System | Common News Update

Feb242021 by adminNo Comments

In cockroach fights, bet on the roach with the bigger respiratory system

Feb. 23 (UPI) -- When cockroaches square off, more often than not, the roach with the bigger respiratory system emerges victorious. Male cockroaches compete with one another for access to breeding females, but even the most aggressive cockroaches don't fight all comers. Advertisement Like other animals, roaches do their best to avoid unwinnable conflicts by sizing up the size and power of would-be opponents. Sometimes, that's easier said than done. According to a new study, published Tuesday in the journal Animal Behavior, mismatches between cockroach competitors aren't always obvious. To better understand the sexual competition between male cockroaches, scientists paired Madagascan hissing cockroaches in a makeshift arena and watched how the tussles played out. Researchers did their bes...

Jan252021 by adminNo Comments

Scientists develop ultrafast laser system to remove cancers more precisely

Technology

A new laser system that may revolutionise the treatment of cancers and help surgeons remove them without damaging healthy tissue, is being developed by scientists.Experts at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh are working on the system based around ultrafast picosecond lasers that deliver energy in a series of pulses one trillionth of a second long. Professor Jonathan Shephard, who is leading the project, was given £1.2 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop the treatment.He said the system has proven successful on colorectal cancers in the lab."We proved in the lab that our laser system can remove cancer cells in a way that restricts damage to the surrounding, healthy cells - within the width of a human hair," he said.

Jan62021 by adminNo Comments

BAE nabs $4M to demonstrate new radio system for P-8A Poseidon

Business

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The Navy has awarded BAE Systems with a $ 4 million contract to conduct a quick-turnaround demonstration of a new radio frequency countermeasure system for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. According to BAE, the RFCM system is a light-weight, high-power system that will add a new self-protection capability to the Poseidon. Advertisement "The ability to meet this unprecedented response time underscores our agility, focus on meeting customer needs, and our ultimate goal of protecting our warfighters," said Don Davidson, director of the Advanced Compact Electronic Warfare Solutions product line at BAE. "A process that used to take 18 to 24 months has been scaled to five or six months, which is remarkable, as is deploying this new self-protection capability." BAE said it plans to de...

Jan52021 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX, L3Harris pursue hypersonic missile defense system

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- SpaceX has won a $ 150 million contract to launch the U.S. Department of Defense's first batch of hypersonic missile defense satellites, the second contract -- for roughly the same amount -- that has been awarded for their development. SpaceX and Florida-based defense firm L3Harris Technologies are competing and collaborating on the project, which is designed for the rapid development of a globe-circling network with dozens of satellites. Advertisement Lockheed Martin and Denver-based satellite firm York Space Systems also are building spacecraft for the network. "It's a response to the evolving hypersonic abilities from Russia and China and others potentially," George Nacouzi, a senior engineer at the Rand Corporation, a non-profit think tank for the defens...

Jan32021 by adminNo Comments

Boeing nabs $189.3M for repair and support work on F-15 warning system

Business

Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Boeing was awarded a $ 189.3 million contract modification Thursday for repairs and support equipment of the F-15's Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System. Per the Pentagon's contract announcement, the deal modifies an earlier contract for low-rate initial production to add funding for property repair, acquisition of support equipment, technical Made by BAE Systems, the EPAWSS is an integrated digital avionics system designed to protect the F-15E Eagle against enemy air defense systems by providing radar warning, geo-location and situational awareness. Advertisement The F-15E Eagle Fleet at California's Air Force Base began testing the EPAWSS system on aircraft in April. The EPAWSS was also one of the "prioritized tests" during an exercise called Large Forc...