The Insider

Space Case
By Dan Dupont
November 14, 2012 at 3:21 PM

The United States and Australia have stepped up their space ties, the Defense Department announced today, agreeing to "advance the bi-lateral long-term international partnership on space situational awareness by placing two key U.S. space systems in Australia."

The two militaries have agreed that Australia will operate a U.S. Air Force C-band ground-based radar system in Australia. The system will provide a critical dedicated sensor for the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN), which is the principal system that the U.S. and its partners rely on to detect, track, and identify objects in space.

The U.S. and Australia have also decided to work towards the establishment of the Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) on Australian soil. The SST is a state of the art optical telescope designed and built by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) that provides deep space surveillance.

The C-Band radar will be operated from the Harold E. Holt Naval Communications Station at North West Cape in Western Australia; the Australians are in the process of selecting a site for the SST. The United States and Australia will share relocation and operational costs for the systems. The C-Band radar will be delivered in 2014. Together, these complimentary platforms will provide highly accurate tracking and identification of objects in space, such as satellites and debris, in order to improve overall spaceflight safety. Data from these platforms will also improve the operational perspective for senior leaders to select and execute appropriate courses of action in response to space events and scenarios.

In addition, the U.S. and Australia are in discussions on the establishment of a Combined Communications Gateway in Western Australia. The Gateway would provide both U.S. and Australia operators access to Wideband Global Satellite communications satellites currently on orbit.

The actions taken today are the result of close collaboration from both nations on “New Frontiers” projects -- including space and cyberspace -- during the last two AUSMIN sessions. At the Melbourne AUSMIN 2010 conference, leaders signed the Space Situational Awareness Partnership. At the San Francisco AUSMIN 2011, leaders discussed the goal of placing U.S. space systems in Australia and signed a landmark agreement on cyberspace.

The U.S. National Security Space Strategy emphasizes that shared awareness of spaceflight activity must improve in order to foster global spaceflight safety and help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust. Locating the C-Band radar and the SST telescope in Australia demonstrates progress towards these goals and the benefits of the re-balance towards the Asia-Pacific across domains.

Additional information on the collaboration efforts are in the full press release.

Kendall on Sequestration
By Thomas Duffy
November 13, 2012 at 10:16 PM

During a briefing today on the Defense Department's newest acquisition reform plan, called Better Buying Power 2.0, the Pentagon's top acquisition official addressed the gloomy prospects of an additional $500 billion in cuts via the sequestration trigger.

Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said the department has been trying to make the acquisition workforce more cost conscious and yet sequestration would impose a very inefficient way to take money out of the defense budget.

He added:

I mean, time is money, particularly in development, and I think we're taking -- I mentioned earlier -- too long to get things through development nowadays. A variety of reasons for that, but one of the things that does that is, people tend to want to hang on to all their programs when cuts come in, so basically you reduce the level of everything and you stretch it out. That can be a very inefficient thing. You sometimes need to make harder choices and decide what not to do.

We've canceled quite a few programs from the last few years, and frankly I don't see a lot of potential for additional steps to do that to take money out of the budget. So it's going to be -- it's -- you know, we will work our way through whatever number we get. We did a very in-depth exercise to both build a strategy and then build a budget last year, which we think is all very sound. If we have additional cuts which are too significant, then we're going to have to go back and reconsider all that and fundamentally, reconsider the capabilities we can provide to the nation.

There's a level at which you just -- you know, you've stretched things out to the point where you just can't deliver what's needed. You know, there is a requirement to equip our forces with a certain number of items when the forces are a certain size and replace those items over a certain period of time. You know, that's kind of -- and the right way to formulate a budget is to have a balance between the force structure and the other things that contribute to sustaining and equipping that force structure.

And if we get too out of balance, we'll end up with a hollow force. It could be hollow the way it was during the Cold War. I experienced this in Germany as an Army officer. We had no parts. We had no readiness. We were hollow from the point of view of readiness. You can be hollow from a point of view of training. You can be hollow from the point of view of modernization, if your equipment's obsolete relative to potential opponents. So we want to avoid all of those things, and it requires us staying in balance.

Fueling Up
By Dan Dupont
November 13, 2012 at 2:40 PM

As the Pentagon fights a Senate provision that would cut back Navy alternative fuels efforts, a business group has compiled a report claiming the military could generate major economic activity and jobs -- $10 billion or more of the former and 14,000 of the latter, to be specific:

The military’s biofuels initiatives could do more than just power jet planes, aircraft carriers and armored vehicles – they could also help power the economy, according to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

The E2 report will be unveiled during a live, phone-based news conference at 11 a.m. EST Wednesday (Nov. 14, 2012), on the heels of Veteran’s Day.

Environmental Entrepeneurs bills itself as "a national community of business leaders who promote sound environmental policy that builds economic prosperity."

Among the speakers at Wednesday's event will be retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy.

More from the group's statement:

Congress is about to take up the National Defense Authorization Act, which in current versions would prohibit the DoD from moving forward with its plans and desires to increase its use of biofuels. Citing national security concerns, the Navy and Air Force want to replace 50 percent of their fuel supplies with non-petroleum biofuels by 2020.

Just as military innovation and leadership transformed our nation’s economy in sectors ranging from aviation to communication to computers, the military’s biofuels expansion could provide a major boost to the economy and job creation, and help transform the nation’s energy, airline and agriculture industries.

Risk Averse
By Thomas Duffy
November 12, 2012 at 8:40 PM

Last week the Defense Department issued an instruction that puts in place a policy to protect the department's warfighting mission capabilities from vulnerabilities in a system's design -- or sabotage or subversion.

The Nov. 5 instruction, signed by DOD acquisition chief Frank Kendall and Chief Information Officer Teri Takai, succinctly states its purpose:

Establishes policy and assigns responsibilities to minimize the risk that DoD’s warfighting mission capability will be impaired due to vulnerabilities in system design or sabotage or subversion of a system’s mission critical functions or critical components, as defined in this Instruction, by foreign intelligence, terrorists, or other hostile elements.

The new policy draws upon DOD's "Trusted Systems and Networks" strategy, which uses robust systems engineering, supply chain risk management, intelligence, counterintelligence and information assurance, among other tactics, to control risks that threaten military systems.

Defense Trade Meeting
By John Liang
November 9, 2012 at 6:23 PM

A State Department advisory group that focuses on defense trade issues plans to hold a meeting late this month, according to a notice published in this morning's Federal Register:

The Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) will meet in open session from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28, 2012, in the East Auditorium, U.S. Department of State, Harry S. Truman Building, Washington, DC. Entry and registration will begin at 12:00 p.m. Please use the building entrance located at 21st Street NW., Washington, DC, between C & D Streets.

The membership of this advisory committee consists of private sector defense trade representatives, appointed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, who advise the Department on policies, regulations, and technical issues affecting defense trade. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss current defense trade issues and topics for further study. Specific agenda topics will be posted on the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls' Web site, at www.pmddtc.state.gov approximately 10 days prior to the meeting.

Members of the public may attend this open session and will be permitted to participate in the discussion in accordance with the Chair's instructions. Members of the public may, if they wish, submit a brief statement to the committee in writing.

Click here to view the full notice.

From RIP to LRIP
By Tony Bertuca
November 8, 2012 at 5:39 PM

After a few false starts and re-boots, the Army will soon begin fielding Nett Warrior radios -- smartphone-like communications devices -- to soldiers set to deploy to Afghanistan.

The contractor, General Dynamics C4 Systems, recently received a low-rate initial production contract worth up to $11 million for more than 2,000 Nett Warrior radios, according to a company announcement.

The Nett Warrior, also called the End-User Device, is a ruggedized leader display for dismounted soldiers using the hand-held Rifleman Radio. GD received an LRIP award for 13,000 Rifleman radios in July.

The Nett Warrior program began life several years ago as a 13-pound, wearable network control vest, which was an offshoot of the terminated Land Warrior program. But the futuristic vest configuration -- complete with eye-monocle -- was phased out in favor of a simpler, smartphone-like End User Device design in October 2011.

"Weighing less than two pounds, the secure radio communicates using the Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) and meets a critical communications need by giving Nett Warrior team members access to the government's classified networks at either the Secret or Sensitive But Unclassified level," according to a Nov. 8 statement from GD. "The low-rate initial production order for 2,052 radios includes engineering support and related equipment and has a maximum potential value of $11 million if all options are exercised. The Nett Warrior Radios are scheduled to begin delivery in the first quarter of 2013."

'3D Printing'
By John Liang
November 8, 2012 at 4:30 PM

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has helped launch a "3D printing" additive manufacturing program, according to the Pentagon's industrial policy shop.

OSD's Manufacturing Technology program "recently led an interagency effort to launch a $69 million public-private partnership in additive manufacturing," a post on the Defense Department's manufacturing and industrial base policy website states:

Participants include the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. The private partner team is led by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 company. The interagency investment of $30 million has been matched by a $39 million cost share from non-federal sources.

More commonly known as "3D Printing," additive manufacturing is an enabling manufacturing technology for our military platforms. The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) officially opened on September 27, 2012, and will serve as a training and collaboration center to bridge the gap between basic research and technology adoption. NAMII will also serve as an example for the proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation and has a goal to be self-sufficient within three years.

Defense Committee Changes
By John Liang
November 7, 2012 at 5:16 PM

The congressional defense committees are set to have a number of new faces when the next session comes to order next year. Below are the representatives and senators who will not be coming back, due to either defeat at the polls, retirement or election to another office:

House Armed Services Committee:

Republicans:

Roscoe Bartlett (MD), Todd Akin (MO), Todd Platts (PA), Bobby Schilling (IL), Allen West (FL). (Politico is reporting today that West is demanding a recount, and The Associated Press has not called this race even though his opponent has declared victory)

Democrats:

Silvestre Reyes (TX), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Larry Kissell (NC), Martin Heinrich (NM), Mark Critz (PA), Betty Sutton (OH)

House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee:

Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Norm Dicks (D-WA), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)

Senate Armed Services Committee:

Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), James Webb (D-VA)

Senate Defense Appropriations Committee:

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)

Export Controls
By John Liang
November 7, 2012 at 3:39 PM

Inside U.S. Trade today published an analysis of the effect of President Obama's re-election on a variety of international trade issues, among them export controls and their effect on the U.S. Munitions List and Commerce Control List. An excerpt:

On export controls, the major question now facing Obama in his second term is how aggressive a stance he will take when it comes to pushing forward his reform initiative. The administration put the political aspects of the initiative on hold in the months leading up the election, partly because pushing ahead could have had adverse ramifications in Congress or provided fodder for criticism on the campaign trail.

Obama must decide whether to start the implementation process by notifying Congress that the administration is moving items in the categories of aircraft and aircraft engines from the U.S. Munitions List (USML) to the less stringent Commerce Control List (CCL), or whether to continue to seek an accommodation with Congress on the extent of the details that need to be included in those notifications.

Under the Arms Export Control Act, a formal notification of moving an item from the USML to the CCL triggers a 30-day layover in which both chambers must pass a joint resolution of disapproval if they want to voice opposition to the proposed change. But one observer said that a successful political strategy for proceeding with notification depends on reaching an accommodation with Congress.

Congressional critics have already moved to alter the notification requirements for the export control reform initiative, which would move a very large number of items off the USML. For instance, the House has already approved a specific provision in its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require the administration to enumerate all of the items that it wants to transfer, to the extent possible.

This is a direct reaction to the administration’s favored approach of notifying the items to be removed with fewer details in large, "catch-all" categories. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the NDAA in a lame-duck session of Congress, and it is unclear to what extent it will approve the same provisions on notification that the House put forward. Administration officials have criticized the House language as undermining their ability to make far reaching reforms.

It is unclear if the Obama administration will initiate the notification of USML changes in the lame-duck session, which in the House starts on Nov. 13. Some private-sector sources said they expect the notification process may be delayed until next year.

The administration may also choose to wait until the next Congress comes into power because the leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over export control policy, will be completely different.

Current Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), a vocal critic of the administration's reform plan, will relinquish her position under Republican House rules limiting a committee leadership position to six years. Ranking Member Howard Berman (D-CA) is also leaving Congress after losing his race against Democratic rival and fellow committee member Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA).

As a result of these changes, the administration may hold off until the views of the new committee leadership on the notification process become more clear. Foreign Affairs is the primary committee of jurisdiction for export controls in the House, and the administration must notify the committee of any transfers. . . .

Some believe that the effort has already lost some steam due to personnel changes; while Defense Department officials have said that Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta supports the initiative as strongly as his predecessor, Robert Gates, there seems to be little public evidence of that.

Similarly, the departure of Ellen Tauscher, who served as the State Department's undersecretary for arms control and international security, for health reasons has slowed progress on export control reform issues. Sources said that Tauscher had the export control knowledge and the political stature to advance export control reform issues within State and that the same combination does not exist in either her successor, Acting Undersecretary Rose Gottemoeller, or in Assistant Secretary for Political and Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro and his deputy, Beth McCormick.

Some sources said the delay in the reform process that was put in place in the months leading up the election occurred despite the fact that the two regulations needed to proceed to notification have been completed in terms of the technical work. One is a regulation that would put forward a definition of what constitutes an item "specially designed" for military applications, and the other governs the transition of items from the USML to the CCL.

According to one private-sector source, the administration has made it clear that the latest version of the "specially designed" rule has been significantly reworked from a revised proposed rule. If that is accurate, it would likely require another round of public comments, which would further delay congressional notification.

Reshuffling At Boeing
By John Liang
November 7, 2012 at 8:18 AM

Boeing today announced a number of reassignments for executives within its Defense, Space and Security business unit, according to a company statement:

* Nan Bouchard will be vice president/general manager (VP/GM) of the C-17 program and Southern California consolidation. She is now VP of the BDS Program Management function.

* Leanne Caret will be VP/GM of a consolidated Vertical Lift division within the BDS Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA) business unit, managing the AH-64 Apache as well as the H-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey programs. Caret is now vice president of H-47 within BMA's Mobility division.

* Jean Chamberlin will be VP/GM of the BDS Program Management function. She currently oversees the Mobility division, which today includes the C-17, KC-46 Tanker, H-47 and V-22.

* Shelley Lavender will be VP/GM, Integrated Logistics, within the BDS Global Services & Support business unit. She will oversee a broad performance-based logistics portfolio as well as Boeing Defence Australia and Boeing Defence UK. Lavender currently is VP/GM of Global Strike for BMA.

* Ralph Meoni will be VP/GM of a new Electronic & Information Solutions division within the BDS Network & Space Systems business unit. That consolidates his current Electronic & Mission Systems division with the Information Solutions division.

* Tim Peters will be VP/GM of a new consolidated Mobility, Surveillance & Engagement division of BMA. That will include the C-17, KC-46, P-8 and Airborne Early Warning & Control programs. He now is VP/GM for BMA's Surveillance and Engagement division.

* Debbie Rub will be VP/GM of BMA's Global Strike division, managing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler programs, along with the F-15 and missile programs she currently manages.

* Rub also currently oversees unmanned systems programs. Given the importance of these, their management will continue reporting to BMA President Chris Chadwick. However, to maximize affordability, their functional support will be shared with other BMA organizations.

Sherpas And Spartans
By John Liang
November 6, 2012 at 9:02 PM

The National Guard Association of the United States is touting the use of a pair of aircraft in hurricane relief efforts in New York that the Pentagon says it doesn't need in the future.

In a statement released this afternoon, NGAUS said a Florida Army National Guard C-23 Sherpa had delivered emergency supplies from the mid-Atlantic to New York and New Jersey, while Maryland, Mississippi and Ohio Air National Guard C-27J Spartan aircraft had flown personnel and equipment to New York:

The C-23 and C-27J are small fixed-wing cargo planes capable of landing on runways that may prohibit other military aircraft. The C-23 has been in the Guard for more than 20 years; the C-27J for two years. Both also have seen duty overseas, where they have been praised for their flexibility, reliability and cost-efficiency.

Yet both are on the Pentagon chopping block.

The Army is scheduled this month to take both of the Florida Army Guard’s C-23s and two aircraft from the Texas Army Guard. And the Air Force planned to divest the C-27J in its fiscal 2013 budget request.

Congress thought it put those plans on hold in the continuing resolution that currently funds the federal government through the end of March, but the Army is moving forward with its plans.

"This is a case where the Pentagon simply doesn't like small cargo aircraft, even if they demonstrate their value to the nation every time out," said retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr., the president of the National Guard Association of the United States.

"The Army and the Air Force say these planes are unneeded, but there are thousands of ground troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan who would disagree, and now, so would tens of thousands of people in New Jersey and New York," he added. "But the Pentagon remains determined."

The Army's determination has caught the attention of the governors of Florida and Texas and some lawmakers.

Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, wrote President Barack Obama on Oct. 11 asking him to intervene.

In Congress, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., is asking colleagues to sign a letter to Army Secretary John McHugh requesting his "commitment to ensure that the C-23 fleet remains operational until a viable alternative is identified."

Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the House National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus, is asking that the letter be signed and delivered to McHugh this week.

For some more background, check out this May 21 Inside the Army story.

Ready For Launch
By John Liang
November 6, 2012 at 4:41 PM

The Air Force is gauging contractor interest in an industry day for companies outside the United Launch Alliance who might want to submit launch-service proposals, according to a Federal Register notice issued this morning:

The Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (Space), as the Compliance Officer under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Decision and Order (hereinafter referred to as the "Consent Order"), in the Matter of Lockheed Martin Corporation, the Boeing Company, and United Launch Alliance (ULA), L.L.C. (hereinafter referred to as the "Respondents"), Docket No. C-4188, dated May 1, 2007, is posting this announcement to publicize the Consent Order, and determine level of interest for a ULA Consent Order Industry Day.

The Consent Order: The Consent Order requires that with regard to covered Government programs, (1) ULA afford all space vehicle manufacturers non-discriminatory treatment for launch services that ULA may provide, and that (2) Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as space vehicle manufacturers, consider all qualified launch service providers on a non-discriminatory basis. The Consent Order also requires firewalls to prevent information from a space vehicle provider being shared by ULA with its Boeing or Lockheed Martin parent company. Similarly, Boeing and Lockheed Martin must have firewalls to ensure that other launch service information is not shared with ULA. The Consent Order also requires that the Department of Defense appoint a Compliance Officer to oversee compliance with the Consent Order by all three Respondents. The current Compliance Officer is the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force (Space), Mr. Richard McKinney. The FTC Consent Order states that the Compliance Officer "shall oversee compliance by the Respondents with the terms of this Order, and shall have the power and authority to oversee such compliance."

Industry Day Interest: The purpose of the proposed ULA Industry Day is to inform industry of the Consent Order and its requirements, the ULA, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin compliance with the Consent Order, and the role of the Compliance Officer to oversee the Respondents' compliance with the Consent Order. During the proposed Industry Day, each of the Respondents plans to present information on its specific compliance with the Consent Order requirements. Separate discussion sessions will be available to attendees, at their discretion and request, to meet with the Compliance Officer and his Government team in private to address any questions or comments relating to the Consent Order.

DATES: If sufficient interest exists, the ULA Industry Day will be held the first quarter of 2013.

The meeting location has not yet been determined, the notice states.

View InsideDefense.com's recent coverage of space news.

CRS On F-22
By John Liang
November 5, 2012 at 4:15 PM

The Congressional Research Service recently issued a report on the F-22 Raptor program. According to the Oct. 25 report:

Ongoing issues for Congress regarding the F-22 program include questions regarding the F-22's supply of oxygen to its pilots, the possible resumption of production, the reliability and maintainability of in-service Raptors, the F-22 modernization program, and the potential sale of F-22s to other countries.

Congress's decisions on all these issues could affect Department of Defense (DOD) capabilities and funding requirements, the U.S. tactical aircraft industrial base, and U.S. relations with other countries.

View the full report.

Check out InsideDefense.com's recent coverage of the F-22 below:

NASA Urges USAF To Reject 'Normalization Of Deviance' On F-22 Raptor
(Inside the Air Force - 09/14/2012)

Air Force Believes Problematic Valve At Heart Of F-22 Oxygen Problems
(DefenseAlert - 07/31/2012)

Panetta Lifts Some Restrictions On Air Force's F-22 Fleet
(DefenseAlert - 07/24/2012)

Senate Presses Air Force On F-22A Sustainment, Cost Tracking Plans
(Inside the Air Force - 06/08/2012)

Appropriators Recommend $50 Million For F-22 Backup Oxygen System
(Inside the Air Force - 05/18/2012)

Air Force General Says F-22 Raptor Pilots Will Not Face Penalties
(Inside the Air Force - 05/11/2012)

View InsideDefense.com's complete coverage of military aircraft issues.

Upcoming Nomination Hearing
By John Liang
November 2, 2012 at 10:08 PM

The Senate Armed Services Committee today announced it would hold a hearing on Nov. 15 to consider President Obama's nomination of Marine Corps Gen. John Allen to become head of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

The committee that day will also consider the nomination of Assistant Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford to succeed Allen as the next head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, according to the statement.

Sensors Meeting
By John Liang
November 2, 2012 at 3:33 PM

An advisory committee to the Commerce Department related to sensors and instrumentation plans to hold a "partially closed" meeting next week, according to a notice published in this morning's Federal Register:

The Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee (SITAC) will meet on November 8, 2012, 9:30 a.m., in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 6087B, 14th Street between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues NW., Washington, DC. The Committee advises the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration on technical questions that affect the level of export controls applicable to sensors and instrumentation equipment and technology.

The first portion of the meeting will be open to the public and include remarks from Commerce Department Industry and Security Bureau officials as well as industry presentations, with a closed session to follow, according to the notice.

Inside the Pentagon reports this week that Commerce has completed a night-vision industrial base review to inform the White House's export-control reform efforts amid calls from industry to permit more foreign sales of U.S. night-vision systems:

The "critical technology assessment," dated October, examines night-vision focal plane arrays (FPAs), sensors and cameras. Such reviews assess the impact of export controls on key existing or emerging technologies that are subject to the Commerce Department's export administration regulations.

The study -- based on a survey of 45 night-vision component and equipment manufacturers, divisions and sellers -- aims to determine the nature of night-vision sensor parts and imaging gear manufactured for military-use-only and dual-use (for both commercial and military use). The effort is intended to inform the Obama administration's push to create a single export control list. There are now two primary control lists, one overseen by the Commerce Department and another tied to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

About 38 percent of survey respondents sold some military-use-only night-vision parts and gear to the Defense Department, the report states. The largest number of companies sold military-use-only cooled infrared cameras to DOD.

Roughly 36 percent of survey respondents sold DOD some dual-use night-vision parts and gear. The largest number of companies sold dual-use image intensification tube (IIT) imagers to DOD.

And about 27 percent of survey respondents received some DOD research and development funding for recent night-vision products.

The number of companies selling night-vision components and gear to the Pentagon, coupled with the low levels of military-use-only exports, shows that most end-users are "not predominately or exclusively military," the report states. A former defense official said this finding reflects the widespread availability of low-level night-vision systems. The night-vision industry sees the ITAR as too vague and restrictive, the source said, noting there is an understanding that the most-capable systems should remain restricted but industry wants to be able to export more mid-level technology akin to what foreign defense contractors already market worldwide.

View the full story.