Latest Defense & Intelligence News: i360 Gov

FBI identifies 5 suspects in Benghazi attack, but no arrests yet

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:49:30 -0400

Dallas News: WASHINGTON -- The U.S. has identified five men who might be responsible for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But there isn't enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration prefers.

Pentagon wants $450M for Guantanamo prison

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:48:59 -0400

San Francisco Chronicle: WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is asking Congress for more than $450 million for maintaining and upgrading the Guantanamo Bay prison that President Barack Obama wants to close.

Senate Judiciary Committee approves immigration overhaul

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:48:27 -0400

USA Today: After three long weeks of hearings and debates, spectators burst out into screams and applause Tuesday night after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an immigration bill that would be the biggest overhaul to the nation's immigration laws in a generation.

House Appropriations Committee releases FY2014 homeland security spending bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:42 -0400

Government Security News: The House Appropriations Committee released on May 15 its proposed fiscal year 2014 DHS appropriations bill, which was slated for markup the following day.

Smartphone App System Locates Snipers

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:09 -0400

Scientific American: When the first shots were fired at JFK's motorcade, police couldn't immediately locate the gunman based on sound alone. Today, the technology exists for them to it with their smartphones, less than a second after the first shot.

Mobile Tech Links Trauma Surgeons with SWAT Teams

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:46:27 -0400

Government Technology: In high-risk incidents involving weapons, serious injuries or casualties, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams are often the first to respond to the scene.

States Pressing Schools to Add 'Intruder' Drills

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:45:44 -0400

Education Week (online registration required): Hundreds of U.S. schools will supplement fire drills and tornado training next fall with simulations of school shootings.

Army plans to launch a reality TV show

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:45:14 -0400

CNN: Uncle Sam wants you ... to watch reality television.

The Army is planning to launch a new reality TV program, "Starting Strong," on June 2, aimed at recruiting 18- to 24-year-olds to enlist in the military.

National Guard Uses New Combat Gear, Tactics in Moore, Okla.

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:44:43 -0400

U.S. News & World Report: Oklahoma National Guardsmen, many of them combat veterans, were among the first responders to the tornado that tore through Moore, Okla. Monday afternoon.

Sequestration Hits Disaster Assistance, Weather Detection Spending

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:31:02 -0400

Government Executive: As disaster personnel and volunteers comb through the havoc left by the tornadoes that tore through Oklahoma on Sunday and Monday, they are going to rely on critical federal funding that was severely cut by the massive cuts known as sequestration.

Governors Might Play Leading Role on Border Security

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:11:23 -0400

Stateline: Border security is a crucial part of the immigration overhaul creeping forward on Capitol Hill—as it was during Washington’s last, doomed attempt to tackle the issue. But in the seven years since, the security situation along the U.S.-Mexico border has been transformed.

Obama vows US support as Myanmar leader visits

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:03:03 -0400

Kansas City Star: WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday told Myanmar's president during a long-awaited White House meeting that he appreciates the Asian leader's efforts to lead the country on its sometimes difficult path to democracy and assured him of U.S. support.

Exclusive: U.S. Air Force to move forward target date for F-35 use

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:02:26 -0400

Reuters: The U.S. Air Force plans to start operational use of Lockheed Martin Corp.-built (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jets in mid-2016, a year earlier than planned, using a similar software package as the Marine Corps, two sources familiar with the plans said on Monday.

New Stolen Valor Act passes House 390-3

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:01:45 -0400

Marine Corps Times: WASHINGTON — The Stolen Valor Act, a bill making it illegal to profit from falsely claiming to have received a military valor medal, has passed the House of Representatives again on a 390-3 vote.

Infrared sensors used along ‘entire border of the United State,’ says CBP

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:01:14 -0400

Government Security News: In a procurement document in which it disclosed its plans to purchase additional GS-100 Passive Infrared Sensors for use along the U.S.-Mexican border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicated that the existing surveillance system that deploys these PIR sensors spans “the entire border of the United States.”

Army demonstrates disputed intelligence system

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:41 -0400

Army Times: The Army defended its intelligence gathering and dissemination software as a lifesaving tool for the Army’s intelligence corps that places a vast wealth of information in the hands of battlefield commanders worldwide.

House bill would mandate guns with .007-style smart tech

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:01 -0400

Computerworld: Computerworld - Inspired by the latest James Bond movie, U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass) is pushing a bill that would require all U.S. handgun manufacturers to include "personalization technology" in their weapons.

OK: President Obama declares major disaster in Oklahoma

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:58:53 -0400

Oregonian: WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma as the state recovers from a massive tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, killing scores and flattening entire neighborhoods.

Storms test Red Cross' Tornado app

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:58:20 -0400

Computerworld: The Red Cross is using apps to help warn people about potential weather calamities. One of its more popular efforts is its new Tornado app.

Pentagon wants $79.4B for Afghanistan War in 2014

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:57:19 -0400

Air Force Times: WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has asked Congress to approve $79.4 billion for combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014.

The request, know as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), is only about $8 billion less than the Defense Department requested in 2013 even though DoD expects to halve the number of troops in the landlocked country over the next year.

GSA starts effort to improve cybersecurity in procurements

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:50:00 -0400

Federal Times: The General Services Administration is seeking industry input as it develops standard contract language to ensure cybersecurity measures are taken in federal procurements.

GSA to launch cloud broker pilot

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:46:57 -0400

Federal Times: The General Services Administration is moving forward with plans to stand up a cloud broker contract for acquiring and managing the performance of federal cloud services.

Chinese back hacking U.S. businesses, government

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:09:22 -0400

Seattle Times: WASHINGTON — Three months after hackers working for a cyberunit of China’s People’s Liberation Army went silent amid evidence that they had stolen data from scores of U.S. companies and government agencies, they appear to have resumed their attacks using different techniques, according to computer-industry security experts and U.S. officials.

North Korea fires projectile into eastern waters

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:04:13 -0400

Army Times: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korea fired a projectile into waters off its eastern coast Sunday, a day after launching three short-range missiles in the same area, officials said.

DoD Examines 3 Budget-Cut Scenarios

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:03:40 -0400

Defense News: WASHINGTON — Senior US Defense Department officials are expected to present three budget-cutting scenarios to the defense secretary when they wrap up a wide-ranging review of military strategy at the end of this month, according to sources.