Smart Bombs Made Dumb?

cbs news ^ | 011206 | AP

[XBob]

011207 Smart Bombs Made Dumb

011207 Smart Bombs Made Dumb?

2001-12-07

12/7/01 8:39:46 AM

[notebob: MORE COVERUPS – MURDER CHARGES NEEDED !! ]

http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,320425-412,00.shtml

Smart Bombs Made Dumb?

Did Faulty Batteries Cause Failure Of Precision Guidied Weapons?

JOPLIN, Mo., Dec. 6, 2001

(CBS) In Afghanistan, American aircraft have dropped more so-called smart bombs than in any other war, reports CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales.

But dozens of these missiles and guided bombs have missed their target, some hitting civilians, allied troops, even our own soldiers.

Sometimes faulty coordinates or bad weather are to blame, but in other cases the weapons' guidance systems fail, as happened twice one October weekend.

"Preliminary indications are that the weapons guidance system malfunctioned," said Victoria Clarke, assistant Secretary of Defense.

A 1,000-pound smart bomb went off target and hit a senior citizens' center near Herat. In Kabul, 500-pound guided bombs went astray and slammed into a residential area, reportedly killing 25 civilians.

"People's lives depend on those weapons working and chances are, they're not going to work," said Rick Peoples.

http://www.cbsnews.com/attack/

Peoples used to work at Eagle-Picher Technologies in Joplin, Mo. The plant makes sophisticated batteries that power the guidance systems inside virtually all of America's precision guided weapons.

"It's very possible that these failures, and it's very likely these failures are happening because of the batteries," Peoples said.

Due to production and testing problems at the plant, Peoples said, some were duds. Others exploded. Many developed cracks and should have been discarded, costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But employees tell us after-hours - with government inspectors gone - that they were ordered to seal the cracks with an unapproved material called loctite.

"And Eagle Picher did this not on hundreds, not on thousands, but on millions of batteries that they sold," Peoples said.

The airtight batteries are supposed to survive inside stored missiles for years, but loctite can degrade, letting air in and rendering the batteries useless.

Eagle-Picher officials declined our requests for an on-camera interview, but the company said there is no evidence to support the allegations, and that their batteries work just as they should.

Former chief of staff of the Air Force, Gen. Ronald Fogleman, said this potential problem needs to be checked out.

"Any end-to-end investigation I think will require them to go back and look at the internal components of the guidance system to make sure there is no history of failure," Fogelman said.

Peoples, a former Marine, has filed a whistle-blower suit against Eagle-Picher.

The alleged cover-up, Peoples said, "has jeopardized our national defense to the point where it is criminal fraud and someone should pay."

On Friday on the Evening News, another former Eagle-Picher employee tells how the company allegedly covered up defective batteries and rigged tests, possibly endangering U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

© MMI, CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

[XBob]

HANG EM HIGH !!!!!

[Grut]

...millions of batteries...

That seems like an awful lot of batteries, at least if they all go into smart weapons. Maybe this source ought to be regarded skeptically?

[thatsnotnice]

That seems like an awful lot of batteries, at least if they all go into smart weapons. Maybe this source ought to be regarded skeptically?

Peoples used to work at Eagle-Picher Technologies in Joplin, Mo.

It'd be interesting to hear the details behind whatever it was that led to his leaving the company. I've seen it go different ways - I've seen people leave because the company did illegal/unethical things, I've seen people leave because they had done those things and were in the process of getting caught, and I've seen them kicked to the curb for the same reason.

[JRandomFreeper]

Maybe this source ought to be regarded skeptically?

The source is CBS. They are almost as accurate as DEBKA.

/john

[blackdog]

I used to sell Eagle Picher their EMI/RFI filters. What people need to remember is that a five year old bomb needs maintenance. When was the last time you let your car sit for five years and expected the thing to run when you turned the key. Our arsenals are not like those of the past. They need to be managed just like our personnel. It is these weapons that enable us to wage war with such few troops. The down side is that these weapons need software changes, firmware changes, battery upgrades, corrosion inspections, etc... A new way of warfare and a new way of weaponry.

[cpdiii]

Pure crap.

The smart bombs have microprocessors in them and would not interface with the on board computers in the aircraft that will program the bomb for its target if the batteries were malfunctioning. CBS spreading its tripe against the military as usual. The story is about as believable as Dan Rather.

[XBob]

I fail to see how disregarding specifications, which cause waste of lives, assets, and money, can be defended, in spite of the fact that the problems can be fixed.

Don't defend the car manufacturer who's car leaks out all the oil and the engine burns up, by saying 'you should have checked the oil".

[XBob]

sorry, I forgot to add the last part - "engine burns up the first time you drive it."

I had this happen to a friend of mine - engine burned up on the way home from the dealer - this was their defense.

[beekeeper]

Lots of worrysome info in the article- first millions of batterys. Second the generic Loctite. They make loads of different materials for use in a variety of applications, so just Loctite says nothing. Sounds like a dumb disgruntled employee vice a whistleblower, but then CBS may have it all wrong. Plus, if a battery is bad, the diagnostic tests would discover it in the field fairly quickly. Very flakey article.

And each case DOD said it was people punching in the wrong coordinates. And there have not been that many cases of bad inputs. There have been incorrect targeting as well. What do these reporters expect, anyway. A sanitized, perfect war?

[blackdog]

Of course CBS is full of crap. The issue though is a valid one. Have you ever seen an unencapsulated cicuit board after being in ambient conditions with an active battery in close proximity? The lands on the boards are green and the pins to the IC chips are severely corroded. The Clinton admin decided in 1992 that the new phrase COTS would be used for DOD purchases. This phrase means Commercial Off The Shelf procurement methods. No more Mil-Spec purchases. This was being done to shorten up procurement, and cheaper purchases.EMI to Mil-Spec was thrown out in favor of easier European EN directives. The result is No shock&Vib compliance, No EMI compliance to Mil-461, No shock table testing, etc.... This was all being done to avoid the $80.00 screw stories. But there were valid/good reasons that screw cost 80.00. It had about 25 specs which had to be met. Not any more.

We need to have either more wars(like every 3 years) or more careful monitoring of our weaponry with a maintenance aspect to it's management.

[FreeInWV]

This issue is more complex than merely bad batteries.

If Al Sharpton, Jessies wife and the Kennedys had not protested and shut down our bombing/test range in Vieques, these faulty components would have been discovered and replaced. The blood is on their hands.

[Dark Wing]

ping

[r9etb]

That seems like an awful lot of batteries, at least if they all go into smart weapons. Maybe this source ought to be regarded skeptically?

Indeed. Having folks go in "after hours" to smear loctite on millions of batteries would probably have been noticed by now.

Mr. Peoples used to work for Eagle Picher, but now he doesn't. One wonders if his little interview has something to do with personal animosity....

[XBob]

Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC

http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/electrical/eagle/

Army Technology - Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC - Military Batteries and Power Sub-Systems

EAGLE-PICHER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC - MILITARY BATTERIES AND POWER SUB-SYSTEMS

Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC has been producing military and aerospace technology products for over 60 years including specialist batteries for primary systems and secondary (rechargeable) systems. Our Federal Systems Department produces thermal batteries, silver-zinc (Ag-Zn), Lithium Sulphur Dioxide (Li-SO2), and Li-Thionyl Chloride batteries; the EP Energy Products Department manufactures Lithium Sulphur Dioxide (Li-SO2), Lithium Manganese Dioxide (Li-MnO2), and Lithium-Ion batteries; and the Power Subsystems Department makes Lithium-Ion and Nickel Hydrogen batteries. As one of Eagle-Picher's five operating divisions, Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC retains a key manufacturer position in many markets, significantly improving our quality of life. Founded in 1843 as a lead mining company, Eagle-Picher's finer technologies have contributed globally to power-requisite businesses including aerospace, nuclear, military, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications on Federal/Government and commercial levels. FEDERAL SYSTEMS BATTERIES Federal Systems is a leading supplier of batteries for missiles, submunitions, mines, sonobuoys, fuzes, and aerospace power backup. Additionally, the facility is a major supplier of energetic devices and pyrotechnic components for military and commercial applications. Producing more than 15 different battery chemistries, as well as energetic devices, flares, battery packs, electronics and subassemblies, Federal Systems supplies in excess of 1000 different part numbers to 250 military and commercial customers. Through continued investments in facilities, equipment and technology upgrades and research, Federal Systems is positioned to continue as the primary source for aerospace battery design and manufacturing. Contact: David Wallace, Deputy Director for Strategic Planning EP ENERGY PRODUCTS Li/SO2 AND Li/MnO2 CELLS AND BATTERIES EP Energy Products Corp. (EPEP) has design and manufacturing capabilities for both Lithium Sulfur Dioxide (Li/SO2) and Lithium Manganese Dioxide (Li/MnO2) cells and batteries. EPEP has supplied both of these battery types to the US Army and Canada's Department of National Defense. These batteries are the power supply of choice for portable or remote electronic equipment requiring long shelf life, high energy content and operation to –40°C. In addition, EPEP is packaging the LiMnO2 cell chemistry in flexible foil pouches, (Pouch Technology), as well as developing secondary Li-Ion cell and battery technology for aerospace and premium commercial applications. The noteworthy advantages of Li-Ion batteries are high voltage, high specific energy, high energy density, and long cycle life meaning that the user enjoys batteries with fewer cells, lighter weight, smaller size and which require less frequent replacement. Contact: Court C. Touwslager, Director of Marketing Contact: Darrell L. Ideker, Director POWER SUBSYSTEMS NiH2 TECHNOLOGY AND LITHIUM-ION CELLES AND BATTERIES Power Subsystems is widely recognized for its quality flight-proven NiH2 technology and also for its exciting new lithium-ion cell/battery production. As the foremost manufacturer of diversified, special purpose power storage systems, we have successfully produced in excess of 42,000 NiH2 cells and 460 NiH2 batteries, hence supplying 85% of the national and international space programs. Over 450,000,000 cell-hours in space have been accumulated with over 315 launches (as of June 2001). We offer a fully integrated manufacturing capability from cell electrode production through qualification and delivery of packaged battery system assemblies. In addition, Power Subsystems has successfully produced and tested over 3,000 lithium-ion cells and several batteries. The extensive cell assembly and test heritage has resulted in one of the most modern, capable space power production facilities in operation today. The lithium-ion product line has designed and developed cells for military applications including weapons, communications, and Special Forces. These cells are smaller in size and are designed with either the spiral wound or prismatic configuration. Contact: Dr. Walter J. McCracken, Manager, Marketing and Business Strategy Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC USA David Wallace Email: dwallace@epi-tech.com Court C. Touwslager Email: ctouwslager@epi-tech.com Darrell L. Ideker Email: dideker@epi-tech.com Dr. W J McCracken Email: wmccracken@epi-tech.com Federal Systems URL: www.epi-tech.com/fedsys EP Energy Products URL: www.epi-tech.com/epep Power Subsystems URL: www.epi-tech.com/pwrsubsys  Click here for printable version				Thermal Battery Designs.
				Lithium Cells and Batteries.
				Nickel Hydrogen Terrestrial and Space Battery Designs.
				Lithium Ion Technology.

[VRWCmember]

It'd be interesting to hear the details behind whatever it was that led to his leaving the company.

One of the things that cBS didn't mention in their story was that this disgruntled former employee was fired ten to twelve years ago.
Another thing that was not mentioned was the fact that he has admitted that during his "research" activities where he was getting records (FOIA requests) at the corporate headquarters he altered some of those records before returning them in order to substantiate his unfounded allegations.
Another thing not mentioned was the fact that he has not worked in any area at EP having to do with its battery production since 1990 (even prior to being fired) and that he would have absolutely no knowledge of any of the batteries in the smart weapons like the JDAM.

[StriperSniper]

Bump for later.

[VRWCmember]

No more Mil-Spec purchases. This was being done to shorten up procurement, and cheaper purchases.EMI to Mil-Spec was thrown out in favor of easier European EN directives. The result is No shock&Vib compliance, No EMI compliance to Mil-461, No shock table testing, etc....

Most Army contracts STILL impose Mil-Specs for critical components like batteries. Thermal Batteries have VERY stringent shock, vibration, voltage leakage, requirements. The batteries in "smart" weapons are absolutely NOT anything even close to COTS.

[Poohbah]

My, my, my.

In other words, he's just your everyday run-of-the-mill common Scumbagus Democratus.

[spycatcher]

Update Jan 7, 2002 Bombs Astray: Are Bad Batteries To Blame For Smart Bomb Accidents?