DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
Researchers at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) successfully fired the first grenade created with a 3-D printer from a grenade launcher that was produced the same way. This demonstration shows that additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3-D printing) has a potential future in weapon prototype development, which could allow engineers
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory”s (NRL) Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence (NCARAI) has conducted initial human studies of the tactical battle manager (TBM) technology. NRL’s TBM is a software system that deploys intelligent agents to guide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that each serve as a ‘wingman’ in manned / unmanned teams, in
AFRL researchers recently traveled to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to demonstrate the Remote Access Nondestructive Evaluation (RANDE) system. Developed through a contracted effort with OC Robotics of Bristol, United Kingdom, RANDE is a flexible, robotic snake-arm tool that can reach into confined areas to perform required inspections, or simply look into tight spaces. Typically,
Unavoidable vibrations, such as those on airplanes, cause rigid structures to age and crack, but researchers at the University of Michigan may have an answer for that—design them more like tooth enamel, which could lead to more resilient flight computers, for instance. Most materials that effectively absorb vibration are soft, so they don”t make good
Nearly a century after it was theorized, Harvard scientists have succeeded in creating the rarest – and potentially one of the most valuable – materials on the planet. The material – atomic metallic hydrogen – was created by Thomas D. Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences Isaac Silvera and post-doctoral fellow Ranga Dias. In addition
Engineers at the University of California, Riverside have taken inspiration from biological evolution and the energy savings garnered by birds flying in formation to improve the efficiency of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by more than 30 percent. PHEVs, which combine a gas or diesel engine with an electric motor and a large rechargeable battery,
At the International Defense Exhibition and Conference, one of the world”s largest arms fairs, weapons-makers from around the world show off their latest. At this year”s show in Dubai, China flaunted a range of high-tech weaponry spread across 16,000 square feet of floor space. Included: S-20 attack submarines, FC-31 stealth fighter jets, and updates to
Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne announced Tuesday that Australia has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy to develop the Next Generation Jammer for the Boeing EA-18G Growler, an airborne electronic attack aircraft. Payne announced the AUD $250 million (U.S. $192 million) investment during the opening day of the 2017 Australian International Airshow at
A US Department of Defense scientific advisory board has called on the Trump administration to rebuild the country’s nuclear weapons infrastructure and modernize its nuclear arsenal. The recommendations, detailed in a December report, include the development of new, low-yield warheads to give the military the option of a limited nuclear strike. The report, written by
The next time Marines hit a Pacific beach, they will have the most advanced attack helicopter in the world at their backs. Eight AH-1Z Vipers began arriving at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in late November to permanently replace the service”s aging fleet of AH-1W Super Cobras, Marine officials said, and more are on the
In an effort to accelerate progress on the electromagnetic railgun development, BAE Systems announced the acquisition of Ohio-based IAP Research. Prior to the acquisition, IAP Research was a major BAE Systems subcontractor on the U.S. Navy-led development of an electromagnetic (EM) railgun. The Dayton team, which is part of BAE’s weapons systems business, has more
A new engine concept from NASA’s Glenn Research Center allows for truly distributed propulsion. The concept enables airframe and system modularity by allowing parts to be swapped or repaired easily. Design changes can be applied to individual components and not the entire propulsion system. The NASA Glenn innovation eliminates heavy shafts and disks, and allows