In Brief

Aug. 1, 2000
IBM to fab Alpha microprocessor; Sun Microsystems helps Raytheon design computers for new Navy destroyer; DARPA eyes high-temperature superconductors for new RF components; and more

IBM to fab Alpha microprocessor

Leaders of the IBM Corp. Microelectronics Division in Fishkill, N.Y., reportedly will provide foundry services for the Compaq Computer Corp. next-generation Alpha microprocessor beginning in 2001. IBM officials reportedly say they have sampled the Alpha at speeds as fast as 1.2 GHz, and will build the future EV68 Alpha microprocessor using IBM's copper-based interconnect technology. IBM officials say they will use silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, but will not manufacture the Alpha in volume quantities. IBM experts at first will fab the Alpha on their 0.18-micron process, which will enable them to design the processor, cache controller, and cache memory into one die. They will use ceramic packaging to keep heat distribution to a minimum. IBM officials reportedly say they eventually plan to move to 0.13-micron and later to 0.1-micron SOI-based processes. — J.K.

SRI demonstrates information-security tool on the Internet

Officials of SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., released a component for evaluation from a suite of advanced technologies they are developing for the Department of Defense's cyber defense research program. The component, called eXpert-BSM, is available for free download on the Internet. It is a host-based intrusion-detection tool for Sun Microsystems SPARC Solaris servers and will run on other major systems in the future, SRI officials say. The eXpert-BSM tool is available for download on the World Wide Web at http://www.sdl.sri.com/emerald/releases/. The eXpert-BSM tool is part of a technology suite called Event Monitoring Enabling Responses to Anomalous Live Disturbances — better known as EMERALD. SRI engineers are developing EMERALD under supervision of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). — J.K.

Sun Microsystems helps Raytheon design computers for new Navy destroyer

Officials Raytheon Co. of Lexington, Mass., chose Sun Microsystems of Mountain View, Calif., April 27 to help design the ship computing architecture of the U.S. Navy's future land-attack destroyer known as DD 21. Raytheon, Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding, and The Boeing Co. are the principal members of the DD-21 Gold Team to develop a preliminary system design to the Navy. The DD 21 computer architecture is the shipwide information-processing system that is to support supporting all operational functions of the ship. Experts from Sun Microsystems will concentrate on processors, operating environments, servers, and displays. The DD 21 computers will allow self-healing and adaptability, with high availability of computer resources throughout the network, Raytheon officials say. For more information contact Raytheon on the World Wide Web at http://www.raytheon.com/. — J.K.

DARPA eyes high-temperature superconductors for new RF components

Superconductor Technologies Inc. (STI) in Santa Barbara, Calif., won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., to develop a family of tunable high-temperature superconductor (HTS) filters with very high-Q values, and to integrate these components into compact, low noise, frequency selective systems for communications receivers. The contract award is part of the DARPA "Totally Agile RF-Sensor Systems" (TASS), program. These kinds of HTS devices are likely to be designed into sensitive signals intelligence applications. The 18-month contract is for $7.3 million. For more information contact STI on the World Wide Web at http://www.suptech.com/. — J.K.

Raytheon to develop new Airborne Communications Node technologies

Leaders of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., are developing a modular, software-reprogrammable open-system architecture to support military cell phones, pagers, and data networking. DARPA awarded Raytheon Co. of Lexington, Mass., $10.9 million to develop new technologies for phase two of the program, called the Airborne Communications Node (ACN) payload, which will provide tactical battlefield multicast, high-speed and high-throughput airborne communications links, interoperability among dissimilar radios, and will extend the ranges of over-the-horizon communications for dispersed, isolated, and rapidly moving forces. The target platform for the ACN payload is the Northrop Grumman/Ryan Aeronautical Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle. For more information contact Raytheon on the World Wide Web at http://www.raytheon.com/. — J.K.

Lockheed Martin to modify LANTIRN to help assess bomb damage

U.S. Air Force officials are seeking to improve the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night system — better known as LANTIRN — to help them accurately assess the effects of bombing attacks. Experts from the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. of Orlando, Fla., a $6.8 million contract to integrate a radiometer and digital recorder into the LANTIRN pod to provide an enhanced capability for bomb impact assessment. LANTIRN is an infrared sensor-based navigation and targeting system for the Air Force F-16C/D and F-15E jet fighter-bombers, as well as the U.S. Navy F-14 jet fighter. For more information contact Lockheed Martin on the World Wide Web at http://www.lmco.com/. — J.K.

Virtual Prototypes upgrades flight-simulation tools

Engineers from Virtual Prototypes Inc. in Montreal upgraded their FLSIM 8.0 and HELISIM 4.0 reconfigurable distributed interactive flight simulators for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The upgrades include new models, simplified user interfaces, optional add-on modules, and greater customization capabilities than previous generations of the tools. Features include shared object/DLL support, the ability to configure aircraft models through the user interface, and aero model reference framework. A redesigned turbofan/turbojet model complements FLSIM, Virtual Prototypes officials say, which enables users to simulate the steady state and dynamic performance of common modern turbojet and turbofan engines. HELISIM, meanwhile, offers the possibility to simulate dual main rotor configurations with its tandem rotor configuration upgrade. The two main rotors can be placed in tandem, side by side, or superimposed positions. FLSIM and HELISIM run on Silicon Graphics IRIX- and Windows NT-based computers. For more information contact Virtual Prototypes by phone at 514-341-3874, by fax at 514-341-8018, by post at 4700 de la Savane, Suite #300, Montreal, Quebec H4P 1T7, or on the world Wide Web at http://www1.virtualprototypes.ca/index.html. — J.K.

TRW/Raytheon team helps Air Force define SBIRS Low requirements

Industry engineers working to define requirements for the future Space-Based Infrared System Low (SBIRS Low) early missile-warning system completed a review that provides a basis for defining ballistic missile defense support requirements as well as key performance parameters for technical intelligence. Engineers from TRW Inc. of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Raytheon Co. of Lexington, Mass., provided leaders of the U.S. Air Force with cost, performance and system architecture options. Next, the team will analyze requirements, cost, and performance options for SBIRS Low's battlespace characterization mission and additional technical intelligence mission capabilities. The TRW/Raytheon team includes Aerojet, Motorola, Agilent, Honeywell, Ball Aerospace &#amp; Technologies, Sparta and PRA. SBIRS Low is part of a system of satellites in geosynchronous orbits, sensors hosted on satellites in elliptical orbits, and ground data processing and control systems. For more information contact TRW on the World Wide Web at http://www.trw.com. — J.K.

Raytheon moves ahead with terminal-area radar system

Engineers at Raytheon Co. are building the first 11 AN/GPN-30 terminal area air traffic control radar systems — also known as the ASR-11 — for the U.S. Air Force. Deliveries will start October 2001. Raytheon is doing the work under terms of a $26 million order from the Air Force Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. The order includes two systems for the Air Force and nine systems for the U.S. Navy. The ASR-11/AN/GPN-30 DASR is a solid-state airport-surveillance radar with primary surveillance coverage to 60 nautical miles and secondary surveillance coverage to 120 nautical miles. It detects aircraft in clutter, in six levels of weather, and replaces aging AN/GPN-12/20/27 and ASR-7/8 air traffic control radars at military and civilian airports. Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration plan to buy as many as 213 ASR-11s. Raytheon is testing the FAA ASR-11 at Stockton, Calif. For more information contact Raytheon on the World Wide Web at http://www.raytheon.com/. — J.K.

SAIC to upgrade nuclear-detonation seismic monitoring network

Engineers at Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) in San Diego are upgrading the worldwide seismic sensor network used to monitor nuclear detonation and testing. SAIC experts are providing 29 major upgrades to the seismic network, and are installing four new seismic array sites. They are doing the work under terms of a maximum-$50 million contract awarded May 22 from the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Air Force officials say they expect the work to be finished by May 2004. For more information contact SAIC on the World Wide Web at http://www.saic.com/. — J.K.

Navy asks Raytheon to build six CEC units

Engineers from the Raytheon Systems Co. Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence Data Systems division in St. Petersburg, Fla., are providing six Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) Low Rate Initial Production USG-3 Airborne units to the U.S. Navy. Raytheon is delivering the units under terms of a $34.2 million sole-source contract the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command in Arlington Va. The CEC Airborne Common Equipment Set Provides a high capacity data exchange of detailed radar information from several different platforms to the aircraft carrier's command center and surface combatants for fleetwide connectivity and situational awareness, Navy officials say. —J.K.

Boeing experts investigate lasers for Air Force, DOD projects

Designers at the Boeing Co. in Canoga Park, Calif., are will research, develop, and demonstrate laser and electro-optical technologies for the U.S. Air Force Laser Analysis and Testing for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Hybrid Applications program. Boeing experts are doing the work under terms of a maximum $16 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Boeing engineers will work over the next four years on laser and electro-optical technologies for Air Force and Department of Defense programs. These applications could include: satellite imaging and operations; remote sensing; laser communication; space optics; wavefront control; space based relay mirrors; space based laser; beam control, acquisition, pointing, and tracking; and active countermeasures. — J.K.

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