"....The fight against al Qaeda has poured $135 billion into defense-related technology just since 9/11. Some of that cash is nurturing a new crop of startups building innovative intelligence tools, communications gear, and advanced weaponry. Four companies mentioned: security consultant Blackbird Technologies (Herndon VA), wireless broadband Rajant (Wayne PA), IatroQuest (Quebec), and Ionatron (Tucson AZ). None of them show on DOD's SBIR list. Ianatron's employee count is classified, it's funded by an angel, has a website with only a Contact Us page, and reportedly has developed a ray gun to disable vehicles. Of course, all that could be a cover for a product that is all viewgraphs. On the other hand, if the product really does do the job, DOD would not go through the painfully slow and limited SBIR to get it. SBIR is for ideas that the agency only wants to dabble in...." (this was excerpted from link below)
carl-nelson.com
Thanks to all of us here at SI, here is a summery of almost all the links and news:
Philadelphia - Blank Rome lobbies for Ionatron funding:
Girard-diCarlo registered in 2003 to lobby for FastShip, Inc. and Ionatron, Inc. Little-known Ionatron is seeking U.S. military funding for something called “laser induced plasma channeling systems.”
tpj.org
January 14, 2004 'RESEARCH AGREEMENT SIGNED'
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – A research agreement was signed, officials announced today, between the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate here and Ionatron, Inc. of Tuscon, Ariz.
de.afrl.af.mil
Tuesday, 21 January, 2003 'US working on lightning weapon'
The US Air Force is working on developing a man-made bolt of lightning powerful enough to fry sophisticated computer and electronic components in weapons.
news.bbc.co.uk
April 21, 2004
Ionatron today announced the receipt of a U.S. Government Contract to build and deliver an Ionatron transportable demonstrator unit that will be utilized to conduct field trials of the company's next-generation controlled energy technology. The initial contract award is for $9,000,000 and, it is expected that, the unit will be delivered in less than 10 months. It is anticipated that orders for additional units will be received as progress is made on this existing program.
ionatron.com
April 26, 2004
Ionatron to relocate to the Stennis Space Center.
Ionatron anticipates the need for up to 300 employees by the end of 2005, and more in the following years, providing a long-term source of high tech positions....
ionatron.com
Apr. 27, 2004
Local Mississippi newspaper coverage
sunherald.com
More local new at Google news search:
news.google.com
April 29, 2004
Slide presentation included in Form 8K
secfilings.nasdaq.com
Stennis Space Center links:
nasatech.com
sti.nasa.gov
nrlssc.navy.mil
ssc.nasa.gov
The Directed Energy Directorate of the Air Force
de.afrl.af.mil
Naval Research Lab,
Research paper on femtosecond lasers and filamentation:
nrl.navy.mil
White Sands is the test center for lasers, high-energy microwaves, and other directed energy technologies.
wstc.wsmr.army.mil
U.S.-Israeli Laser Downs Large Rocket
NewsMax.com Wires
Friday, May 7, 2004
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. – A U.S.-Israeli laser designed to protect northern Israel from missile attacks downed its largest rocket to date during a test over the southern New Mexico desert, the Army said Friday.
newsmax.com
More Government Funding on Lasers:
DoD gives $37.2 million to Raytheon, TRW to produce laser guns by 2004
In July 2002, US defense systems providers Raytheon and TRW demonstrated prototypes of their new laser products to the Department of Defense. Negotiations for the funding to complete these projects was completed in November and a sum of around $37.2 million USD is being awarded to provide research and development for the two California-based companies to produce a high-powered solid-state 25 kilowatt class laser with near diffraction limited and diode pumped by December 2004.....
worldtechtribune.com
More Links To Related Science & News:
Energy Weapons: Not Just For Buck Rogers Any More
strangehorizons.com
"Megavolt discharges triggered and guided with laser filaments"
216.109.117.135
"Teramobile"
pclasim47.univ-lyon1.fr
Laser Induced Plasma Channel can stand up to adverse weather conditions.
See links:
pclasim47.univ-lyon1.fr
pclasim47.univ-lyon1.fr
Laser-triggered lightning discharge
iop.org
Laser Beam Triggers Lightning Strike
esdjournal.com
Laser-triggered lightning discharges harmlessly
spie.org
How lightning is still a mystery
economist.com
RF Energy via Solar/Ionospheric Resonance
home.netcom.com
Laser History Gordon Gould, Charles Townes, Arthur Schawlow, Theodore Maiman
inventors.about.com
The Patent Dispute Regarding the Invention of the Laser
elvis.engr.wisc.edu
Nobel Peace in physics prize awarded for the laser.
nobel.se
Winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics
almaz.com
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
Lack of Nonlethal Weapons Capabilities Hindering U.S. Efforts in Postwar Iraq; Experts Urge Department of Defense to Increase Spending Seven-Fold
cfr.org
March 2004 National Defense Magazine article,
Non-Lethal Weapons Find Their Niche in Urban Combat
nationaldefensemagazine.org
Overview of Non-Lethal Weapons - March 2004 (slide show)
Also see Research Report 5 - May 2004 (acrobat reader)
brad.ac.uk
These two acts should indemnify many high tech weapons manufacturers:
Terrorism Risk Insurance Act
whitehouse.gov
Safety Act Regulations Submitted for 30-Day Public Comment Periods
dhs.gov
DHS Issues Important Draft Safety Act Regulations
blankrome.com |
