DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
Thanks to a U.S. Navy Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, contract, Natick”s Thermal Test Facility has a new, one-of-a-kind, articulating manikin to conduct flame and thermal testing on individual uniforms and personal protective equipment. The Pfc. Joseph Ouellette Thermal Test Facility, known as TTF, is a joint Army-Navy flame and thermal research facility located
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has published its plan for a rapidly manufactured “Flying Missile Rail” drone that can be launched off the wing of a tactical jet. The concept sounds strange, and to some degree it is, but its existence could help underline the fact that unmanned systems can break the current
Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the University of Maryland have developed a battery that uses a water-salt solution as the electrolyte medium. The electrolyte helps ferry lithium ions between the battery”s cathode and anode, allowing for the loading and unloading of electric energy. Using the new solution, researchers were able to generate
The Pentagon wants another crack at shooting down ballistic missiles with laser beams. According to The War Zone, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is looking to put lasers on high-flying drones. Their mission: to intercept enemy missiles during the so-called “boost phase.” This is the second attempt to build such a thing, following an aborted
The Pentagon wants another crack at shooting down ballistic missiles with laser beams. According to The War Zone, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is looking to put lasers on high-flying drones. Their mission: to intercept enemy missiles during the so-called “boost phase.” This is the second attempt to build such a thing, following an aborted
As virtual reality technology becomes less expensive and delivers a more realistic, immersive experience, some national security experts warn that it is only a matter of time before terrorists use it for recruiting, training and plotting attacks. The virtual reality (VR) marketplace is exploding. Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony PlayStation VR, Google Cardboard, Microsoft HoloLens,
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is seeking a new high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle with the unique capacity to carry a high energy laser system that can stop enemy missiles when they have barely left the launch pad, according to a new MDA request for information. “Our vision is to shift the
The Army’s future air-and-missile defense capabilities are taking shape under the newest Space and Missile Defense commander, Lt. Gen. James Dickinson, particularly in laser-armed combat vehicles and the Integrated Air-and-Missile Defense system (IAMD), both considered to be crucial enablers for the maneuver force. How the Army will employ laser weapons in combat and what the
The U.S. Navy took the first step to reintroducing to the fleet an old-but-much-needed technology when it successfully tested a solid-fuel ramjet engine at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) in China Lake, California. As threats emerge that require an ability to strike targets from farther out to sea than ever before, the Navy
The Army is getting up-to-date on cyber and electromagnetic activity policies, finally releasing the long-anticipated updated field manual for cyber and EW functions. The document, titled FM 3-12 “Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Operations,” and dated for mid-April, though publicly released within the last week, replaces FM 3-38, which provided the initial guidance back in 2014.
The Cranfield University Center for Aeronautics, with partners Airbus Helicopters UK, BHR Group and Helitune, aims to revolutionize health monitoring for rotorcraft by investigating the aeroelastic behavior of rotor blades and developing state-of-the-art fiber optic sensors. The project has approximately 2.6 million dollars in funding and is scheduled to be completed around July 2018. Current
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has developed a Maritime version of its Harop Loitering Munitions (LM) family. The company is displaying the weapon at the DSEI 2017 defense expo in London this week. The new marine capabilities of the HAROP extends the operational capability of surface ships, from offshore patrol vessels to naval frigates. The technological