DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
U.S. missile defense experts are surveying industry to find companies able to develop computer simulations of enemy missiles and missile-related observables to help government and industry improve better ballistic missile defense systems and enabling technologies. Officials of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in Huntsville, Ala., issued a sources-sought notice (MDA18EITRFI01) on Monday for the MDA
Air-conditioned buildings bring welcome relief to people coming in from the heat. But creating that comfort comes with a cost to our wallets and the environment in the form of increased energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. Now researchers report in ACS Nano the development of a new material for clothing that we could one
Remember those reports of exploding hoverboards a few years ago? The culprit behind those spontaneous electrical combustions were low-quality Li-ion batteries, which contain highly flammable, toxic, and moisture-sensitive electrolytes. A team of scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has partnered with researchers from the University of Maryland and the Army Research Laboratory to
For the first time ever, a team of researchers successfully developed and tested networked acoustic emission sensors that can detect airframe damage on conceptual composite UH-60 Black Hawk rotorcraft. Researchers with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the U.S Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center said their discovery opens up possibilities for
Our military relies on bullets and bombs to do their job – but how do we stop those munitions from being used against our own troops? The military needs the most powerful munitions possible, but that explosive power can put U.S. troops at risk. Accidental explosions can occur during transport or storage of munitions. Sometimes
Synthetic microspheres with nanoscale holes can absorb light from all directions across a wide range of frequencies, making them a candidate for antireflective coatings, according to a team of Penn State engineers. The synthetic spheres also explain how the leaf hopper insect uses similar particles to hide from predators in its environment. “We knew our
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have released a new strategy to integrate their capabilities to address the challenges posed by archipelagic and coastal geography, and the proliferation of advanced sensors and mobile, long-range missile systems that can threaten naval forces from ashore. Called Littoral Operations in Contested Environments (LOCE), the concept puts forward a
A lot of people think that high-energy lasers, or HELs, can”t penetrate fog, rain and dust, said Thomas Webber. That”s just plain wrong. Webber, director of the Directed Energy Division”s Technical Center, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, spoke at the Association of the United States Army”s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Oct. 9. The
Power electronics experts at the General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems group in San Diego are joining a project to develop lasers that could lead to a weapon for future unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) able to destroy enemy ballistic missiles in boost phase. Officials of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in Albuquerque, N.M., announced a $8.9
For the first time in the U.S., time-resolved small-angle x-ray scattering (TRSAXS) is used to observe ultra-fast carbon clustering and graphite and nanodiamond production in the insensitive explosive Plastic Bonded Explosive (PBX) 9502, potentially leading to better computer models of explosive performance. “Carbon clusters are produced during the chemical process of detonation in high explosives,”
Dozens of defense contractors showed off their latest gear and technology at the annual International Police Chief Association conference and exhibition this past week in Philadelphia. Everything from lethal and non-lethal weapons, body armor, drones, policing software, uniforms, and even vehicles were on display, including a new armored vehicle called “The Rook.” The Rook, designed
The U.S. Navy is working with Orbital ATK to convert AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles into 25 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) All-Up-Rounds as part of an effort to destroy relocatable air defenses. Additional features of the AARGM include weapon-impact-assessment transmit, millimeter wave radar terminal seeker, global positioning system/Inertial Navigation System guidance, net-centric connectivity,