More information about the Russian Nerpa submarine and its accident http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2009/nerpa_sea_trials Part of: Pacific Fleet accidents and incidents The Nerpa Akula class sub pictured here at sea trials before its lethal accident in November. Bellona Archive Related news Russian and Indian media report accident sub was to go to Indian navy Russia starts sea trials […]
More information about the Russian Nerpa submarine and its accident
http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2009/nerpa_sea_trials
The Russian Navy has successfully tested an Akula class nuclear attack submarine nine months after 20 sailors were killed and 21 more hospitalsed when the fire suppression system badly failed aboard the same submarine during trials in December, the sub’s builder and Russia media have reported.Charles Digges, 29/07-2009 The submarine accident, the worst to hit the Russian navy since 118 sailors died in 2000 when the Kursk nuclear submarine sunk in the Barents Sea, exposed the gap between the Kremlin’s ambitions and its military capabilities, giving the Navy yet another black eye.
A fresh sea trial of the Soviet-designed Nerpa submarine began on July 10th in the Sea of Japan and was completed successfully, RIA quoted a source at the Amur shipyard, where the submarine was built, as saying.
“The first stage of the test was completed successfully,” the source was quoted by the state-run RIA Novosti Russian news wire as saying.
“The craft is in base (…) to prepare for the second stage of the test,” he said. He did not comment on when the submarine would be fully ready.
Another, higher ranking official at the Amur shipyard declined to comment on the reported test when contacted by Bellona Web. The navy similarly would not officially comment on the recent Nerpa sea trials.
The initial accident on the Nerpa last November was chalked up by Bellona’s Alexander Nikitin, a former sub captain in the Russian navy, to the sheer number of people aboard the submarine during it’s original sea trial. The crew of a standard Akula class submarine numbers 73, and three times as many were aboard during the accident.
I think this article from Reuters of interest to our blog readers interested in defense, submarines and underwater acoustics. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5740DV20090805 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines have been patrolling off the eastern seaboard of the United States in the first mission of its kind so close to shore in nearly a decade, U.S. […]
I think this article from Reuters of interest to our blog readers interested in defense, submarines and underwater acoustics.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5740DV20090805
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines have been patrolling off the eastern seaboard of the United States in the first mission of its kind so close to shore in nearly a decade, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
CUBA PORT CALL
One of the Russian submarines remained in international waters on Tuesday a couple hundred miles (km) off the coast of the United States, officials said.
The second sub made a port call in Cuba in recent days, the New York Times reported, citing Defense Department officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. During the Cold War, the United States and Russia regularly sent submarines on secret missions near each other’s coasts. “It is the first time in roughly a decade that we’ve seen this kind of behavior,” Morrell said.
Russia conducted a successful sea trial of the Nerpa last month in the Sea of Japan, according to the RIA news agency. During testing of the submarine in November, 20 people died and 21 were hospitalized when the fire extinguishing system was turned on in error, releasing Freon gas that asphyxiated the victims. The accident, the worst to hit the Russian navy since 118 sailors died in 2000 when the Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea, exposed the gap between the Kremlin’s ambitions and its military capabilities.
This was forwarded by Mark Lewellan, ATI’s AUS instructor. It shows the cost-savings of using a small AUV to take accident overview photos. However, in general, the red tape makes this difficult to do in both the US and Canada. It looks like a bug equipped with a camera, but the small Ontario Provincial […]
This was forwarded by Mark Lewellan, ATI’s AUS instructor. It shows the cost-savings of using a small AUV to take accident overview photos. However, in general, the red tape makes this difficult to do in both the US and Canada.
It looks like a bug equipped with a camera, but the small Ontario Provincial Police unmanned aircraft is making history as one of the first aerial drones being regularly used in North America by law enforcement officials.
The battery-powered craft, which can stay airborne for about 15 minutes at a time, has been used at homicides and other incidents in northwestern Ontario to take aerial photos for use in court.
It has helped reduce costs, too, as the provincial police would have otherwise brought in a helicopter or rented an aircraft. “We’ve saved over $30,000 the 11 times we used it,” says Const. Marc Sharpe, who operates the mini-helicopter.
Aerial drones are usually associated with the military on overseas missions such as in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But the remote-controlled aircraft are also starting to be used by police and firefighters in Europe and by various companies in Australia.
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2226289#ixzz0XWTiVWS6
Freddy posed the following question to Dr. Robert A. Nelson: Dear Dr. Nelson: I understand that GEO satellites are 2 degree appart in its orbital position. How is possible that some satellites ( Telstar 11N and NSS 10 located at 37.5W; Astra 2C and 1D at 31.5 E) occupied the same orbital position ?. Could […]
Freddy posed the following question to Dr. Robert A. Nelson:
Dear Dr. Nelson: I understand that GEO satellites are 2 degree appart in its orbital position. How is possible that some satellites ( Telstar 11N and NSS 10 located at 37.5W; Astra 2C and 1D at 31.5 E) occupied the same orbital position ?. Could you please, help me to understand this ?.
Thank you Dr. Nelson.
Dr. Nelson responded as follows:
The two-degree spacing requirement applies to satellites that use the same
frequencies at C-band or Ku-band. Interference is avoided through the use
of highly directional Earth Station antennas, although there is inevitably
some adjacent satellite interference, with a C/I typically around 22 dB.
Satellites that share the same orbital slot use different frequency bands
and sometimes also different polarizations. For example, at 101 degrees WL,
there are several satellites, including an SES Americom C/Ku-band satellite,
an MSAT L-band satellite, and three or four DirectTV satellites that use a
special portion of Ku-band for DBS and also use different polarizations.
These satellites are separated by only about 0.02 degrees, or about 15
kilometers. Very exact stationkeeping must be maintained.
Dr. Nelson’s Satellite Communication Systems Engieering course is next scheduled December 8-10, 2009 in Beltsville, MD.
Anchor Reliance Group (ARG) LLC is a new consulting and program management firm specializing in projects that utilize unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for technology development and practical flight applications. ARG focuses on three primary areas: (a) identifying organizations which would benefit from the flexibility and low cost of unmanned aerial vehicles […]
Anchor Reliance Group (ARG) LLC is a new consulting and program management firm specializing in projects that utilize unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for technology development and practical flight applications.
ARG focuses on three primary areas:
(a) identifying organizations which would benefit from the flexibility and low cost of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),
(b) helping organizations develop and execute flight projects which accomplish their business goals, and
(c) demonstrating cutting edge technologies via proof-of-concept flights.
Unmanned aircraft systems describe the newest and fastest growing segment of the aerospace industry worldwide today.While it’s true that most existing applications are for military purposes, the potential for civilian and commercial applications is virtually unlimited.The majority of tasks employing piloted aircraft can be accomplished by UAVs, and often with greater flexibility, less cost, less risk, and a smaller carbon-emission footprint.
ARG’s business model is built on the premise that every technology-based organization, whether military, civil, or commercial, can find a niche within the unmanned systems sector.By reaching beyond convention, ARG enables organizations to realize their objectives through the application of UAS.Some examples include:
Technology firms which develop new airborne or space-based instruments typically hire manned aircraft to flight-test their products.With proper planning, ARG can fly these instruments on an unmanned aircraft, achieving the same testing at lower hourly cost and environmental impact.
Other organizations may want to collect only video or data from an airborne platform for environmental studies, crop management, pipeline inspections, and other purposes.UAVs are well-suited for these applications, and ARG will work with these organizations to design and fly the project that will deliver the required data.
New unmanned aircraft platforms and flight systems require extensive testing before market.ARG will coordinate the range and restricted air space to test and prove these products.
With ARG’s help, emergency response agencies such as police and fire departments can benefit from unmanned aircraft to aid with emergency communications, search and rescue, hazards detection, and cargo lift and delivery.
Based in Somerset County near the Maryland-Virginia border, between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean with access to both air and maritime environments, ARG is convenient to Washington DC, and the Hampton Roads and Greenbelt technology regions.Nearby flight and test ranges such as Wallops Flight Facility, Fort Eustis, and Fort Pickett, and local military facilities all offer a diverse choice of terrains and resources for a variety of flight projects.
Through its broad network of industry resources and talents, ARG will provide everything from basic consulting services to complete end-to-end program management, including finding the right flight vehicles, payloads, and sensors to fly your mission.ARG provides engineering and technical support, software development, safety analysis and risk management, as well as range and air space coordination.A typical project at ARG follows a basic five-step process:
Phase 1:Conduct initial consultation to establish mission objectives and to determine how UAS fit the customer’s goals.
Phase 2:Choose the best aircraft and sensors, and design the flight that will achieve mission success.
Phase 3:Coordinate use of flight range and restricted airspace, or work with the FAA to apply for a Certificate of Authorization (COA) to fly in the National Air Space, if required.
Phase 4:Execute the mission; gather and process the data.
Phase 5:Deliver the final report.
To find out more about the services and capabilities at Anchor Reliance Group, visit ARGs web site at www.anchorreliancegroup.com or call (443) 783-6763.
Yesterday, instructor Mark Lewellen was explaining some of the background to UAVs: from aerial attacks on Venice through Marilyn Monroe to sizes of UAVs and likely future uses. If prospective attendees knew they would enjoy the thought-provoking subject half as much as I did, ATI would be running this course once a month.
Yesterday, instructor Mark Lewellen was explaining some of the background to UAVs: from aerial attacks on Venice through Marilyn Monroe to sizes of UAVs and likely future uses. If prospective attendees knew they would enjoy the thought-provoking subject half as much as I did, ATI would be running this course once a month.
After a three-month delay because of the change in administrations, DOD is submitting its FY 2010 budget request to Congress. http://www.defenselink.mil/comptroller/Budget2010.html
After a three-month delay because of the change in administrations, DOD is submitting its FY 2010 budget request to Congress.
http://www.defenselink.mil/comptroller/Budget2010.html
An Arleigh Burke Class DDG 108 was named for Wayne Meyer, a former ATI instructor. Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer is also known as the father of AEGIS. After he retired from the Navy in 1985 he taught several professional development classes on Combat Systems Engineering for ATI based on his many years of systems […]
An Arleigh Burke Class DDG 108 was named for Wayne Meyer, a former ATI instructor. Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer is also known as the father of AEGIS. After he retired from the Navy in 1985 he taught several professional development classes on Combat Systems Engineering for ATI based on his many years of systems engineering experience with the AEGIS combat System. Wayne E. Meyer passed away on Sept 1, 2009, and did not get to see this ships’ commissioning, which bears his name, but his legend as ‘father of Aegis” is well known
DDG 108 Wayne E. Meyer
DDG-108 has been named in honor of Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer. DDG-108 Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer is a Flight IIA variant of the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer and incorporates a helicopter hanger facility into the original design. The ship can each carry two SH-60B/R helicopters. Guided missile destroyers operate independently and in conjunction with carrier strike groups, surface action groups, expeditionary strike groups and replenishment groups.
On August 22, 2008 the USS WAYNE E. MEYER (DDG 108) received its homeport letter and will homeport in San Diego, CA. The ship is scheduled to set sail from Bath late summer 2009. The location and date for the ship’s commissioning has yet to be determined, but it will most likely occur in the fall of 2009 [versus the originally planned January 2009]. Until DDG 108 is commissioned, its formal title is Pre-Commissioning Unit WAYNE E. MEYER (DDG 108). Once commissioned, the title will change to USS WAYNE E. MEYER (DDG 108). The Pre-Commissioning Unit administration support facility is located at 590 Washington Street in Bath, Maine. The term PCU, or simply “PRECOM Unit” or “Unit,” also refers to the PCU support facility that houses the offices for the crews of each PCU currently under construction in Bath. For the purposes of the entire Pre-Commissioning process, think of the “PRECOM Unit” or “PCU” as the actual ship in Bath. Click here for more info
Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer
As of mid-2008 Rear Admiral Meyer operated a consultancy with offices in Crystal City, Virginia. He chairs and serves on numerous Panels and Committees chartered by various DOD civil and military officials. He has served on the National Ballistic Missile Defense Advisory Committee for the past seven years, serving as its Chairman for the past three years. He also gives numerous speeches besides reviewing and editing articles, essays and books. Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, retired in 1985 as the Deputy Commander for Weapons and Combat systems, Naval Sea Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command and Ordnance Officer of the Navy.
The effect of mid-frequency sonar on marine mammals is a controversial topic. This was originally posted on a Navy web site. Comparing Mid-Frequency Active Sonar to a Saturn V Rocket For several reasons, it is inaccurate and misleading to claim that the sound of mid-frequency active sonar in water is equivalent to a Saturn V […]
The effect of mid-frequency sonar on marine mammals is a controversial topic. This was originally posted on a Navy web site.
Comparing Mid-Frequency Active Sonar to a Saturn V Rocket
For several reasons, it is inaccurate and misleading to claim that the sound of mid-frequency active sonar in water is equivalent to a Saturn V rocket. Sound levels in water and sound levels in air are expressed very differently*, and therefore comparing sound levels in water and air must be done carefully.
As an example of the difference in the way sound levels are received in air versus water, note that a sound level of 120 dB sound pressure level in air (similar to a rock music amplifier 4-6 feet from the listener) can cause hearing damage or distress to humans and animals, while human divers and animals receiving 120 dB sound pressure level underwater experience no such issues.
1. Saturn V Rocket is 10x Louder: At 1000 yards (914 m) from a Navy ship, the receive level for mid-frequency active sonar is approximately 175 dB in water. At the same distance in water, a Saturn V rocket would register 197 dB. This 22 dB difference means that the Saturn V rocket would have approximately ten times greater intensity than mid-frequency active sonar at the same distance. Temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is the National Marine Fisheries Service’s baseline for non-permanent effects on marine mammals, is 195 dB, so the Saturn V rocket would have the potential to cause TTS to marine mammals at 1000 yards, whereas mid-frequency active sonar at the same distance would not.
2. Saturn V Sound is Continuous, Mid-Frequency Active Sonar Sound is Intermittent: Rocket engine noise is a continuous sound source, lasting for many minutes at a time. By comparison, sonar pings are intermittent, with each ping lasting one second or less and being repeated about every 30 seconds. Over the course of one minute, ship and animal movement at sea would make it very unlikely that a marine mammal would be exposed to even two sonar pings. By comparison, marine mammals would be far more likely to be exposed to the continuous “roar” of rocket engine sound during a similar timeframe.
3. Saturn V Frequencies Would Potentially Affect More Species: Rocket engine sound is a broadband sound, spanning as many as five octave frequencies. Sonar signals are limited to a narrow band, typically 1/3 octave frequencies or less. The greater number of frequencies from the broadband rocket sound would make it likely that more types of species would be affected by the rocket sound than by the narrow band sound of mid-frequency active sonar.
*All sound levels in water are referenced to 1 microPascal (μPa). All sound levels in air are referenced to 20 microPascal (μPa), often expressed as sound pressure level (SPL). Sound waves with the same intensities in water and air have relative intensities that differ by 61.5 decibels (dB). Therefore, 61.5 dB must be added to relative intensities in air to obtain the relative intensities of sound waves in water.
Lowrance announced today the premier of its next-generation sonar technology, the LSS-1 StructureScan(TM) sonar imaging module for Lowrance High Definition Systems (HDS), at ICAST 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Raising the bar in fish-finding technology, the sonar-imaging module is the world’s first to offer anglers a new dimension in underwater picture-like displays – side-to-side plus straight […]
Lowrance announced today the premier of its next-generation sonar technology, the LSS-1 StructureScan(TM) sonar imaging module for Lowrance High Definition Systems (HDS), at ICAST 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Raising the bar in fish-finding technology, the sonar-imaging module is the world’s first to offer anglers a new dimension in underwater picture-like displays – side-to-side plus straight down, full panoramic viewing.
The innovative Lowrance StructureScan features a combination of SideScan and an exclusive new DownScan Imaging(TM) technology. SideScan provides full-screen left and right side-viewing with extra-crisp detail of up to 480 ft. (146 m) of underwater coverage that displays structure and fish targets, as well as their imaging-scan shadows. The new DownScan Imaging feature allows anglers, for the first time, to see submerged detail directly beneath their boats, providing a complete underwater picture in a screen format that is easy to interpret. With revolutionary on-screen display versatility, anglers can merge Lowrance side and down sonar scans in split-screen to view wide-area surveys and highly-defined detail. As a unique new tool, anglers can also compare DownScan Imaging with 2D sonar images in split-screen display to better distinguish fish from structure. Removing all of the guesswork common to existing fish-finding technology, the new LSS-1 delivers the highest underwater definition ever achieved with crystal-clear views in shallow and deep, freshwater or saltwater – even at speeds up to 30 mph.
Additonal Acronyms ABS – Accounting and Billing Server ARP – Address Resolution Protocol CRTT – Compressed Real Time Transport Protocol CS-ACELP – Conjugate-Structured Algebraic Code-Excited Linear Prediction CTP – Circuit to Packet DAS – Direct Access System DCM – Dynamic Coding and Modulation DVP – Distance Vector Protocol FEC – Forward Error Correction FH – […]
Additonal Acronyms
ABS – Accounting and Billing Server
ARP – Address Resolution Protocol
CRTT – Compressed Real Time Transport Protocol
CS-ACELP – Conjugate-Structured Algebraic Code-Excited Linear Prediction
CTP – Circuit to Packet
DAS – Direct Access System
DCM – Dynamic Coding and Modulation
DVP – Distance Vector Protocol
FEC – Forward Error Correction
FH – Frame Header
FT – Frame Trailer
IANA – Internet Address Naming Association
IKE – Internet Key Exchange
IPH – IP Header
IS-IS – Intermediate System to Intermediate System
LSP – Link State Protocol
MIB – Management Information Base
MOS – Mean Opinion Score
OC – Optical Carrier
PPP – Point to Point Protocol
RAS – Remote Access System
RED – Random Early Detection
RTCP – Real Time Control Protocol
SIP – Session Initiation Protocol
TCPH – TCP Header
TIPH – Tunnel Internet Protocol Header
VAD – Voice Activity Detection
IP Networking Over Satellite taught by Burt H. Liebowitz was held on July 20-22, 2009 in Laurel, MD and was very well reviewed by all. One attendee, Dennis Almer, supplied the preceding acronyms to complement the course.
Massive satellite derived digital elevation data base released to the public. NASA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI) announced the release of the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) digital elevation maps. The GDEM was created by stereo-correlating the 1.3 million scene ASTER VNIR archive, covering the Earth’s land surface between 83N […]
Massive satellite derived digital elevation data base released to the public. NASA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI) announced the release of the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) digital elevation maps. The GDEM was created by stereo-correlating the 1.3 million scene ASTER VNIR archive, covering the Earth’s land surface between 83N and 83S latitudes. The GDEM is produced with 30 meter postings, and is formatted in 1 x 1 degree tiles as GeoTIFF files. Each GDEM file is accompanied by a Quality Assessment file, either giving the number of ASTER scenes used to calculate a pixel’s value, or indicating the source of external DEM data used to fill the ASTER voids. http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gdem.asp
ATIcourses students interested in defense will be interested to learn that the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) successfully completed its ship trial. After over four years in Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Combat Systems Telecomm Center is getting ready for the upcoming sea trials by starting up new programs and equipment. […]
ATIcourses students interested in defense will be interested to learn that the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) successfully completed its ship trial.
After over four years in Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Combat Systems Telecomm Center is getting ready for the upcoming sea trials by starting up new programs and equipment.
http://www.cvn70.navy.mil/
Telecomm provides vital networking, communications and a link to the outside world, such as internet and phones, while transiting out at sea. “We have to make sure that all of our critical communication circuits are up and working properly,” said Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW) Jamone Robertson, Telecomm leading petty officer. “Whether the call goes to the bridge or to the next work center, it just has to work.”
Telecommunications division has undergone extensive renovations involving the replacement of more than 20,000 lbs of communications security equipment and information systems since 2005.
“When we sever all pier connections we have to be completely self sufficient,” said IT2 (SW/AW) Michelle Venner, Tech Control supervisor. “So we do everything we can to keep our systems performing at the highest level.”
In RCOH, Telecomm was involved in multiple system upgrades, personnel training to ensure they are proficient enough to setup and maintain over 150 critical data, imagery, and voice circuits. They also administer the secret ISNS network and efficiently distribute message traffic in support of all mission critical efforts.
“The systems that we set up and maintain effect over 3,000 people,” said Robertson. “We give them the ability to communicate on an operational platform as well as stay in contact with loved ones across the world. And out [at sea], that’s important.”
USS Carl Vinson is completing its scheduled RCOH at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The RCOH is an extensive yard period that all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers go through near the mid-point of their 50-year life cycle.
During RCOH, Carl Vinson’s nuclear fuel has been replenished and the ship’s services and infrastructure upgraded to make her the most state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the fleet and prepare for another 25 years or more of service.
This is of interest to ATIcourses sonar group. It is clear that the towed sonar array would have detected the nearby submarine. There was not that much surface ship could do to maneuver to prevent the submarine from hitting the towed array. Conversely the submarine should have known that this class of surface ship was […]
This is of interest to ATIcourses sonar group. It is clear that the towed sonar array would have detected the nearby submarine. There was not that much surface ship could do to maneuver to prevent the submarine from hitting the towed array. Conversely the submarine should have known that this class of surface ship was towing an array. I personally doubt that this was inadvertently.
A Chinese submarine hit an underwater towed array sonar being towed by the destroyer USS John McCain on Thursday.
The array was damaged, but the sub and the ship did not collide, the official said. A sonar array is a device towed behind a ship that listens and locates underwater sounds.
The incident occurred near Subic Bay off the coast of the Philippines.
The official, who declined to be named because the incident had not been made public, would not say whether the U.S. ship knew the submarine was that close to it. But of course the sonar knew the submarine was close, but could not maneuver to get out of the way.
However, the Navy does not believe this was a deliberate incident of Chinese harassment, as it would have been extremely dangerous had the array gotten caught in the submarine’s propellers.
The Navy has complained in the past that Chinese vessels, including fishing boats, have deliberately tried to disrupt U.S. naval activities in international waters near China. In one widely publicized incident in March, five Chinese vessels maneuvered close enough to the USNS Impeccable to warrant the use of a fire hose by the unarmed American vessel to avoid a collision. The Navy later released video of that incident.
ATIcourses has a new 1 day short course on Unmanned Aircraft Systems. A full description is at https://aticourses.com/unmanned_aircraft_systems.html What You Will Learn: Categories of current UAS and their aeronautical capabilities? Major manufactures of UAS? The latest developments and major components of a UAS? What type of sensor data can UAS provide? Regulatory and spectrum issues […]
ATIcourses has a new 1 day short course on Unmanned Aircraft Systems. A full description is at https://aticourses.com/unmanned_aircraft_systems.html
What You Will Learn:
Categories of current UAS and their aeronautical capabilities?
Major manufactures of UAS?
The latest developments and major components of a UAS?
What type of sensor data can UAS provide?
Regulatory and spectrum issues associated with UAS?
National Airspace System including the different classes of airspace
How will UAS gain access to the National Airspace System (NAS)?
From this course you will gain practical knowledge to understand the different classes and types of UAS, optimize their specific applications, evaluate and compare UAS capabilities, interact meaningfully with colleagues, and master the terminology.
Facts and Figures on UAS
http://www.theuav.com/index.html#
UAS on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_Aerial_Vehicle
UAV Forum
http://www.uavforum.com/index.shtml
DoD UAS Roadmap 2007-2032
http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/usroadmap2007.pdf
Shepard UVOnline
http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/category/1/uvonline/
On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Bolden as NASA Administrator, and Lori Garver as Deputy NASA Administrator. Charles F. Bolden, Jr. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NASA, Assistant Deputy Administrator USNA, Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen Charles Frank “Charlie” Bolden, Jr. NASA Astronaut Born August 19, 1946 (1946-08-19) (age 62) Columbia, […]
On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Bolden as NASA Administrator, and Lori Garver as Deputy NASA Administrator.
Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NASA, Assistant Deputy Administrator
USNA, Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen
Charles Frank “Charlie” Bolden, Jr.
NASA Astronaut
Born August 19, 1946 (1946-08-19) (age 62)
Columbia, South Carolina
Time in space 28d 08h 37m
Selection 1980 NASA Group
Missions STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-45, STS-60
Mission insignia
Charles Frank “Charlie” Bolden, Jr., (born August 19, 1946 in Columbia, South Carolina, United States) is a retired U.S. Marine Corps major general and a former NASA astronaut. A 1968 graduate of the United States Naval Academy (USNA), he became a Marine Aviator and test pilot. After his service with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, he became Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the USNA. Bolden is the virtual host of the Shuttle Launch Experience attraction at Kennedy Space Center.[1] Bolden also serves on the board of directors for the Military Child Education Coalition.
On May 23, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Bolden as NASA Administrator, and Lori Garver as Deputy NASA Administrator. [2] Bolden will take office after confirmation by the United States Senate.[3][4]
ATI June Space & Satellite Courses Space Professional, Did you know that ATI has been a leader in space and satellite training since 1984? ATI technical training helps you increase your value to your employer and gain the knowledge you need to get the edge over the competition. But don’t take our word […]
ATI June Space & Satellite Courses
Space Professional,
Did you know that ATI has been a leader in space and satellite training since 1984? ATI technical training helps you increase your value to your employer and gain the knowledge you need to get the edge over the competition. But don’t take our word for it, check out the links below to sample some of the pages direct from the instructor’s notes, before you attend a course.
Don’t see the space & satellite training topic your looking for below?Tell Us About It.We want to develop and schedule the courses you need, when and where you need them.
This three-day course provides a detailed look at the design of solid rocket motors (SRMs), a general understanding of solid propellant motor and component technologies, design drivers, critical manufacturing process parameters, sensitivity of system performance requirements on SRM design, reliability, and cost; and transportation and handling, and integration into launch vehicles and missiles.
Antenna Fundamentals—One Day OverviewJune 8 (Laurel, MD)RegisterThis one day class is geared as an introduction into basic antenna and antenna array concepts. The material is basic and should be familiar to an engineer working on any system involving transmitted electromagnetic waves (e.g., radar, satellite communication, terrestrial communications, etc.).Satellite Communications – An Essential IntroductionJune 8-10 (Beltsville, MD)Register This introductory course has recently been expanded to three days by popular demand. It has been taught to thousands of industry professionals for more than two decades, to rave reviews. The course is intended primarily for non-technical people who must understand the entire field of commercial satellite communications, and who must understand and communicate with engineers and other technical personnel. Check out the PDF Course Sampler! GPS Technology – Solutions for Earth & Space June 8-11 (Columbia, MD)RegisterNearly every military vehicle and every satellite that flies into space uses the GPS to fix its position. In this popular 4-day short course, GPS expert Tom Logsdon will describe in detail how those precise radionavigation systems work and review the many practical benefits they provide to military and civilian users in space and around the globe. Each student will receive a new personal GPS Navigator with a multi-channel capability. Check out the PDF Course Sampler!Spacecraft Quality Assurance, Integration & Testing June 10-11 (Los Angeles, CA)Register Quality assurance, reliability, and testing are critical elements in low-cost space missions. The selection of lower cost parts and the most effective use of redundancy require careful tradeoff analysis when designing new space missions. Satellite Communication Systems EngineeringJun 15-17 (Beltsville, MD)Register This three-day course is designed for satellite communications engineers, spacecraft engineers, and managers who want to obtain an understanding of the “big picture” of satellite communications. Check out the PDF Course Sampler! Thermal & Fluid Systems ModelingJune 16-18 (Beltsville, MD)Register This three-day course is for engineers, scientists, and others interested in developing custom thermal and fluid system models. Principles and practices are established for creating integrated models using Excel and its built-in programming environment, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Real-world techniques and tips not found in any other course, book, or other resource are revealed. Step-bystep implementation, instructor-led interactive examples, and integrated participant exercises solidify the concepts introduced. Application examples are demonstrated from the instructor’s experience in unmanned underwater vehicles, LEO spacecraft, cryogenic propulsion systems, aerospace & military power systems, avionics thermal management, and other projects. Check out the PDF Course Sampler!Space Systems Fundamentals June 22-25 (Beltsville, MD) This four-day course provides an overview of the fundamentals of concepts and technologies of modern spacecraft systems design. Satellite system and mission design is an essentially interdisciplinary sport that combines engineering, science, and external phenomena. We will concentrate on scientific and engineering foundations of spacecraft systems and interactions among various subsystems. Check out the PDF Course Sampler!Those who plan ahead, get ahead.ATI Course Schedule Through July 2010 is Available Now! Join ATIcourses.com E-Newsletter List:
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Quick LinksDon’t see the acoustic/sonar training topic your looking for below? Tell Us About It. We want to develop and schedule the courses you need, when and where you need them.Download Latest Catalog or Request a Paper Copy Help us to be sure this e-mail newsletter isn’t filtered as spam. Adding our return address TrainingByATI@aol.comto your address book may ‘whitelist’ us with your filter — and ensure that future course announcements get through.Message Sent By:Carolyn Cordrey, ATI Course Coordinator
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NASA’S SPITZER TELESCOPE WARMS UP TO NEW CAREER WASHINGTON — The primary mission of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope is about to end after more than five and a half years of probing the cosmos with its keen infrared eye. Within about a week of May 12, the telescope is expected to run out of the […]
NASA’S SPITZER TELESCOPE WARMS UP TO NEW CAREER
WASHINGTON — The primary mission of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope is about to end after more than five and a half years of probing the cosmos with its keen infrared eye. Within about a week of May 12, the telescope is expected to run out of the liquid helium needed to chill some of its instruments to operating temperatures.
The end of the coolant will begin a new era for Spitzer. The telescope will start its “warm” mission with two channels of one instrument still working at full capacity. Some of the science explored by a warm Spitzer will be the same, and some will be entirely new.
“We like to think of Spitzer as being reborn,” said Robert Wilson, Spitzer project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. “Spitzer led an amazing life, performing above and beyond its call of duty. Its primary mission might be over, but it will tackle new scientific pursuits, and more breakthroughs are sure to come.”
Spitzer is the last of NASA’s Great Observatories, a suite of telescopes designed to see the visible and invisible colors of the universe. The suite also includes NASA’s Hubble and Chandra space telescopes. Spitzer has explored, with unprecedented sensitivity, the infrared side of the cosmos, where dark, dusty and distant objects hide.
For a telescope to detect infrared light — essentially heat — from cool cosmic objects, it must have very little heat of its own. During the past five years, liquid helium has run through Spitzer’s “veins,”
keeping its three instruments chilled to -456 degrees Fahrenheit
(-271 Celsius), or less than 3 degrees above absolute zero, the coldest temperature theoretically attainable. The cryogen was projected to last as little as two and a half years, but Spitzer’s efficient design and careful operations enabled it to last more than five and a half years.
Spitzer’s new “warm” temperature is still quite chilly at -404 degrees Fahrenheit (-242 Celsius), much colder than a winter day in Antarctica when temperatures sometimes reach -75 degrees Fahrenheit
(-59 Celsius). This temperature rise means two of Spitzer’s instruments — its longer wavelength multiband imaging photometer and its infrared spectrograph — will no longer be cold enough to detect cool objects in space.
You can learn more about Space Mission Design and Analysis at ATI Space Mission Design and Analysis
I thought that this was interesting: by Marion Blakey, President and CEO Aerospace Industries Association Photo 1 The U.S. satellite industry has a great deal to worry about these days — lost opportunities due to outdated export control rules, global competition from more and more countries every day, the various technical challenges of providing new […]
I thought that this was interesting:
by Marion Blakey, President and CEO
Aerospace Industries Association
Photo 1
The U.S. satellite industry has a great deal to worry about these days — lost opportunities due to outdated export control rules, global competition from more and more countries every day, the various technical challenges of providing new services — but there’s another issue out there affecting the entire aerospace industry that demands attention in the satellite sector — a looming workforce crisis.
The U.S. aerospace industry workforce is currently dominated by aging workers — baby boomers who were enthralled with space travel and answered our nation’s call to win the Space Race and put Americans on the moon. Today, nearly 60 percent of aerospace workers were age 45 or older in 2007, with retirement eligibility either imminent or already reached.
There is a growing need to replace these experienced workers, especially the engineer talent pool, with capable new talent to ensure that the United States continues to be the world’s leader in satellite technology and other important aerospace applications. But there are not sufficient numbers of young people studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — the STEM disciplines — that would put them on the path to enter aerospace careers and replace our retiring workers.
There is very strong competition for our nation’s brightest math- and science-oriented students. Aerospace companies are forced to share talent with a variety of high-tech industries that were not even around when baby boomers were selecting their careers. For example, more than half of those who graduate with bachelor’s degrees in engineering go into totally unrelated fields for employment. And the numbers earning advanced degrees in STEM subject areas lag other fields by huge margins.
More at http://www.satmagazine.com/cgi-bin/display_article.cgi?number=1220945084
Jim’s comments This actually is favorable. First the sound levels are very high and the hearing loss was temporary. “The deafness, though, was only temporary and the dolphin was not hurt in the experiment”. “The hearing was typically restored after 20 minutes, and its loss only occurred after the dolphin was exposed to five rounds […]
Jim’s comments
This actually is favorable. First the sound levels are very high and the hearing loss was temporary. “The deafness, though, was only temporary and the dolphin was not hurt in the experiment”. “The hearing was typically restored after 20 minutes, and its loss only occurred after the dolphin was exposed to five rounds of noise.”
Secondly the animal was restrained, but in the wild the dolphin can move away our turn its body. The levels are equivalent to a very high level in the peak of a sonar beam. “The sound levels that we used were essentially the equivalent of if an animal is about 40 metres (yards) from the sonar source” . That would mean a source level of 203 + 32 = 235dB re 1 uPa at 1 meter. But the sound typically reduces as 20 Log (Range) from 1 to hundreds of meters. At 100 m the sound is reduced by 40 dB and at 300 m the sound is reduced by 50 dB.
\Yahoo News
Powerful sonar causes deafness in dolphins: study AFP/File – Dolphins swim off the coast of the Tuamotu islands in French Polynesia. Very loud, repeated blasts of …
Tue Apr 7, 7:05 pm ET
PARIS (AFP) – Very loud, repeated blasts of sonar can cause a dolphin to temporarily lose its hearing, according to an investigation into a suspected link between naval operations and cetacean strandings.
Numerous beachings of whales, dolphins and porpoises have occurred over the past decade, prompting a finger of blame to be pointed at warship exercises.
A theory is that the mammals’ hearing becomes damaged by the powerful mid-frequency sonar used by submarines and surface vessels, prompting the creatures, which themselves use sound for navigation, to become disoriented.
A paper published in the British journal Biology Letters on Wednesday provides the first lab-scale investigation into this idea, although its authors stress it does not provide proof that warship sonar is to blame.
Marine biologists led by Aran Mooney at the University of Hawaii exposed a captive-born, trained Atlantic bottlenose dolphin to progressively louder pings of mid-frequency sonar.
The experiment took place in open water pens at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and in the presence of the dolphin’s trainer.
The scientists fitted a harmless suction cup to the dolphin’s head, with a sensor attached that monitored the animal’s brainwaves.
When the pings reached 203 decibels and were repeated, the neurological data showed the mammal had become deaf, for its brain no longer responded to sound.
The deafness, though, was only temporary and the dolphin was not hurt in the experiment, said Mooney.
The hearing was typically restored after 20 minutes, and its loss only occurred after the dolphin was exposed to five rounds of noise. Each round comprised a block of three pings, with 24 seconds between each block.
Other sensors showed that the dolphin’s breathing rose significantly when the sonar was turned on.
“We definitely showed that there are physiological and some behavioural effects [from repeated, loud sonar], but to extrapolate that into the wild, we don’t really know,” Mooney said in an interview with AFP.
“The sound levels that we used were essentially the equivalent of if an animal is about 40 metres (yards) from the sonar source,” he said.
“The animal would have to be there for about two minutes or so” to get the same level of exposure as in the Hawaii experiment.
“That’s a pretty long time for an animal to be there. If the sound’s pretty loud and the animal’s not used to it, he would move around, and the ship itself is moving in a different direction.”
On the other hand, a cetacean that sought to escape a persistent loud sonar may not easily find an escape route, said Mooney.
“In the ocean, sound doesn’t attenuate in a normal fashion. Sound can sometimes get trapped at the surface, in layers called thermoclines, at the top 100 metres (325 feet) or so.
“Maybe in those conditions it’s more difficult to get away from the sound to a quieter area.”
Further work is needed to figure out what happens at lower sound levels from sonar and at greater distances to see how cetaceans respond, he said.
Carolyn and Jim Jenkins attended a two-day seminar Effective Seminar/Conference Marketing (ESCM) in January 2009. The seminar is sponsored by Clemson University and was worth while. We came away with a long list of ideas for improving ATIcourses seminar marketing. We have implemented some already. Some are discussed below. I am eager to exchange ideas […]
Carolyn and Jim Jenkins attended a two-day seminar Effective Seminar/Conference Marketing (ESCM) in January 2009. The seminar is sponsored by Clemson University and was worth while. We came away with a long list of ideas for improving ATIcourses seminar marketing. We have implemented some already. Some are discussed below. I am eager to exchange ideas and tips with both my instructors and other seminar marketers.
This was originally written for ATIcourses instructors, but contains some of the ideas from the seminar.Some ideas from the seminar that ATIcourses has implemented include:
A blog (or weblog) is a website, usually maintained by an individual or company with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. A blog is an easy way to allow you as an instructor to post things about your course that might draw interest from prospective students. The ESCM states that search engines like blogs and give their links a high ranking. Thus posting news related to your course topic helps improve the ATIcourses web site ranking relative to your key words. I have set up Google alerts for some key words and post short news pieces related to underwater sound, radar, and satellites. I welcome any posts related to your course subject area or your course. This is an easy chance to generate web coverage. The blog already receives a lot of page views.
ExpertClick (http://www.expertclick.com/) publishes a Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons that is used for those in the media seeking swift contact with experts for interview. It also has www.NewsReleaseWire.com that posts news releases that show up in Google News and Yahoo News. Again ESCM states that these news releases are helpful in maintaining a good search engine ranking. This service was discovered by Mark, a new ATI instructor on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Mark and ATI are sharing a listing that costs about $1000 a year that will allow each of us to post 26 media releases per year, starting in February. Mark has already had a telephone interview from Aviation Week about UAS and their communications requirements. Some of you who are consultants may find the service of value. Lisa just reported to me that this last week she received three registrations for an acoustics course that the student learned about through a “goof-ball Navy newspaper” that picked up the press release. WOW. I am impressed.
http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/
Google Analytics (GA) tracks visitors to ATI’s web site. For example, in the last 30 days www.ATIcourses.com had 14,526 visitors, 12,303 unique visitors. GA tracks the top landing pages and the top search terms. I do not completely understand all the information or how to best use it to optimize our web site. ATI has many tutorial pages written by our instructors. https://aticourses.com/ati_tutorials.htm One thing is clear. These pages draw web traffic. These are common top landing pages and are referenced by other web sites, some are referenced by Wikipedia.
Course Overview Sampler One of the techniques that ATI has used in the past is a short sample of the course notes to attract the prospective students to a course. Typically the sampler is 25 to no more than 50 pages of the actual course notes. The idea is to provide enough of a sample of the course materials to attract people interested in the area and the search engines, but not give away so much that people will do not need to attend. The search engines also index these pages. Several of our previous samplers rank high in search engines and attract hundreds of new viewers each month.
The final product is a locked PDF, so people cannot easily edit or change the document. They must keep the water marked promo information if they print the information. The final product will also include a watermark that shows behind the text that this is copyrighted material and cannot be reproduced without permission.
If you think this is a good idea, please select 20-50 of your slides (best as you know your materials). We can and will add the watermark for printed materials. See other examples at
https://aticourses.com/sampler2.htm
We already have over 40 sampler pages posted originally in 2004-2005 and I want to expand and use these as additional marketing tools in 2009. Engineers and scientists love to look at technical information that is a sample of what they will receive in the course. We will reference the course overview samples (when available) in our press releases and email broadcasts.
You can send us Power Point files and ATI can convert it into locked, watermarked PDF files.
ATI is using Vertical Response as an email service provider for tracking the open and click rates of our opt-in email lists. ATI currently has about 2600 opt-in email addresses, including about 1000 training personal or people who have asked for a quote in the last few years. We are actively trying to grow our opt-in list. Text is provided below with a link that you can forward to your contacts so that they can receive our e-news course announcements. This is the wave of the future permission based marketing, but it is hard to get people to double opt-in as they get so much email. Our opt in names are opening 20-35 % of the emails ATI sends and clicking on both the course description and course sampler links.
Jim Jenkins
Defense Budget Recommendation Statement As Prepared for Delivery by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Arlington, VA, Monday, April 06, 2009 DOD will “terminate the $26 billion Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program, and instead will purchase two more Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites as alternatives.” Transformational Communications Satellite (TSAT) Advanced Wideband System The Transformational Satellite […]
Defense Budget Recommendation Statement
As Prepared for Delivery by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Arlington, VA, Monday, April 06, 2009
DOD will “terminate the $26 billion Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program, and instead will purchase two more Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites as alternatives.”
Transformational Communications Satellite (TSAT)
Advanced Wideband System
The Transformational Satellite System (TSAT) provides orbit-to-ground laser communications. Throughput for the five-satellite constellation could top out at 10 to 40 gigabytes per second, with a total program cost of $12 billion-to-$18-billion for the entire constellation.
The Transformational Satellite Communications (TSAT) System will provide DoD with high data rate Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) and Internet-like services as defined in the Transformational Communications Architecture (TCA). TSAT is key to global net-centric operations. As the spaceborne element of the Global Information Grid (GIG), it will extend the GIG to users without terrestrial connections providing improved connectivity and data transfer capability, vastly improving satellite communications for the warfighter.
As the terrestrial aspects of communication in the TCA evolve, so will DoD satellite resources. The stated goal of the Transformational Satellite communications system is to provide improved, survivable, jam-resistant, worldwide, secure and general purpose communications as part of an independent but interoperable set of space-based systems that will support NASA, DoD and the IC. TSAT will ultimately replace the DoD’s current satellite system and supplement AEHF satellites.
The TCA proposes a radio frequency (RF), i.e., traditional radio-based, crosslink to complete the AEHF group of satellites or constellation. The constellation is called the Advanced Polar System (APS), which supports strategic and national users in the polar region. The APS is designed to withstand nuclear attacks and support the strategic mission with uninterrupted service. These satellites introduce the use of jam-resistant laser crosslinks for connection into the TSAT.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/tsat.htm
NASA JOINS “AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TELESCOPES” WASHINGTON — A collection of NASA missions will be involved in a live event April 3 that will allow the public to get an inside look at how these missions are run. “Around the World in 80 Telescopes” is a 24-hour webcast that is part of the […]
NASA JOINS “AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 TELESCOPES”
WASHINGTON — A collection of NASA missions will be involved in a live event April 3 that will allow the public to get an inside look at how these missions are run. “Around the World in 80 Telescopes” is a 24-hour webcast that is part of the “100 Hours of Astronomy” event for the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
During the webcast, viewers will be able to visit some of the most advanced telescopes on and off the planet. For NASA’s space-based missions, the webcast will be broadcast from control centers throughout the United States. To view the webcast, visit:
http://100hoursofastronomy.org/webcast
As part of the webcast, each mission will release a never-before-seen image from the telescope or observatory. The new images can be found on the websites listed below. Please note these times correspond to the beginning of each mission’s segment on the live webcast and when each new image will be available.
The NASA missions participating in the Webcast, in chronological order, are (times EDT, April 3):
Hubble Space Telescope: 1:20 p.m.
UK & Canada. Kongsberg Mesotech introduces new sonar products at Ocean Business Tuesday, 31 March 2009 Two new sonar products from Kongsberg Maritime’s specialist sonar division, Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd will be on display at Ocean Business 09. The 1171 Series is a complete range of multi-frequency, fast scanning obstacle avoidance imaging and profiling sonars offering […]
UK & Canada. Kongsberg Mesotech introduces new sonar products at Ocean Business
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Two new sonar products from Kongsberg Maritime’s specialist sonar division, Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd will be on display at Ocean Business 09. The 1171 Series is a complete range of multi-frequency, fast scanning obstacle avoidance imaging and profiling sonars offering unrivalled resolution, from an industry leader in sonar technology.
The 1171 Series of sonar heads has been developed to meet the requirements for both shallow and deep ocean applications. As well as the choice of operating frequencies, the new sonar heads feature faster scanning rates, improved range resolution and even clearer, sharper images, all in a more compact lighter housing.
1171 Series – Obstacle Avoidance Imaging Sonar Heads:
The dual transducer design allows optimised operational configuration for both long range obstacle avoidance and shorter range imaging detail. The transducer is protected within an oil-filled, pressure compensating dome. The telemetry is RS485 and RS232 compatible and is automatically sensed and configured at start up to match the telemetry link used. The sonar head operation is configured and controlled using the MS1000 Software Processor. Other features include:
-Dual transducers for multi purpose obstacle avoidance and inspection use.
-Multiple frequency capability (330 to 400 kHz and 450 to 700 kHz).
-Improved range and scanning rate.
-Improved sampling resolution & beam foot print resulting in clearer, sharper images.
-Improved Range Resolution.
-Lighter 4000m depth rated design.
-Optional Ethernet telemetry interface.
1171 Series – Multi Frequency Profiling Heads:
The Multi-Frequency design allows optimising of the profiling configuration for different applications. Like the sonar head, the transducer is protected within an oil-filled, pressure compensating dome and the telemetry is automatically sensed and configured at start up to match the telemetry link used. The sonar head operation is also configured and controlled using the MS1000 Software Processor.
-Multiple frequency capability (675kHz to 1.35 mHz).
-Improved range and scanning rate.
-Clearer, sharper images and a >0.5 cm range resolution.
-Sample resolution of > 0.5mm.
-Lighter 4000m depth rated design.
-Optional Ethernet telemetry interface.
Kongsberg Mesotech Ltd. is the Canadian subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime. Today the company supplies a worldwide customer base with a range of products for military, fisheries, oilfield, scientific, and other offshore market applications.
Kongsberg Mesotech’s strength lies in its unique engineering capabilities. Ongoing research and development has ensured the company’s position as a world-leader in high-resolution sonar systems, and acoustic technology. Kongsberg Mesotech manufactures over 100 models of multibeam, scanning, echo sounder, and altimeter sonar combinations.
Uganda enlists help of U.S. sailors to locate plane crash wreckage By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Thursday, March 26, 2009 Sandra Jontz/S&S Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Beauregard, a sonar technician stationed in Sigonella, Sicily, crouches next to side-scan sonar unmanned underwater vehicle. He and two other sailors will take three units […]
Uganda enlists help of U.S. sailors to locate plane crash wreckage
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sandra Jontz/S&S
Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Beauregard, a sonar technician stationed in Sigonella, Sicily, crouches next to side-scan sonar unmanned underwater vehicle. He and two other sailors will take three units to Uganda.
NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily — U.S. Navy sonar technicians from Sigonella are in Uganda helping to locate wreckage of an airplane that crashed earlier this month killing 11 onboard.
Sailors with Area Search Platoon 804, a support element to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team Mobile Unit-8, began their work Tuesday, using unmanned underwater vehicles with side-scan sonar capability to search the depths of Lake Victoria, which at 26,560 square miles, is Africa’s largest lake.
“We’ve been called to assist … to locate and map out the debris field for the aircraft and assist divers in the recovery of bodies and the flight recorders,” Chief Petty Officer Manuel Ybarra, a sonar technician who has served in the Navy for 24 years, said in a recent interview.
The downed Ilyushin-76 cargo plane was en route to Mogadishu, Somalia, from Entebbe International Airport when it burst into flames and plunged into the lake after takeoff, according to a media report posted on allAfrica.com. A Burundian army general and his two senior colleagues, four Russian/Ukrainian crewmembers, a South African, an Indian and two Ugandans were killed in the crash, the site reported.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61590
The Russian Navy has successfully tested an Akula class nuclear attack submarine nine months after 20 sailors were killed and 21 more hospitalsed when the fire suppression system badly failed aboard the same submarine during trials in December, the sub’s builder and Russia media have reported. The submarine accident, the worst to hit the Russian navy since 118 sailors died in 2000 when the Kursk nuclear submarine sunk in the Barents Sea, exposed the gap between the Kremlin’s ambitions and its military capabilities, giving the Navy yet another black eye.
A fresh sea trial of the Soviet-designed Nerpa submarine began on July 10th in the Sea of Japan and was completed successfully, RIA quoted a source at the Amur shipyard, where the submarine was built, as saying.
“The first stage of the test was completed successfully,” the source was quoted by the state-run RIA Novosti Russian news wire as saying.
“The craft is in base (…) to prepare for the second stage of the test,” he said. He did not comment on when the submarine would be fully ready.
Another, higher ranking official at the Amur shipyard declined to comment on the reported test when contacted by Bellona Web. The navy similarly would not officially comment on the recent Nerpa sea trials.
The initial accident on the Nerpa last November was chalked up by Bellona’s Alexander Nikitin, a former sub captain in the Russian navy, to the sheer number of people aboard the submarine during it’s original sea trial. The crew of a standard Akula class submarine numbers 73, and three times as many were aboard during the accident. 
It looks like a bug equipped with a camera, but the small Ontario Provincial Police unmanned aircraft is making history as one of the first aerial drones being regularly used in North America by law enforcement officials.
The battery-powered craft, which can stay airborne for about 15 minutes at a time, has been used at homicides and other incidents in northwestern Ontario to take aerial photos for use in court.
It has helped reduce costs, too, as the provincial police would have otherwise brought in a helicopter or rented an aircraft. “We’ve saved over $30,000 the 11 times we used it,” says Const. Marc Sharpe, who operates the mini-helicopter.
Aerial drones are usually associated with the military on overseas missions such as in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But the remote-controlled aircraft are also starting to be used by police and firefighters in Europe and by various companies in Australia.
Read more: