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

Blockchain Tech Has Numerous Applications for Defense

The use of blockchain technology is gaining traction in all industries. The federal government has taken notice and has been exploring ways in which the technology may be used for its benefit. While widespread use of blockchain in government likely will take time, it may be jumpstarted by the adoption of these capabilities by government

How the World’s First Solid State Aircraft Achieves Propulsion With No Moving Parts

Last year, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) made the first sustained flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft with no moving parts. It was propelled by electroaerodynamic propulsion, which requires no moving parts and was, by many definitions, the first ever solid state flight. This article explains exactly how it works and what the

Just In: New Road-Mobile Missiles “Instrumental” for Army Strategy

SIMI VALLEY, CA — New road-mobile missiles that are under development will fundamentally change the Army’s offensive capabilities, the head of the Service said December 7. The types of systems in the works were previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia. The treaty was brokered in 1987 in the waning years of

Under Pressure, Navy’s Top official Pledges to Solve New Carrier”s Problems

The new acting secretary of the Navy said Thursday that President Donald Trump”s concerns over persistent problems with the first Ford-class aircraft carrier have prompted him to make fixing those problems one of his top priorities. “I was on the [carrier Gerald R. Ford] last week; the Ford is something the president is very concerned

How the Army Is Girding for Electronic Warfare

There’s no doubt that electronic warfare will become increasingly commonplace. That’s why the Army is vigorously testing its flying platforms, such as the Apache helicopter, to ensure they can withstand both current and evolving threats. FCW talked with Ralph Troisio, the division chief for Electronic Warfare, Air, and Ground Survivability at Army’s C5ISR Center in

Navy Engineer Invents “Flash Corridor,” Improves Burn Profile of Ammo

A U.S. Navy engineer has invented a tiny plastic tube that adds a flash corridor to cartridge ammunition, giving the propellant an improved burn profile. In contrast to traditional rounds that burn back to front and forcing some propellant into the firearm’s barrel, when ammunition with a flash corridor is fired, the primer causes molten

Allison and U.S. Army to Upgrade Propulsion Systems of M113 Vehicles

Allison Transmission has partnered with the U.S. Army to equip the M113 armored personnel carrier family of vehicles with upgraded X200-4A propulsion systems. Under the partnership with the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), Allison will upgrade propulsion systems of the Army’s tracked military vehicles. The upgrade is intended to provide improved propulsion for the vehicles.

The Air Force”s BLU-12 Bomb Is Like a Sniper in the Sky

Key point: This weapon brings additional attack flexibility to the battlefield. The Air Force is revving up production of the air-dropped, precision-guided BLU-129 bomb increasingly in demand by war zone commanders – so accurate, lethal, and precise, it is called “the world’s largest sniper accuracy.” The often-requested weapon, described as an adaptable carbon fiber bomb,

Threat From China Requires Innovative Approach, Says DoD Official

Alan Shaffer, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, and Sustainment, discussed the threat from China and what the U.S. must do to respond to the threat. He spoke at the Professional Services Council-sponsored Defense Services Conference in Arlington, Va., on 21 November 2019. ””We’ve been in conflict with China for 10 years and I”m not

The U.S. Navy Doesn’t Have Enough Spare Parts to Keep Its Fighter Jets in the Air

The U.S. Navy lacks the parts and materials it needs to keep hundreds of fighter jets operational, which could affect the nation’s ability to fight future wars. That’s the key takeaway from an audit released this week (pdf) by the Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG), which is focused on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet—the

U.S. Air Force, for the First Time, Develops In-House Small, Expendable Turbine Engine

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), for the first time, designed, assembled, and tested exclusively in-house a small thrust class size expendable turbine engine. This propulsion system, the Responsive Open Source Engine (ROSE), responds to the U.S. Air Force”s (USAF”s) desire for rapid demonstration of new technologies and faster, less expensive prototypes, according to

Robotic Submarines: How the Navy and Boeing Could Make History

The U.S. Navy has ordered from Boeing four huge robotic submarines, potentially signally an effort to deploy a large number of crewless undersea boats alongside traditional, manned submarines. The Navy”s $43 million purchase of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles, or XLUUVs, comes as the fleet struggles to build enough new manned submarines to