defeating the mine and IED threat in Iraq and Afghanistan which became the primary method of attack and caused a great deal of casualties. The JIEDDO has focused on technical means to detect and disable IED’s including advanced detection and jamming.

The contract with Lockheed is focused on the operational part of JIEDDO mission with operations, analysis, combat and IT support for JIEDDO’s analytical team.

There has been concern expressed by many in the financial community that the stocks of the large defense contractors will suffer with the proposed reduction in U.S. spending. This will have a negative effect on their revenue and earnings. Of course the cuts may not happen or be as large as discussed. Also major acquisition programs like the F-35 JSF or ship construction will most likely see reductions in quantity rather then outright cancellation. This should cushion the blow to defense contractors.

Lisle, Ill. (February 8, 2012) Navistar Defense, LLC, Indigen Armor and SAIC today announced they will team for the upcoming U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1 (GMV 1.1) program.

The GMV 1.1 program requires a highly mobile, roll-off mission-ready platform that is transportable on a CH-47 helicopter. To support Special Operations (Specops) missions, each vehicle will be integrated with a full government furnished Command, Control, Communications,
Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) suite.

“We are eager to team with Indigen Armor and SAIC to provide U.S. Special Operations forces with an off-road truck that possesses unprecedented mobility and is designed to be an affordable solution throughout its lifecycle,” said Archie Massicotte, president of Navistar Defense. “Navistar brings world-class truck and engine integration capabilities to the table and with our partners we will be able to provide quick-to-market products to support the needs of Special Operators.”

“As a company founded by special operations personnel to design vehicles for special operations personnel, Indigen Armor is excited to add to the subject matter expertise of Navistar and SAIC to provide the finest solution for SOCOM’s GMV 1.1 requirement,” said John Choate, president of Indigen Armor and former Navy SEAL. “This team establishes a robust alliance that combines proven expertise in meeting Specops mobility requirements, automotive design and manufacturing, C4ISR integration, logistics support and contract management.”

Under the teaming agreements, Navistar will serve as the prime contractor for the GMV 1.1 program. Navistar and Indigen Armor will combine their automotive and Special Operations expertise with SAIC’s skill in C4ISR technologies and its ability to field and provide integrated logistics support.

“This team understands SOCOM’s mission requirements and has worked well together supporting them in recent years,” said Glenn San Giacomo, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. “These experiences will help us as we design, field and sustain an exceptional vehicle that has full life-cycle efficiencies designed in from the start.”

The program currently calls for the production of about 200 units per year for up to five years.  A request for proposals is expected in late February 2012, with production awards expected in early January 2014.

About Navistar

Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International® brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses, Monaco® RV brands of recreational vehicles, and Workhorse® brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing services. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com/newsroom.

About Indigen Armor

Indigen Armor was conceived by special operations personnel while serving in a volatile combat zone in 2004.  Acquired by J.F. Lehman & Company private equity firm in 2009, the company continues to be run by military veterans with extensive Special Operations backgrounds that focus on the design and development of Specops mobility platforms.  The company has a growing staff of professionals housed in a 267,000 square foot, state-of-the-art prototyping and manufacturing facility. For more information, visit www.indigenarmor.com.

About SAIC

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy & environment, health, and cybersecurity. The company’s approximately 41,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of approximately $11 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.saic.com. SAIC: From Science to Solutions®.

The THAAD is the bigger, longer ranged part of the Army’s missile defense program. The modified air defense missile system, PATRIOT, is the shorter ranged component. THAAD will be used to provide defense of larger areas and more potential targets then PATRIOT which is normally used to provide close in defense. The PATRIOT radar and C3I system is made by Raytheon (RTN) while the PAC-3 missile is manufactured by Lockheed.

The contract which is an Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) one has the potential value of over $500 million if all work is awarded. It provides for development, integration and testing of upgrades as well as work on improving all parts of THAAD. This includes the missile, launcher, radar and C3I components.

Because it is an ID/IQ contract there is no guarantee that any work will be awarded under it. Lockheed will be awarded individual task orders which might provide for research into a better rocket motor, its integration and then testing. These kind of contracts allow the government, here the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), to pick and choose what work and how much it wants.

If the government does not buy all of the technical data for the THAAD a policy which it has pursued on many different programs as a cost savings measure then it will have to rely on Lockheed for most of the future support as that company developed it. Owning the tech data would allow a contract be awarded to another vendor or contractor who could then be given the data to support there work.

THAAD has been developed over the last several years and entered production recently. It has been deployed in limited numbers and sold to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as its first foreign military sale. As the system gets made in larger numbers there will be efforts to upgrade and improve its capability and take advantage of new technology. Right now Lockheed is well placed to gain a great deal of that work.

Photo from U.S. Missile Defense Agency flickr photostream.

Growth financing led by Indigo Strategic Partners and Winnovation

Tel Aviv, Israel – January 03th, 2012 – NowForce, a leader in cloud-based command and control solutions, announced today that it has closed a $4 million financing round led by Indigo Strategic Partners and Winnovation. With thousands of active users, the company has quickly emerged as a frontrunner in on-demand emergency response mobile applications.

NowForce will deploy the capital to further its sales and marketing in North America, Europe and Africa. In connection with the funding, Dorian Barak, Managing Partner of Indigo Strategic Partners, and Barak Ben-Eliezer, Founder and CEO of Winnovation, will join NowForce’s Board of Directors.
“This funding is a great vote of confidence in the company’s vision and path to becoming the premier provider of on-demand command and control solutions, and will give us the ability to immediately implement our ambitious growth plans,” said Assaf Shafran, Founder and CEO of NowForce. “As the leading innovator in this emerging market space, we plan to use the funding to invest heavily in ensuring the continued success of our current customers and to further accelerate our customer acquisition efforts and entry into new geographies.”

Every day, more emergency response organizations, security companies, and government agencies discover NowForce’s powerful and easy-to-use cloud-based solutions, and learn how its innovative per-user subscription model makes cutting-edge technology available to organizations of all sizes and budgets.

“NowForce is creating an impressive footprint within the dispatch and command and control market,” said Ari Harow, Managing Partner of Indigo Strategic Partners. “We are optimistic about NowForce’s expansion goals and the overall growth trajectory of this category.” Winnovation’s Barak Ben-Eliezer added that “NowForce is redefining the way emergency response and security organizations operate, directly impacting the effectiveness or their response and the efficiency of their operations.”

About NowForce

Founded in 2008 by Anshel Pfeffer, Jonathan Bendheim and Assaf Shafran, NowForce is a leader in on-demand emergency response mobile applications, transforming standard mobile phones into life-saving networks. NowForce’s user friendly and cost-effective solutions ensure optimum quality and rapid response for every type of agency regardless of size or scope, including EMS, fire, military, police, security, and volunteer organizations. With its state-of-the-art SaaS (software-as-a-service) model plugging into responders’ existing GPS-enabled mobile phones, responders––whether in-vehicle, on-foot or off-duty––are always connected to their network. For more information, visit: www.nowforce.com

About Indigo Strategic Partners

Indigo Strategic Partners was established to take advantage of the broad investment opportunities presented by the Israeli security, safety and defense sector, and other strategic sectors in which Israel is a proven leader. Indigo is an investment group targeting primarily small to medium sized companies with products and services that detect, prevent, defend against or assist in the recovery from threats to individuals, facilities, enterprises and infrastructure. Indigo partners with strong management teams that benefit from its international network of financial, governmental, security, technology, and marketing professionals.

With that two contracts were awarded last week to begin development of a new system that will jam or misdirect infra-red guided missiles which home in on the heat signal of the helicopter. The Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) program once it goes into production could be worth several billion dollars due to the number of Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force helicopters that could have the system installed.

The two contracts to Northrop Grumman (NOC) and BAE Systems (BAE:LSE) will allow the company’s to develop their proposed solution to the CIRCM requirements. They both have a value of around $38 million. Once these contracts are complete the Army will evaluate the proposed solutions and then choose one to go into Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) to begin production and installation.

The CIRCM program was considered so valuable that proposals were received from ITT Exelis, Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Raytheon (RTN) as well. All of the companies that bid have experience with airborne jammers and protection systems.

Even though the U.S. defense budget is facing large cuts over the next five to ten years programs like this still need to be developed and introduced. There exists a large fleet of aircraft that will remain and they need to be updated to face improved threats from around the globe. If CIRCM is cut in the future it might be to stretch out the development or production so that the annual program cost is lower but eventually the desired result is achieved.

Photo from The U.S. Army flickr photostream.

The initial contract is worth about $36 million but will all options executed it could be worth over $600. The Navy is planning on outfitting 54 ships to begin but the CANES could support over 300 systems in the end.

The goal is to have the first installation complete by the end of FY12. This will follow completion of necessary testing and certification to support a Milestone C Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Decision. The first contract will cover 2 destroyers and an amphibious warfare ship.

The Navy plans ot have limited production in 2012-2013 with a larger contract competed again at the end of FY13 to support Full Rate Production. Then there will be a further contract for engineering support.

Northrop will use as a sub-contractor their former ship building division now separated as a new company, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to do the actual installation and integration on ships.

The CANES contract has been in work for several months with development contracts awarded to Northrop and Lockheed in March of 2010. These led to delivering systems of which Northrop’s was chosen for the first production deliveries.

Photo from Official U.S. Navy Imagery’s flickr photostream

Solar Array Part of a $16.8 Million Energy Savings Performance Contract

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center has awarded a $16.8 million task order to implement energy-conserving upgrades, including a 4.465 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating system—the largest to date for the U.S. Army—at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

The solar PV system is the primary component of the energy savings performance contract (ESPC) to be implemented by the Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry, Inc. The solar PV system will provide the Army with approximately 10,000 solar renewable energy credits annually as well as qualify it for a 30 percent federal cash grant in excess of $4.8 million. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the solar PV system will help White Sands Missile Range achieve 10.8 percent renewable energy by the end of 2012, up from .5 percent and beating the 2013 government mandate by more than three percentage points. This project supports President Barack Obama’s directive that federal agencies use ESPCs to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two years, as well as supporting the Army’s renewable energy goals.

“This project implements a solar photovoltaic array system that will partially offset White Sands Missile Range’s energy requirements, improve facilities and operations, demonstrate Army engineering and technology capabilities and align with the Army’s Energy Security and NetZero objectives,” said Judy Marks, President and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, Inc.

White Sands Missile Range is a Test and Evaluation Command Installation operated primarily for the support of research, development, test and evaluation of weapon and space systems, subsystems and components. Encompassing a missile range/rocket launch range, White Sands is one of the largest military installations in the U.S. covering 3,200 square miles. The facility is unique in the fact that it has several agencies on site as tenants including NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. is a Federally-compliant U.S. organization structured to provide answers for some of the nation’s most challenging issues within the Federal market in infrastructure, energy, industry and healthcare. The company is the leading integrator for Siemens’ innovative products, technologies and services to meet the needs of Federal customers. Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. For more information on Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. please visit http://www.siemensgovt.com/.

Siemens Industry, Inc. Building Technologies Division is the world’s market leader for safe and energy efficient buildings (“green buildings”) and infrastructures. As a service provider, system integrator and product vendor, Building Technologies has offerings for building automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), fire protection and security. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies

Counter Terror Expo is the premier global event for professionals tasked with ensuring a formidable and effective response to the threats we face today.

Established with the intent to deliver a unique and secure environment in which professionals within the critically important counter-terrorism arena can come together to share experience and gain knowledge, the event has grown exponentially to be a truly key gathering of the leading experts in the field from within government, military, the security services, law enforcement and academia worldwide.

Counter Terror Expo features a highly relevant centrepiece conference designed to deliver insight, analysis and perspective to current threats, an extensive and highly specialised programme of workshops developed to offer an in-depth examination of specific issues and provide a focused forum for debate, as well as one of the largest showcase exhibitions of its kind anywhere and which attracts the leading vendors globally.

Find out more at Counter Terror Expo 2012.

The first five year production contract saw 174 aircraft ordered and late last summer the government and contractor began entering into negotiations for the second one. That would be for a further 122 Ospreys at an estimated cost of close to $8 billion.

Now there is word that as part of the planned reductions to the defense budget over the next five years the U.S. Defense Department will cut 24 of the next batch of V-22. This would reduce the next five year contract to 98 aircraft at a cost of roughly $6.5 billion. The reports indicate that the hope is to save $1.75 billion but if 122 cost $8 billion the back of the envelope calculation would show only about $1.5 billion in savings.

Normally reducing the quantity bought over the same time period would lead to higher unit costs as there would be the loss of savings reduced with buying larger numbers of parts but it seems the Pentagon is hoping to not only cut aircraft but to negotiate a better price with Boeing-Bell. If that is possible remains to be seen. The delay in retiring the CH-46 and other aircraft the V-22 is replacing may also lead to higher operational costs for those as some will have to remain in service for a longer then originally planned timeline.

At least for the companies the program is not being eliminated or delayed. That means there will still be some revenue and earnings off of the program.

The cut will also illustrate how hard it is to reduce the budget just by slicing programs. There are enough sunk and recurring costs that savings are not directly tied to the amount of items being purchased. It is easier to eliminate whole programs which is reportedly being done with the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM, C-27 JCA transport and the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program.

Photo from Beige Alert’s flickr photostream.

Cubic’s mist(TM) Crypto Module Evaluated and Meets Stringent Security Requirements

VIENNA, VA–(Marketwire – February 01, 2012) – Cubic Global Tracking Solutions, the asset visibility solutions provider of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), received cryptographic algorithm validations from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the company’s mist™ technology that is utilized in Cubic’s mesh asset tags, mobile mesh gateways and fixed mesh gateways.

The Cubic mist™ AES-CCM and mist™ DRBG algorithms were recently added to the NIST algorithm validation lists. These two algorithms are the key to implementing encryption systems meeting Federal Information Processing Standards 140-2 requirements (FIPS 140-2).

Cubic’s mist™ algorithms have been implemented on Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI’s) CC2530 system-on-chip (SoC) hardware, which supports the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard. The cryptographic algorithms are incorporated in Cubic’s mist™ Crypto module, which implements an ultra-low power, robust, mesh radio network targeted for logistics applications. This validation means the Cubic mist™ Crypto module meets the standards and guidelines for information security.

“Information security is a crucial prerequisite to Cubic Global Tracking Solutions’ customers that employ our mesh technology, called mist™. We understand the importance of security and place a high value on making sure our technology not only meets, but exceeds our customer’s requirements,” said Mary Ann Wagner, president of Cubic Global Tracking Solutions.

“The secure connection of devices to the Internet of things is of increasing importance for supply chain management. Texas Instruments is pleased to work with Cubic to provide a secure wireless solution for logistics management,” said Mark Grazier, program manager for wireless sensor networks and worldwide third party developer network, Low-Power RF at TI.

About Cubic Global Tracking Solutions

Cubic Global Tracking Solutions is a provider of asset-visibility systems and services. Cubic’s secure asset monitoring solutions provide ongoing situational awareness across an enterprise, and require limited or no infrastructure.

About Cubic Corporation

Cubic Corporation is the parent company of three major business segments: Defense Systems, Mission Support Services and Transportation Systems. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems, cyber technologies, asset tracking solutions, and defense electronics. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical and other support services for U.S. and allied military and security forces. Cubic Transportation Systems is the world’s leading provider of automated fare collection systems and services for public transit authorities. For more information about Cubic, see the company’s website at www.cubic.com.

The MMRCA started over two years ago and companies from across the globe submitted bids. The original proposals came from America’s Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Boeing (BA) along with the two Western European contractors as well as Sweden’s SAAB and Russia’s MiG. A series of trails and evaluations were conducted along with analysis of the proposals and the decision was made in November to eliminate all but Dassault and Eurofighter.

The contract for 126 advanced fighters could be worth well over $10 billion including the cost of support, spares and engineering.

The next few months will see the Indian government negotiating the final terms of the contract including the key provision of offsets. Dassault is proposing to transfer the production capability for the aircraft to India with over 100 of the aircraft being at least partially manufactured and assembled there.

Previously India had relied primarily on British and Russian equipment while trying to invest in an indigenous arms capability. Recently they have realized that in order to gain access to more advanced technology they would need to buy U.S. and European weapons from less traditional suppliers. These have included transports and patrol aircraft from Boeing and Lockheed Martin as well as exploring helicopter and artillery buys from Western Europe.

India has always demanded strict offsets and investment in their economy and have had to adjust these rules to allow companies like Boeing and others from the U.S. to bid. Even so it is good business for a winning bidder to be able to set up production facilities in India as it allows access to that growing market.

The win is significant for Dassault which has struggled to find a buyer beyond the French military and faced issues with keeping their employees busy and revenues up. The Indian contract will aid in both.

Photo from Ronnie Macdonald’s flickr photostream.

NIAP-Certified ATEN Secure KVMs Feature Common Criteria’s EAL2+ Certification

Foothill Ranch, CA (January 31, 2012) –announced today the launch of new security-reinforced desktop KVM switches designed specifically for government and military environments where security is paramount. The new CS1182 and CS1184, two- and four-port DVI-based KVM switches housed in a rugged metal enclosure, ensure data integrity when switching between computers operating on different secure networks. The CS1182/CS1184 are NIAP-certified which complies with the Common Criteria EAL2+ for Peripheral Sharing Switch (PSS) Human Interface Devices Protection Profile v2.1. The NIAP is operated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The new secure desktop KVM switches provide users with hardware security features such as tamper-evident tape, providing a visual indication of any attempted access to the switch’s internal components, and chassis intrusion detection, which disables the unit if only one of the screws is removed. In accordance with the NIAP requirements, all integrated circuits are soldered directly onto the circuit board to prevent component tampering.

From a firmware point of view, the secure KVMs offer restricted USB connectivity whereby non-HID devices are ignored if connected. Isolated channel per port and automatic keyboard buffer clearing prevent any cross-computer communication. Lastly, non-reprogrammable ROM protects the unit’s firmware from tampering and reprogramming.

“As security threats on government and military continue to rise at alarming rate, so too, does the need for a security-hardened IT environment,” explained James Hsieh, CEO of ATEN. “Our new secure KVM switches, the CS1182/CS1184, provide the means to consolidate multiple workstations of various security classification levels with one keyboard, video monitor and mouse (KVM) console. With hardware and software-based security features built into the units, military, intelligence and federal agency installations can rest assured that their data is being protected on both a physical and digital level.”

For government, military and other public sector installations, key on-going concerns include securing sensitive information, network breaches, malware attacks and cyber terrorism. With secure KVM switches from ATEN, agencies can minimize security threats by ensuring data integrity between user desktops accessing secure and unsecure networks. Serving the public sector market through its channel partners, ATEN offers competitive discounts to channel partners including seven percent (for government) and five percent (for education) implementations.

The CS1182/CS1184 offers the following features and functionality:

One USB console controls two or four secure computers
Restricted USB connectivity – non-HIDs (Human Interface Devices) are ignored when switching
Isolated channel per port – data is unable to be transferred between computers
Port selection only via pushbutton enhances security
Tamper-evident tape – provides a visual indication of any attempt to gain access to the switch’s internal components
Chassis intrusion detection – if cover is removed from the switch, the unit becomes inoperable and LEDs flash
Tamper-proof hardware – all integrated circuits are soldered directly to the circuit board to prevent component tampering
Non-reprogrammable ROM – prevents tampering and attempts to reprogram the switch’s firmware
Clears keyboard buffer – keyboard data is automatically cleared after transmission to the switch
Multiplatform support – Windows, Linux, Mac, and Sun
Superior video quality – 2560 x 1600 (DVI Dual Link); 1920 x 1200 (DVI Single Link) and 2048 x1536 (DVI-A)
Built-in internal power

About ATEN

ATEN is a leading manufacturer of KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) switches in addition to remote management, LCD consoles, video and data connectivity solutions. The company’s product line supports a range of data center, desktop and digital signage environments serving enterprise, government, SME and SOHO customers. ATEN has offices in California and New Jersey as well as Taiwan, Belgium, Korea, Japan, China and United Kingdom. For more information, contact ATEN at (888) 999-ATEN or 949-428-1111, via the Web at www.aten-usa.com, www.aten-usa.com/ATENConnect and on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ATENConnect, or Facebook: www.facebook.com/ATENConnect

The PATRIOT air and missile defense system is made up of two major parts: the radar and the interceptor. Currently Raytheon (RTN) is the prime contractor for the radar and command and control systems while Lockheed manufactures the current standard missile, the PAC-3. The PAC-3 version of the system in use since the late Eighties incorporates modifications to maximize missile defense capabilities while the missile is smaller, relies on hit-to-kill technology and is a significant upgrade to the earlier PAC-2 missile as it allows more rounds to be used by each launch unit.

The FY12 order is for both U.S. Army use as well as a follow on delivery for Taiwan. It has a value of just over $900 million and represents a rather significant contract. The work includes not only the missiles but also kits, spares, support equipment and engineering services.

The PATRIOT represents the shorter ranged part of the Army’s missile defense capability with the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system made by Lockheed providing longer range and larger area defense.

The PATRIOT has seen significant foreign military sales to countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. and Taiwan. It is especially valuable to those countries facing a ballistic missile threat like Israel, Taiwan and the Gulf States.

The PAC-3 missile has been in production for several years from Lockheed’s facility in Camden, AR.

Photo from Tumbleweed:-)’s flickr photostream.

RTP-Based Product Design and Development Firm Grows Services to Meet Client Demand

(Morrisville, N.C.) Montie Design, an innovative concept-to-marketplace product design and development firm, has expanded its product realization toolset with the purchase of a rotational molder.

The new equipment allows the firm to produce prototypes of small rotationally molded parts and follow up with limited production runs of client parts.

“We’re known for our experience in product design and prototyping of metal-based products across a multitude of industries, and these additions to our in-house workshop will enable us serve our clients in a new and valuable way,” said Montie Roland, company president.

Providing design flexibility, rotomolding allows for the creation of prototypes with consistent wall thickness, strength and durability, stress-free parts, and low initial tooling costs. Rotationally molded products are highly sought-after in a wide range of industries such as agricultural and industrial; material-handling; and recreational and sporting goods.

Montie Design has just completed its first rotationally molded prototype for an anti-fog device used in snowmobile helmets. The parts were recently sent off for client testing and evaluation.

“The ability to quickly and inexpensively create prototypes using the rotomolding process opens up new design directions for client projects; there are very few companies in the U.S. that offer rotomolding on a prototype basis. Initially, we embarked on this addition to our services as a way to serve one client, but the lack of vendors that are capable of using the rotomolding process to prototype parts indicates an under-served market,” Roland explained.

The Montie Design toolset offers core competencies in mechanical engineering, industrial design, prototyping and product commercialization. The firm is active in numerous design and engineering groups and organizations throughout North Carolina as well as the North Carolina Defense Business Association.

Additionally, Montie Design is hosting a Winter 2012 Student Design Contest for aspiring product designers in community colleges, four-year colleges, or high schools from North Carolina and Virginia. Contest participants will be tasked with developing outdoor, shooting, hunting, archery, and camping products.

For more information on Montie Design, visit www.montie.com.

About Montie Design
Montie Design is an innovative concept-to-marketplace product design and development firm with core competencies in mechanical engineering and industrial design. Implementing a collaborative approach to partnering with clients, Montie Design balances vision with usability in realizing products that are economical to manufacture, elegant and robust. The firm operates out of the Southeast’s innovation hub, the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, with its wealth of industry-leading technology, resources and customers. For more information, visit www.montie.com.

BRIGHTON, Colo., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — SmartRounds Technology, LLC, “SRT” of Brighton, Colorado, announced today their new SmartRounds™ smart bullets. “We have been working the past three years on our less-lethal arms and have finally arrived at several effective rounds along with a reliable delivery system. The 18 mm, .680 caliber, d-shaped, rifled rounds are fired from gas-powered launchers at upwards of 450 feet per second and have an effective range of 100 yards,” states SRT president Nick Verini.

The patent-pending SmartRounds™ are less-lethal, intelligent projectiles designed to offer an alternative to firearms, but with sufficient stopping power to disarm an assailant. They will be available in a number of less-lethal versions including MMS based rounds. The active MMS (micro- mechanical system) controlled version senses when the round is fired and when it hits its target. It then activates the payload in a micro-second, reducing the chances of penetration.

One special SRT projectile called ShockRounds™ contains a liquefied compressed gas and activates a high-powered “shock wave” that expands rapidly upon impact and attacks three of the five human senses, disabling the assailant. These projectiles are fired from pneumatic rifle launchers, which are modeled after the Colt Industries M4 carbine. Other launchers are modeled after a popular, semi-automatic handgun, ideal for close quarters combat.

“These pneumatic launchers are rugged, ergonomically designed, and powered by compressed gas. Training rounds are available for military, law enforcement, security firms and corrections for force-on-force training, combat training, and firearm safety. These rounds are available immediately, and are also fired from our approved launchers,” adds Mr. Verini.

While the less-lethal versions of SmartRounds™ do not have the deadly stopping power of high-velocity bullets fired from a firearm, such deadly force is generally not necessary to deter many typical crimes. Moreover, there are many situations where deadly force is either not needed or wanted.

A decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it can be nearly impossible for troops to distinguish between enemy combatants and the local population, has highlighted calls for more less-lethal weapons. Troops could use these tools to temporarily incapacitate adversaries without harming nearby civilians. These weapons will become even more important to a military that has taken on roles away from battlefields, providing humanitarian assistance or support to civilian agencies, as well as conducting emergency evacuations, crowd control and other peacekeeping missions.

SRT anticipates a strong global demand by the military, law enforcement, border security and corrections for the SRT less-lethal SmartRounds™. The rounds were designed and will be manufactured in the USA in mid-2012, creating much-needed jobs in Colorado.

Reportedly not only the defense ministry has suspended the company but also the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center will also stop doing business with Mitsubishi Electric. The company is making different things related to the country’s space program for JAXA and developing a intelligence satellite for the Intelligence Center.

The company has been found artificially increasing the number of workers and hours billed for on a contract to produce the Type 03 surface-to-air missile. This is a vehicle mounted system that uses IR and radar guidance and reportedly has a range of about 50,000 meters.

In 2010 Mitsubishi Electric was working on over $1.5 billion in contracts for Japan making missiles, electronics and other equipment. The suspension currently means that it cannot get new work. A further inspection of other contracts is expected to begin in the near term.

The suspension is it last a significant length of time will affect the company as it will limit opportunities for new work. The company may also see it paying money back to the government and fines and charges that could affect the bottom line. Long term it will have to remain as a viable contractor for Japan due to the type of work it does and the requirements of the armed forces. Unfortunately in this time of very few defense contractors it is hard to ban or suspend permanently any one company.

Japan has not been immune to these problems. In 2010 the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force who most likely contracted for the Type 03 was investigated and many officers and officials charged with bid rigging and bribery. Bribes were being used to steer contracts for office equipment and supplies to preferred vendors.

These cases illustrate that when large amounts of money are involved there is a great deal of temptation to try and make profit and get rich off of it in ways that short change the customer, tax payer and the user.