A collection of news and information specifically for the C4ISR community

Vol. 5, No. 8
February 26, 2009

ESC enters pioneering agreement with Software Engineering Institute 

Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds shakes hands with retired Maj. Gen. Paul Nielsen, CEO and director of the Software Engineering Institute, after the two leaders signed a pioneering software analysis agreement. (Photo by Linda LaBonte-Britt)

The Electronic Systems Center Feb. 23 became the first organization to enter into agreement with Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute to use a special software analysis approach developed by SEI.

After helping to refine the methodology, ESC has now become licensed to use the Service Migration and Reuse Technique, referred to as SMART. The technique helps organizations develop sound strategies for migrating legacy systems to service-oriented architectures, or SOAs.

Based on the engineering principle of loose coupling, SOAs manage software system interactions using standardized interfaces. Using a services-oriented approach helps move from a set of interlocked, point-to-point interfaces to more effective means of interoperability and data sharing, said Dr. Tim Rudolph, ESC's chief technology officer.  (More)

Rapid acquisition, training team help secure Iraqi elections

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

An Electronic Systems Center rapid acquisition project helped ensure recent Iraqi elections were conducted peaceably.

ESC provided 600 all-weather, fully stabilized metal detectors that were used at polling venues across the nation. The center also provided three members of a four-person team that spent 60 days in Iraq training the U.S. military units that would deploy and operate the units.

The units cost about $3,000 a piece, said Ed Mason, chief of the Irregular Warfare/IED Defeat Office at ESC, which serves as the Air Force lead. Total cost of the effort, which included buying a complement of key spare parts, was about $2 million. The team completed the acquisition in less than 90 days.

With suicide bombings having become the tactic of choice among insurgents, the Person-borne (PB) IED threat had become a significant general concern and a specific worry for the Jan. 30 elections. The Defense Department's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Office, better known as JIEDDO, knew ESC was examining potential PBIED solutions, according to Mr. Mason.  (More)

General Feehan sees ESC systems at work during global tour

Brig. Gen. Terry Feehan

By Kevin Gilmartin
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

In a recent whirlwind trip that included stops in Hawaii, Japan, several Southwest Asian countries and Great Britain, Electronic Systems Center Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Terry Feehan had the opportunity to meet with several of the center's customers and get valuable feedback on their requirements.

While in Japan, General Feehan attended the ribbon cutting of Japan's new air and theater ballistic missile defense system.

"ESC supported the development and integration, and the end result is the first truly integrated (Air, Naval, and Ground Force) defense system in the world," he wrote in a recent update to the ESC work force. "Japan has the highest end radars, Aegis cruisers, and newest Patriot missiles. The best part of the system is that it will be fully interoperable with U.S. forces in the region."  (More)

Air Combat Command tiger team to improve command, control

Senior Airman Keith Morris tests equipment in a ground mobile gateway used by the E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft. Currently, warfighting command and control faces challenges with reduced manning, outdated equipment and constrained budget resources to draw from for recapitalization and modernization purposes. A tiger team has been formed to assess areas most in need of improvement, and is prioritizing what changes need to be made first.  (Photo by Senior Airman Kelly LeGuillon)

By Elaine Belcher
Air Combat Command Public Affairs

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Command and Control, one of the keystones to modern warfare, is getting a boost thanks to an Air Combat Command-led tiger team.

The team, comprising more than 20 senior leaders from across the Air Force, is responsible for stewardship of the Air Force theater air control system and brings different points of view to improve processes.

"TACS is fundamentally a C2 system of airborne and ground systems consisting of facilities, equipment and personnel," said Col. Francis Xavier, C2 Tiger Team lead and chief of the ACC intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance division. "Individual TACS weapon systems contain sensors, both active and passive; computers and workstations; voice and data communications; operators and maintainers to conduct air operations.  (More)

Workforce Development Week offers new courses 

Have you been looking for Contractor Performance Assessment Report training? Would you like to learn about Life Cycle Logistics? Do you need to know how recent policy updates will affect you?

Look no further -- Electronic Systems Center University’s Acquisition Workforce Development Week, running from March 23-27, offers all that and more.

Formerly known as Integration Week, the newly named Workforce Development Week has been redesigned to fit everyone’s training needs, with over 20 new courses, according to Andrea Paquin of ESC University. ESC University has implemented a Basic Training program, featuring a 101 course in each major functional area, in order to align with ESC Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds’ “back to basics” Commander’s Intent.

“These courses have been designed to provide a solid base for learning for the wave of new hires here at Hanscom, but all are welcome to attend,” Ms. Paquin said.  (More)

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Ashton Carter

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

President Barack Obama announced Monday that he will nominate Ashton Carter to be the next undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

Carter is the chairman of the International and Global Affairs faculty at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He served as assistant secretary of defense for International Security Policy from 1993 to 1996.

If confirmed to the post held by John Young since 2007, Carter would oversee a sweeping defense acquisition reform effort.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called overhauling the way the department buys goods and services and manages taxpayer dollars one of the biggest challenges it faces.  (More)

Schwartz’s top priorities
-- Air Force Times
Six months after taking over a demoralized and scandalized Air Force, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz is turning his eyes to growing the Air Force ...

Group recommends 'tiger teams' for acquisitions
-- Federal Computer Week
A trade group today recommended pulling together various fields of expertise in agencies to swiftly develop clear requirements for contracts. The recommendations come as Obama administration officials have urged agencies to quickly spend the money they get from the new economic stimulus law.

Multi-national radar program aimed at countering drug traffic
-- Aviation Week and Space Technology
U.S. officials are crafting a plan to cooperatively help Central American nations and the Dominican Republic network and, eventually, modernize their disparate ground-based air-traffic radars.

Wedgetail to perform as specified, Australia says
-- Aviation Week and Space Technology
Australia still expects to get the full radar performance required under its contract for six Boeing 737 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, whose program is more than three years behind schedule.

command comments ...

-- Secretary of Defense
Robert M. Gates at Feb. 10 Pentagon speech

The Integrator is a weekly product of the 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office designed to give ESC decision makers a snapshot of news affecting the C4ISR community.  This e-publication is approved by Kevin Gilmartin, Chief of Public Affairs, (DSN) 478-4110 or commercial (781) 377-4110.  Back issues are available online.  To facilitate service, please select a link for your e-mails:  
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