Southern California's defense industry--the nerve center for advanced weapons and surveillance technology for the U.S. military--is quietly gearing up for a potential attack against Iraq.
At Pentagon contractors throughout the region, engineers have been ordered to put vacations on hold. Some have been told to plan for longer spells at the office. And companies that make sophisticated intelligence-gathering equipment have been directed by the government to field new technologies ahead of schedule.
TRW Inc. engineers in Carson, for instance, were told last week to immediately begin supplying a new battlefield computer system to troops in the Persian Gulf region, although the equipment is still in the testing phase. The computers, similar to civilian laptop devices, are designed to give Army units down to squad level instant access to battlefield information, including the positions of enemy targets and the locations of other U.S. troops.
Citing the need for discretion, industry executives are declining to comment publicly on the surge of activity. But based on interviews with engineers who requested anonymity, the busiest companies appear to be those that specialize in technologies for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work, as well as those working to improve the accuracy of missiles and bombs.
"We can't talk much about what we are doing, but the activity here has definitely stepped up," a TRW executive said.
A Southland aerospace engineer, who spoke on condition that he not be identified, said: "It sounds like we're going to get pretty busy." The engineer, who had to work through several seven-day weeks providing technical support for U.S. troops during the initial military operations in Afghanistan last fall, said he was told to expect a similar schedule starting next month.
Nearly a quarter of the Pentagon's research and development funds are funneled to companies in California, by far the largest of any state. The bulk of those companies are located in Southern California and employ a total of about 50,000 people.
Or at least that's the official estimate.
In fact, many Southern California companies are engaged in so-called black programs, highly classified military projects whose budgets are secret. Because of the hidden nature of these programs, the precise number of engineers and companies involved in military preparations in the Los Angeles region is not known--or, for that matter, even visible. Much of the work here involves classified engineering research conducted in nondescript, often-windowless buildings deep within office complexes.
