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Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video)

Daniel Cooper — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:41:00 EST

You may not recall when 60 Minutes' David Martin took a shot at the Pain Gun, but it didn't end well for the fleshy anchorman. Now Wired's Spencer Ackerman's having a go, with similarly one-sided results. The Pentagon's sanguinely-named Active Denial System turns electricity into millimeter-wave radio frequency, silently pumping out 95GHz of searing hot agony from distances of 2,500 feet. The project's still got a few issues, namely that it takes 16 hours to boot up, uses a heck of a lot of energy and stops working if it's raining, snowing or dusty. But, you know, it'll be back when the air clears up, and you probably don't want to be around when it arrives. If you'd like to see the score go 2-0 to the weaponized microwave, head on past the break.

Continue reading Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video)

Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US Navy ship-mounted railgun closer to reality, Raytheon and others to make it happen

Michael Gorman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:25:00 EST

Ah, the railgun. Previously a flight of fancy fit only for wars in works of science fiction, the ultimate in electromagnetic weaponry is one step closer to becoming a reality for the US Navy. We've seen the system working well in the lab, but Raytheon has just gotten $10 million to create the pulse-forming network needed to get a railgun flinging projectiles off the deck of a Naval warship. Making such a network isn't easy, as it must store massive amounts of energy in a small enough package that it can be "used in a modular and versatile way for multiple platforms" -- so that some day, even dinghies will have 33-megajoule stopping power on board. In addition to Raytheon's pulse-forming framework project, the Navy has already tasked BAE and General Atomics to design tactical technologies that'll get future railguns firing up to ten rounds per minute. When can we expect to see such kinetic weapons on the high seas? The goal is 2025, but naturally, finances and politics will dictate its date of deployment, so keep your fingers crossed it's sooner, rather than later.

US Navy ship-mounted railgun closer to reality, Raytheon and others to make it happen originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's not a flying fish, it's a submarine-launched UAV

Sharif Sakr — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:25:00 EST

VTOL may be old news already, but here's another great USP for any UAV: the ability to launch from a submerged submarine. The technology is still in development, but the Navy wants to try it from periscope depth during exercises in the Pacific Ocean next year. If all goes to plan, a Switchblade folding-wing drone will be ejected from the submarine's trash disposal unit and then carried to the surface by an SLV ('submerged launch vehicle'), which will keep it dry, point it into the wind and then hurl it heavenwards so it can go a-snooping. Whether the experiment succeeds or fails, we've glimpsed a worrying possibility: submarines are capable of dumping their trash right into the ocean. Until now, we sort of assumed they took it home with them.

It's not a flying fish, it's a submarine-launched UAV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Transistor pioneer Norman Krim dies at 98

Donald Melanson — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:43:00 EST

A man who helped make our world smaller died last week. As noted in the New York Times obituary linked below, Norman Krim didn't invent the transistor, but he was a driving force behind its use, having persuaded his employer, Raytheon, to manufacture them on a large scale. They were designed for use in hearings aids initially but, as IEEE Spectrum's Harry Goldstein explains, some later batches proved too "noisy" for that purpose and wound up in the hands of hobbyists instead, who used them in a variety of electronic projects. Krim was also intent on making things smaller even before the transistor, and led a team at Raytheon in the late 1930s that developed miniaturized vacuum tubes for use in battery-powered radios. Later in his career, he was also involved the early days of the Radio Shack chain, buying two stores in Boston then expanding to seven before selling the business to the Tandy Corporation. He was 98.

Transistor pioneer Norman Krim dies at 98 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon readying directed energy warheads to fry enemy electronics, cook allied Pop Tarts

Jesse Hicks — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EST

Raytheon, the people who brought you the pain ray, are at it again. The defense giant is planning an arsenal of "directed energy warheads" expected to use radio and microwaves to electronically neutralize targets rather than blow them up. The company's being typically secretive about details, but mentions the recent acquisition of Ktech, a firm specializing in airborne electronic warfare and enemy vulnerability assessment, giving us a clue about how it might all work. It's believed the tech will be retrofitted to existing missiles: the new payloads will identify vulnerable electronics then disrupt or even destroy them with a radio frequency beam or high-powered microwaves (HPM). The warheads would monitor the results, providing valuable battlefield intelligence -- while, of course, killing fewer dudes on the ground. With industry rival BAE working on a seaworthy microwave gun to fry boat engines, we're looking forward to future of friendly drones circling overhead, always ready to heat up our Hot Pockets.

Raytheon readying directed energy warheads to fry enemy electronics, cook allied Pop Tarts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Decoy swarm has the potential to protect attacking jets with hundreds of drones

Dana Wollman — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:17:00 EST

MALDs (miniature air launched decoys), for those of you not up on your wargadgets, are a cross between cruise missiles and aerial drones -- a hybrid used to protect attacking jets by confusing or distracting the enemy during combat. Various branches of the US military have been using them for years, but now one company's figured out a way to unleash hundreds of 'em, creating a veritable drone swarm. Defense contractor Raytheon has developed a system that ejects MALDs from a cargo aircraft, sending clusters of eight missiles into the air, at which point they initiate the standard wing deployment and engine ignition sequence. And, according to Wired, the company is considering putting sensors and warheads inside future MALDs, which would make these swarms more intelligent and, you know, explosive. PR after the break.

[Image credit: Raytheon via Wired]

Continue reading Decoy swarm has the potential to protect attacking jets with hundreds of drones

Decoy swarm has the potential to protect attacking jets with hundreds of drones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon's Sarcos XOS 2 military exoskeleton just does the heavy lifting -- for now

Sean Hollister — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 21:26:00 EST

Raytheon's XOS 2 has a right hook that can rip straight through a wall, but Dr. Fraser Smith assures us that death-dealing variants are still a good ways off. We caught up with the good doctor earlier today, who's been working on the military-grade exoskeleton for eight years, and quizzed him on the hows and whys of building a would-be Iron Man. Find out what we learned after the break, and see the mean machine in our gallery below!

Gallery: Raytheon Sarcos XOS 2 exoskeleton - press pics

Continue reading Raytheon's Sarcos XOS 2 military exoskeleton just does the heavy lifting -- for now

Raytheon's Sarcos XOS 2 military exoskeleton just does the heavy lifting -- for now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 21:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon revamps Sarcos exoskeleton, creates better, faster and stronger XOS 2 (video)

Sean Hollister — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:01:00 EST

When we first laid eyes on the Sarcos XOS military exoskeleton three years ago, its sheer power and dexterity left us in awe... but as you can see immediately above, that wasn't enough for Raytheon. Today, the defense contractor's unveiling the XOS 2, a lighter, stronger robotic suit that uses 50 percent less power for dropping and giving us several hundred pushups. Video and a press release after the break don't specify the suit's military duties (they're focused on instilling the notion that the XOS 2 is a real-life Iron Man) but we can definitely imagine these causing some serious damage if Hammer Industries decided to weaponize that high-pressure hydraulic frame.

Update: We previously stated that the suit didn't need to be tethered to a power source for operation, but that information was incorrect.

[Thanks, SmoothMarx]

Gallery: Raytheon Sarcos XOS 2 exoskeleton - press pics

Continue reading Raytheon revamps Sarcos exoskeleton, creates better, faster and stronger XOS 2 (video)

Raytheon revamps Sarcos exoskeleton, creates better, faster and stronger XOS 2 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon's 'pain ray' to be installed in LA County jail, Charlie Sheen contemplating move to Portland

Laura June — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:09:00 EST

Raytheon's been cranking on its 10,000 pound Silent Guardian for years now, and we always try to keep abreast of its... progress. The device, popularly known as a 'pain gun,' is a non-lethal weapon designed to deliver an overwhelming heat to say, members of a mob scene or rioters at a prison, causing an immediate flight response. The Air Force, which helped test the device, has assured the world of its safety, and recently the devices went on sale. So what's next for the Silent Guardian? Installation at the LA County jail in Castaic, where a large scale riot recently broke out, injuring more than 20 people and lasting well over an hour. Now, we're in no position to form an opinion about whether the pain ray is going to help situations like these or not, but we're pretty sure of one thing: it'll likely have little to no effect the next time Britney Spears is brought in.

Raytheon's 'pain ray' to be installed in LA County jail, Charlie Sheen contemplating move to Portland originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon's pain gun finally gets deployed in Afghanistan (update: recalled)

Sean Hollister — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:41:00 EST

It's been six long years since we first got wind of the Pentagon's Active Denial System, and four since it was slated to control riots in Iraq, but though we've seen reporters zapped by the device once or twice, it seems the Air Force-approved pain gun is only now entering service in Afghanistan. The BBC reports the device -- which generates a targeted burning sensation in humans -- is now deployed with US troops, though a military spokesman is assuring publications that it "has not been used operationally," and that the armed forces have yet to decide whether to actually use it. Wired reports the unit was plagued by technical and safety issues for years, not to mention political concerns, but as to that last we have to imagine even a semi-damaging heat ray beats the pants off lead-based alternatives.

Update: Sorry folks, false alarm -- a Air Force spokesperson just informed us that though the pain gun was indeed sent to Afghanistan, it's now being returned to the US without ever seeing use.

Raytheon's pain gun finally gets deployed in Afghanistan (update: recalled) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect Citizen: secret NSA surveillance program revealed by WSJ

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:28:00 EST

Do you trust your government? Do you just support it like an obedient Britney Spears, steadfast to your faith that it will do the right thing? Your answer to those questions will almost certainly predict your response to a Wall Street Journal exposé of a classified US government program provocatively dubbed, "Perfect Citizen." Why not just call it "Big Brother," for crissake! Oh wait, according to an internal Raytheon email seen by the WSJ, "Perfect Citizen is Big Brother," adding, "The overall purpose of the [program] is our Government...feel[s] that they need to insure the Public Sector is doing all they can to secure Infrastructure critical to our National Security."

Histrionics aside, according to the WSJ, the "expansive" program is meant to detect assaults on private companies and government agencies deemed critical to the national infrastructure. In other words, utilities like the electricity grid, air-traffic control networks, subway systems, nuclear power plants, and presumably MTV. A set of sensors deployed in computer networks will alert the NSA of a possible cyber attack, with Raytheon winning a classified, $100 million early stage contract for the surveillance effort. Now, before you start getting overly political, keep in mind that the program is being expanded under Obama with funding from the Bush-era Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. The WSJ also notes that companies won't be forced to install the sensors. Instead, companies might choose to opt-in because they find the additional monitoring helpful in the event of cyber attack -- think of Google's recent run-in with Chinese hackers as a potent example.

Like most citizens, we have mixed emotions about this. On one hand, we cherish our civil liberties and prefer to keep the government out of our personal affairs. On the other, we can barely function when Twitter goes down, let alone the national power grid.

Filed under: Internet

Perfect Citizen: secret NSA surveillance program revealed by WSJ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Navy successfully tests laser-equipped robot, freaks us out in the process

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:17:00 EST

We do not like where this is heading, not one bit. The Navy has been testing laser-armed robotic gun turrets for a while, and now the Register (UK) is reporting that the technology has finally been used to knock a drone out of the sky, "in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario" at San Nicolas Island. Raytheon's Phalanx CIWS, generally outfitted with a 20mm Gatling gun, is a ship's last line of defense against incoming missiles. If they can be outfitted with lasers, there will be two distinct advantages: first, they wouldn't have to be reloaded; and second, when used on land, the surrounding area won't be littered with quite so much debris (shrapnel and unexploded rounds). Then again, we can think of one distinct disadvantage: there will be robots running around with laser cannons!

Navy successfully tests laser-equipped robot, freaks us out in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The laser turns 50, we hope to still be that cool at that age (video)

Tim Stevens — Sat, 15 May 2010 18:17:00 EST

On May 16, 1960, Theodore Maiman did something totally awesome at Hughes Lab: he fired the first functional laser and sent the future of arena rock and the rave scene well on its way. Hughes Lab has since moved on to become the military skunkworks Raytheon and the laser has moved into history as one of the coolest things to ever come out of a laboratory. Not a week goes by that we don't see someone doing something amazing with the things, whether it's blowing up ballistic missiles or just beaming your home movies on the wall. So, to everyone involved in the creation of the laser (including the great Albert Einstein himself), we salute you with this commemorative video embedded below.

Continue reading The laser turns 50, we hope to still be that cool at that age (video)

The laser turns 50, we hope to still be that cool at that age (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 May 2010 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon scores $886 million contract to improve GPS capabilities

Donald Melanson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:59:00 EST

Don't count on your navigation unit seeing a sudden improvement anytime soon, but Raytheon has announced that it's landed an massive $886 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop a new element of GPS called the advanced control segment (or OCX, somehow). Once complete, that promises to not only provide a range of enhancements for military GPS use (including anti-jam capabilities and improved security), but improved accuracy and reliability for civil GPS users as well. Details are otherwise a bit light, and this contract only represents the first of two development blocks, but it looks like GLONASS and Galileo may have to step up their game a bit further if they want to stay competitive in the great sat-nav race.

Raytheon scores $886 million contract to improve GPS capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon's iPhone app will track enemy combatants in real time

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:50:00 EST

Raytheon, known more often than not in these parts for its ability to zap people at a distance with microwaves, has just announced a little something called One Force Tracker. Essentially an iPhone app, it leverages recent developments in location awareness and social networking to keep tabs on both friends and enemies in the field, displaying positions on maps in real time -- all the while enabling secure communications between soldiers. "If there is a building with known terrorist activities, it could automatically be pushed to the phone when the soldiers get near that area," said Raytheon CTO J. Smart. Of course, there is still quite a bit of work to be done to make this work: iPhones do not have removable batteries, nor do they support multi-tasking, meaning that some sort of ruggedized, battery-powered external case would be necessary to get this battle-ready -- as well some jailbreaking. There's no word on a possible release date yet -- which means, sadly, that it looks like the U.S. Army is stuck with its Celio REDFLYs for the time being.

Raytheon's iPhone app will track enemy combatants in real time originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon deploying Android-powered RATS on battlefields in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Tim Stevens — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:51:00 EST

Android, Android everywhere. Android, Android in my hair. In my Nook and in my car in my netbook and in my... wait, Afghanistan? It seems defense contractor Raytheon, creators of the famous "pain ray", have launched a device called RATS: the Raytheon Android Tactical System. It allows soldiers to mark other soldiers and even UAVs as "buddies," then track their position in real time on a map, even picking up streaming video coming from above -- sort of like Latitude but putting a whole new spin on stalking. No word on how soldiers like their new devices so far, but once a Twitter app is added we're sure they won't shut up about it.

Filed under: Misc, Android

Raytheon deploying Android-powered RATS on battlefields in Afghanistan and Pakistan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon deploying Android-powered RATS on battlefields in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Tim Stevens — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:51:00 EST

Android, Android everywhere. Android, Android in my hair. In my Nook and in my car, in my netbook and in my... wait, Afghanistan? It seems defense contractor Raytheon, creators of the famous "pain ray", have launched a device called RATS: the Raytheon Android Tactical System. It allows soldiers to mark other soldiers and even UAVs as "buddies," then track their position in real time on a map, even picking up streaming video coming from above -- sort of like Latitude but putting a whole new spin on stalking. No word on how soldiers like their new devices so far, but once a Twitter app is added we're sure they won't shut up about it.

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon deploying Android-powered RATS on battlefields in Afghanistan and Pakistan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infrared sensors hit 16 megapixels, can now spy on an entire hemisphere

Vlad Savov — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:12:00 EST

Aerospace and defense manufacturer Raytheon wants everyone to know it has developed the world's first 16 megapixel infrared sensor, which is set for a life of orbiting the Earth and generally being a lot more useful than lesser models. With its higher resolution, the unit is able to cover an entire half of the planet without "blinking" to relocate its focus, and should be warmly received by meteorologists, astronomists and military types, all craving for a bit more real-time reconnaissance. We advise wide-brimmed tin foil hats to shield your body heat from these Sauron-like satellites while working on those plans for a global uprising of the proletariat.

[Via TG Daily]

Filed under: Science

Infrared sensors hit 16 megapixels, can now spy on an entire hemisphere originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon sells its first 'pain ray,' and the less lethal arms race begins

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:14:00 EST

As you are no doubt aware, one of the perks of being in the corporate security field is that you get to try out things that would come across as, well, unseemly if put in the hands of the government. While there's been some controversy over the possible use of Raytheon's 10,000 pound "portable" Silent Guardian by the military, it appears that at least one private customer has no such qualms. We're not sure exactly who placed the order -- news of an "Impending Direct Commercial Sale" was just one bullet point of many at Raytheon's recent presentation at a NATO workshop on anti-pirate technologies. The company itself is being mum on the subject, saying that it would be "premature" to name names at the present time, but rest assured -- this is only the beginning. As soon as these things are small enough to fit in your briefcase or glove compartment, every nut in your neighborhood will want one. In the mean time, looks like you're stuck with the Taser. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon sells its first 'pain ray,' and the less lethal arms race begins originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Navy shells out for development of missile-killing free-electron laser

Darren Murph — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:09:00 EST

You may think that the Navy's just the baby brother to the two other US Armed Forces, but its weapon development record definitely shows otherwise. Just over two years after building an 8-Megajoule railgun, the branch has penned two $7 million checks to defense contractors Boeing and Raytheon for the design and development of a free-electron laser (FEL). For what it's worth, such a device has been yearned for since a day after the dawn of time, as unlike chemical-based lasers, the FEL would be 100 percent electric and easier to move. For those unaware,this stormy petrel of a weapon would be used to blast down missiles in mid-flight, all while putting on a pretty impressive light show. 'Course, the Navy must also figure out how to build a massive energy generating ship in order to use it, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, okay?

[Image courtesy of AIP]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Science

Navy shells out for development of missile-killing free-electron laser originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon developing compact, inexpensive human microwaves

Joseph L. Flatley — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:09:00 EST

As you know, if you like your weapons "less than lethal" (but much more than comfortable) the U.S. military is your go-to guy. So great is its love for tormenting folks on future battlefields that the Pentagon has spent a small fortune on devices meant to incapacitate through the use of sound, electricity, and microwaves -- including the Silent Guardian that Raytheon trotted out a while back. According to Wired, the company has recently been awarded a couple interesting contracts relating to their human microwave, including one for a "solid state source for use in non-lethal weapons," and another for gallium nitride development. Details are murky, but GaN -- a semiconductor for missile defense radars -- apparently "looks very promising for high-power microwave amplification," allowing the company to greatly reduce the size and cost of the device. The good news? Defense technology that once took up a whole shipping container and cost several million dollars might be getting much smaller, and cheaper, in the future. The bad news? It really really really hurts.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon developing compact, inexpensive human microwaves originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon Controlled Impact Rescue Tool pulverizes concrete to save the day

Nilay Patel — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:56:00 EST

Sure, we've got devices that can see through concrete walls, but why get all complicated when there's some good ol' fashioned bashing to be done? That's the poetic question posed by the Controlled Impact Rescue Tool, developed by Raytheon as part of a Department of Homeland Security program. The 100-pound rescue device uses specially-designed ammunition to create shock waves that can shatter through concrete walls in just 13 minutes, compared to nearly half an hour for conventional methods. Although the rig can create a hole big enough for a person to crawl out of, it's designed to be held up and operated by just two people, and as the video below shows, it doesn't look like it's too much of a bear to handle. Raytheon hasn't set a price for the CIRT yet, but it's aiming it at fire departments, rescue services and the military -- but we're always ready for a demo if anyone's interested.

Continue reading Raytheon Controlled Impact Rescue Tool pulverizes concrete to save the day

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon Controlled Impact Rescue Tool pulverizes concrete to save the day originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Bowl XLII to be beamed to naval ships in Pacific Ocean

Darren Murph — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:00 EST

We already knew that pigskin fanatics in 223 countries would be able to catch Super Bowl XLII this Sunday, but thanks to Raytheon's Global Broadcasting Service (GBS), even sailors and Marines stationed aboard ships in the Pacific Ocean will be able to catch the Giants attempt to mar the Patriots' currently unblemished record. The aforementioned technology has been in use for over a decade delivering "high-speed, multimedia broadcasts of mission critical information to military and government decision makers," but this weekend, it'll be used to bring home entertainment to folks far, far away from home. Sadly, it doesn't sound like the broadcast will be in HD this go 'round, but we suppose any football is better than none at all, right?

[Via DailyWireless, image courtesy of ProJo]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless

Super Bowl XLII to be beamed to naval ships in Pacific Ocean originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Bowl XLII to be beamed to naval ships in Pacific Ocean

Darren Murph — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Misc, Sports

Super Bowl XLII to be beamed to naval ships in Pacific Ocean originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon's Silent Guardian keeps crowds under control

Darren Murph — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:07:00 EST

Raytheon sure loves its lasers, and it's proving so with the crowd-repelling Silent Guardian. The device, which is part of the Directed Energy Solutions program, is reportedly designed to be mounted onto a military vehicle where it can "throw a wave of agony nearly half a mile," penetrating enemy skin just 1/64th of an inch and not causing "visible, permanent injury." Essentially, the invisible beam has the ability to inflict "limitless, unbearable pain," which seems to stop just as soon as you're able to get out of the ray's path. According to its maker, the machine could be used in "various commercial and military applications including law enforcement, checkpoint security, facility protection, force protection and peacekeeping missions," and it's ready to calm the masses as we speak.

[Via InformationWeek]
Read - Silent Guardian product page
Read - Silent Guardian hands-on

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon's Silent Guardian keeps crowds under control originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon claims world's first "polymorphic" computer

Evan Blass — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:57:00 EST

In what sounds like a pretty big deal, defense contractor Raytheon has developed what it claims is the world's first polymorphic computer -- a machine that can adjust its architecture on the fly and thus be equally adept at "front-end signal processing or back-end control and data processing." Specifically, the MONARCH chips, as they're known (for Morphable Networked Micro-Architecture, apparently), contain six microprocessors each running at 64 gigaflops and delivering more than 60 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth and more than 43 gigabytes per second of off-chip data bandwidth. What's more, Raytheon says that its beautiful butterfly is simultaneously one of the most powerful and power-efficient chips available, outperforming a quad core Xeon by a claimed factor of ten. But don't get too attached, as you won't be seeing these DARPA-funded chipsets on the market anytime soon; instead, they're destined for GPS devices, radar, video processing systems, space gear, and anything else in which the military needs small, low-power, and radiation tolerant components.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon claims world's first "polymorphic" computer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon live-demos DART-T Troposcatter communications

Ryan Block — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:41:00 EST

Yeah, we know it sounded kind of boring up in the title, but we have to admit we're a little intrigued by Raytheon's Marine field-test demo, which apparently proved the use of its DART-T Troposcatter atmospheric communications system. Bouncing signals off the troposphere, the DART-T achieved uninterrupted 20Mbps voice, video and data connections to another DART-T point. Certainly not tech civilians will be using any time in the forseeable future, but should space dust or a rogue enemy-state knock out some satellites, at least some kind of backup plan is in place for the military. In other words, us GPS-using, HDTV watching, bandwidth gobbling end-users will likely be left to fend for ourselves.

Filed under: Wireless

Raytheon live-demos DART-T Troposcatter communications originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon and Northrop Grumman making progress on frickin' lasers

Paul Miller — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:10:00 EST

Face it, living out your childhood Spaceman Spiff-esque fantasies with Nerf guns just isn't cutting it anymore; what you need is a laser gun, and on the double. Lucky for you, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are honing in on weapons-grade laser designs of their own, with Raytheon claiming recent tests were successful detonating 60mm mortars, while Northrop Grumman is gearing up a new "directed energy production facility" for cranking out high-power laz0rs -- and we're sure they'll let you borrow a few if you just ask politely. Right now, weapons-grade is defined as 100kw, a mark neither manufacturer has reached yet, and there's a slight lack of clarity as to exactly how fancy Raytheon's current system is, since it esploded a non-moving target at 550 yards, which is possible for lots of lasers given enough time. Northrop Grumman is a bit more forthcoming with the facts, like crystal shrinkage to the tune of 50%, which should help make these things small and rugged enough for field use, but they won't be ready to demonstrate 100kw in action until the end of next year.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon and Northrop Grumman making progress on frickin' lasers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raytheon announces new UAV cockpit setup

Cyrus Farivar — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:13:00 EST

It's probably a safe bet that no Engadget editor is ever going to get five monitors as much as we might want 'em. Sadly, it appears that the only way we'd ever get to regularly work in front of that many LCDs is is to become a UAV operator, using one of the new "cockpits" just announced by military contractor Raytheon. According to Raytheon's press release, the new "Universal Control System" consists of five LCDs, a couple joysticks, a keyboard, and a nice leather chair. But beyond that, we're not really sure exactly what makes it so "revolutionary" -- perhaps they know something that requires a higher security clearance that they're not telling us. That being said, the day that we actually do get five displays up in here, we'll market it as a "revolutionary" blogging tool, too.

Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

Raytheon announces new UAV cockpit setup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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