July 13, 2020

HASC Chair Smith: Troops ‘Not Ready to Fight’ Without Resource-Informed Strategy

The House Armed Services Committee chairman praised an ongoing review of the combatant commanders’ force posture, saying he worried the military was “flailing” as its resources didn’t align with COCOM requests or the National Defense Strategy. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who has served on HASC since 1997 and led it since last year, said he was concerned that the military was crafting budgets and the congressional committees were reshaping those budget without a clear strategy.

July 13, 2020

Navy Announces New NAVWAR Commander, Task Force Commanders

The Navy announced several appointments today for high-level jobs, including a new director of warfare integration and a new commander of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. Rear Adm. Douglas Small has been selected to receive his second star and will serve as the next commander of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), formerly the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), in San Diego, Calif.

July 11, 2020

133rd Engineer Company completes recertification for reaction force training

The morning began bright and hot as Soldiers from the 133rd Engineer Company formed up and began classroom training outside for their National Guard Reaction Force recertification. The Wyoming Army National Guard partners with the Air National Guard’s 153rd Security Forces Squadron instructors in order to receive recertification.

July 10, 2020

New defense system at Nellis increases security capabilities

The Air Force Security Forces Center selected Nellis Air Force Base as one of three bases to test a new security system called the Pre-emplaced Electric Vehicle Stopper (PEVS). During the testing phase, documentation of the system’s ability to adapt in different climates will be annotated.

July 7, 2020

Some Directed-Energy Weapons Show Promise While Others Slow

Air Force officials are still looking to perfect directed-energy weapons to use against the low-tech threat of small drones before scaling up lasers and microwaves to take out cruise missiles. The Air Force’s high-power microwave weapon known as the Tactical High-Power Microwave Operational Responder, or THOR, is heading to the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico for a last system check before it ships overseas for real-life testing, the Air Force said July 8.

July 3, 2020

Pentagon Developing Electric Stun Grenade To Safely Disable Everyone In A Room

Pentagon researchers are working on a weapon to temporarily disable everyone in a room with a TASER-like electric stun effect, making it safer for troops to clear buildings and reducing civilian casualties. The device currently goes by the uninspired name of ‘Multi-Target HEMI System.’ HEMI is short for Human Electro‐Muscular Incapacitation, a technical term for TASERs and similar electric non-lethal weapons. It is being developed by the Pentagon’s Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office (JIFCO), formerly the Joint Nonlethal Weapons Directorate.

June 12, 2020

NSWC Dahlgren Division Engineer Wins 2020 Dr. Delores Etter Award for Impact on ODIN Laser Technology

A Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) engineer who specializes in laser technology was named a Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers Award winner, NSWCDD announced June 12. Matthew Lehr will be presented the award at a date to be announced for his impact on the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) laser weapon system’s development.

June 2, 2020

Air Force Secretary Gets Update on Kirtland's Mission During COVID-19

Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett toured Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, to visit various mission partners and explore active mission sets to gain a better understanding of how the base has sustained national security capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 1, 2020

Welcome Aboard, Rear Adm. Selby! New CNR Takes Helm at Office of Naval Research

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) ushered in a new era of leadership Friday, as Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby—a decorated submarine commander, naval engineer, and acquisition officer—was sworn in as the new Chief of Naval Research (CNR).

May 31, 2020

The Commandant’s Guidance for the DOD Non-Lethal Weapons Program

Many Marines may be surprised to learn that the Commandant of the Marine Corps serves as the Department of Defense Executive Agent for Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW), or that Gen Charles C. Krulak, the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, volunteered the Marine Corps to take on a leadership role in their development in 1996. Almost 25 years later, NLW—which have been associated primarily with law enforcement and military security missions—are at a strategic turning point. NLW technology, to include directed energy systems, has advanced significantly.

May 26, 2020

The ODIN Shipboard Laser: Science Fiction No More

The engineers behind the development of so many cutting-edge U.S. Navy systems have long dreamed of creating a laser weapon that could defeat the fleet’s enemies. Now, they may be closer than ever to making that dream a reality. Earlier this year, the Navy installed the first Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) on the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey.

May 22, 2020

USS Portland conducts Laser Weapon System Demonstrator Test

Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) successfully disabled an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a Solid State Laser - Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) MK 2 MOD 0 on May 16.

May 6, 2020

DOD Sends Annual Civilian Casualty Report to Congress

The report is a requirement of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. DOD assessed 132 civilians were killed and 91 were injured during 2019 as a result of U.S. military operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia. The report did not identify any civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations in Yemen or Libya.

May 6, 2020

Navy’s Only Directed Energy Lab on a Sea Test Range Breaks Ground at NBVC Point Mugu

Demonstrating that Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) remains open for business despite the global pandemic, Navy leaders and private contractors broke ground Tuesday, May 5 at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)’s Point Mugu for what will become the fleet’s only dedicated facility to test, fire and evaluate complete laser weapon systems in a maritime environment.

April 24, 2020

8th Security Forces Squadron innovates with virtual reality training

The 8th Security Forces Squadron training office has a Multiple Interactive Learning Objective System, giving service members the opportunity to accomplish their weapons training when a firing range isn’t available. The MILO system is a virtual reality firing range, designed to train all branches of law enforcement, military, security and public safety agencies throughout the U.S. and the world, as well as all inbound members for their annual training.

April 15, 2020

AFRL researchers win STAR recognition

The Air Force Research Laboratory recently announced eight Air Force Office of Scientific Research STAR Team Award winners. The award recognizes excellence in basic research across AFRL’s technology directorates, and identifies those researchers who have demonstrated world class scientific or engineering achievement. Two of the STAR Team winners, Dr. Brad Hoff and Dr. Angel Flores, are from AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate located at Kirtland AFB.

April 6, 2020

AFRL gives warfighters new weapons system

The Air Force Research Laboratory has set up the Air Force’s first high-energy laser weapon system overseas for a 12-month field assessment. The Air Force Strategic Development Planning & Experimentation (SDPE) Office located here is leading the project. “The receiving combatant command will utilize this system as an operational asset against small unmanned aircraft systems for the duration of the field assessment,” said Dr. Michael Jirjis, the SDPE Base Defense Experimentation director.

April 2, 2020

435 SFS recognized: best small security forces unit

The 435th Security Forces Squadron received the Best Small Security Forces Unit Award for 2019 in all of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).

March 22, 2020

Training to Defend

NSFS and SRF-B cover a wide variety of skills for watchstanding such as training on non-lethal weapons, gun qualifications, unarmed self-defense, use of force, common terrorist tactics, tactical team movements, room entry and clearing, and working together as a team to respond to a security alert.

March 19, 2020

Chinese military expert advocates using lasers to paralyze US warships in South China Sea

The Chinese military should consider using non-lethal lasers on U.S. Navy warships to discourage their transits through the South China Sea, a state-run newspaper in China said Tuesday. Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told Global Times that the use of electromagnetic weapons, such as low-energy laser devices, could “send a strong warning” by temporarily paralyzing weapon and control systems on U.S. ships — all done “without visible conflict.”