Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Mon, Apr 6 1992 Date: Mon, 6 Apr 92 05:43:33 EDT Message-ID: 04-06 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update April 6, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network HI-TECH OPERATIONS GROW: While most of the U.S. military is being cut back, the secretive "special ops" community is growing in size and importance. Laser guns, "stealth" parachutes and battlefield holograms are among the scores of futuristic weapons systems and support equipment being developed for the country's special operations forces. (For more, see special Operations package below.) STAR WARS IS $34.30 A TAXPAYER: The B-2 bomber and the "Star Wars" program will cost each taxpayer $25.49 and $34.30, respectively, next year if the Bush administration's defense spending plans are approved by Congress. Bush wants to spend $280.9 billion on defense during the 1993 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. That works out to $1,777.85 for each of the nation's 158 million federal taxpayers. NEW WEAPONS A BIG CHUNK: A big chunk of the 1993 defense budget - $54.4 billion - goes for buying new weapons and equipment, according to the Defense Department. That's about $344.30 per taxpayer. Here's a look at a few selected items in the 1993 defense budget, along with costs per taxpayer: Milstar satellite, $9.70 ($1.5 billion); Patriot missile, $.43 ($67.8 million); robotics research: $.12 ($19.4 million). MOON PROGRAM LEADS NASA REFORMS: NASA is about to award the first design contracts in 25 years for a program to return U.S. spacecraft to the moon, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports in its issue out Monday. The new lunar program will be the focal point for the introduction of management reforms like those endorsed by new NASA chief Daniel S. Goldin. The plan is to launch unmanned spacecraft into lunar orbit by 1996. SHUTTLE TEST SET FOR MONDAY: NASA's new shuttle Endeavour Monday undergoes a key engine test in preparation for its first flight May 7. "This is a hardware test, not so much a test of the launch team," said NASA's Mike Leinbach. Technicians will monitor the orbiter's systems during the 20-second test firing of the engines at Cape Canaveral. Endeavour will bring NASA's working-shuttle fleet to four. ICC TECHNOLOGIES REPORTS LOSS: ICC Technologies Friday said it lost $2.9 million, or 57 cents a share, on sales of $1.4 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 1991. The company attributed the loss to a decrease in sales resulting from the effects of the recession. William Wilson, ICC's president and CEO, said, "We believe that ICC sales will benefit from the recovery that appears to be underway." SHARP HAS NEW HDTV RECEIVER: Sharp Corp. has announced the development of a 36-inch wide-screen high-definition television receiver. The company will sell the HDTV receiver for $7,995. That's down from its previous range of $30,000. Sharp says it was able to lower the price mainly thanks to the development of integrated semiconductor chips that combine the functions of numerous chips in one chip. AST IS NO. 451 IN PROFITS: AST Research was ranked by Forbes magazine Friday as No. 451 out of the 500 most profitable U.S. corporations in the past year. The Forbes Profits 500 appears in the April 27 issue. Forbes also ranks firms according to sales, assets and market value in its Forbes 500 lists. AST was the only personal computer firm to be added to both the Forbes Profits 500 and the Fortune 500 lists this year. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON OPERATIONS: COMMAND TO SPEND $260M: The U.S. Special Operations Command, based at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., consists of 30,000 highly trained and specialized troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force. It is the only military command with its own budget and independent research and development arm. This year, special operations will spend $260 million developing highly specialized weapons and equipment. HI-TECH PSYCH-WEAPON IN WORKS: Among the specialized weapons and equipment being developed are a hologram system capable of projecting a three-dimensional image on clouds, smoke, buildings or other surfaces and intended for psychological operations; personal weapons that use lasers, directed energy, electromagnetic technology or advanced propellants. They are designed to overcome improved body armor. DEVICE IMPROVES HEARING: Special operations is also developing portable electronic voice and document translators capable of translating from English into any other language, and vice-versa; a satellite communications terminal that will weigh less than 15 pounds and measure less than 400 cubic inches; and an acoustic detection system that will amplify the wearer's hearing from two to five times. (End of package.) Technology Editor: William Snoddy. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution purposes violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM