Articles

DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.

Filter by Technical Focus Areas

By default, only content within your selected technical focus areas is displayed throughout the site. You can update your technical focus areas in your profile or temporarily filter the content here.


Filter by Article Types

Safe Design Critical to Reducing Electrical Injuries

According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), electrical hazards cause a workplace death almost every day. Between 2003 and 2009, contact with electric current was the seventh leading cause for an occupational fatality and electrical burns are the second most costly injury. According to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection data inquiry,

Scientists Develop Efficient Catalytic Material for Fuel Cell Applications

Scientists at Ames Laboratory have discovered a method for making smaller, more efficient intermetallic nanoparticles for fuel cell applications, and which also use less of the expensive precious metal platinum. The researchers succeeded by overcoming some of the technical challenges presented in the fabrication of the platinum-zinc nanoparticles with an ordered lattice structure, which function

NRL Tests Autonomous ‘Soaring With Solar’ Concept

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Vehicle Research Section and Photovoltaic Section are building on the proven concept of autonomous cooperative soaring of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Their research investigates the benefit of solar photovoltaics (PV) to cooperative autonomous soaring techniques, which enables long endurance flights of unmanned sailplanes that use the power

Solar Paint Offers Endless Energy From Water Vapor

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapor from air and split it to generate hydrogen – the cleanest source of energy. The paint contains a newly developed compound that acts like silica gel, which is used in sachets to absorb moisture and keep food, medicines and electronics fresh and dry. But

Mind the Liquid Gap: Liquids Are Capable of Supporting Waves With Short Wavelengths Only

Flowing particles in liquids act as a filter to suppress long-wavelength waves but allow short-wavelength ones to be supported, according to physicists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Liquids are the least understood state of matter and for a long time it has been believed that they can sustain both gas-like waves with long

Insights Into Additive Manufacturing at Boeing with Leo Christodoulou

The use of 3D printing technology at Boeing could seem futuristic to some, featuring as it does levitating objects and spacecraft. But this is par for the course according to one Boeing director, “I’m not going to stick around for someone’s dream to come true, we just have to do it” says Leo Christodoulou. Christodoulou

U.S. Shoots Down Unmanned Aircraft that Fired on Coalition Troops in Syria

SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 8, 2017 — A U.S. aircraft shot down an armed pro-Syria regime unmanned aerial vehicle today after it fired on coalition forces in southern Syria, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials said in a statement. The pro-regime UAV, similar in size to a U.S. MQ-1 Predator, was shot down after

Another View: COTS Technology Helps Drive and Speed Innovation

John Keller’s recent thought piece entitled Commodity COTS military technology and its potential threat to military capability and innovation raises some points that beg elaboration. Mr. Keller”s piece, which appeared online on 21 Feb. 2017, revolves around the role that COTS technologies and open standards play in delivering innovation and advanced capabilities to the warfighter.

Distributed Lethality: The Future of the Helicopter Sea Combat Community

The future of the Helicopter Sea Combat Community (HSC) community is at risk. HSC, which is made up of both carrier air wing (CVW) and expeditionary (EXP) squadrons that employ MH60S helicopters, struggles with its purpose to the fleet. Platform capabilities fail to keep pace with technological advancements and HSC warfighting relevancy is diminishing. A

Navy, MDA Leveraging Laser Prototypes and Demonstrations to Reduce Risk

The Navy and Missile Defense Agency are leveraging prototyping programs to incrementally pursue complex ideas such as a laser weapon integrated into the Aegis Combat System and a high-power laser for boost-phase kill in missile defense, officials said today at the 2017 Directed Energy Summit. This ability to learn through prototypes and experiments has always

Lockheed Martin Moves Forward with Design of Missile Defense Seeker Sensor

U.S. ballistic missile defense experts are asking Lockheed Martin Corp. to refine the electro-optical sensor and seeker design of an advanced missile interceptor able to destroy several incoming ballistic missile warheads and decoys using just one missile. Officials of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in Huntsville, Ala., announced a $53.1 million contract last week

Next-Generation Rafale F4 to Fly in 2023

Addressing the growing domestic and international demand for the French fighter aircraft, Dassault and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) will soon begin a six-year development phase of the next-generation Rafale F4. The French Minister of Defense, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, authorized the start of development of the next generation variant of the Rafale. The