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75 Breakthroughs by America”s National Laboratories

The National Laboratory System: Protecting America Through Science and Technology. America”s National Laboratories have been changing and improving the lives of millions of people for more than 75 years. Born at a time when the world faced a dire threat, the laboratories came together to advance science, safeguard the nation and protect our freedoms for

The New Infrastructure the Air Force Needs for Multidomain Operations

What’s missing for the Air Force to be able to simultaneously execute operations in multiple domains of warfare simultaneously in support of a single primary objective? An overarching collaborative infrastructure for systems and sensors to talk to each other. The Air Force is missing the overarching, collaborative infrastructure of systems and sensors that talk to

Steam-Powered Asteroid Hoppers Developed Through University of Central Florida (UCF) Collaboration

By using steam rather than fuel, the microwave-size spacecraft prototype can theoretically explore celestial objects “forever.” Using steam to propel a spacecraft from asteroid to asteroid is now possible, thanks to a collaboration between a private space company and the University of Central Florida. UCF planetary research scientist Phil Metzger worked with Honeybee Robotics of

Out of the Box

Air Force embraces “failing to succeed” over “succeeding to fail.” Dr. Richard Joseph, chief scientist of the Air Force, believes “failures have their seeds planted in success.” Bureaucracies within the Air Force perpetuate what works. Yet, they often cling to ideas, systems or methods beyond the point of effectiveness – producing failure from that success.

Us Airmen in the Pacific Transitioned to the C-130J This Year. How Is the New Model Faring?

TOKYO — U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has the largest area of responsibility of the American military’s combatant commands. Covering about half the Earth’s surface, the command’s area of responsibility stretches from the waters off the West Coast of the continental United States to the western border of India, and from Antarctica to the North Pole. Add

F-35 Lightning II

The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter combining advanced aerodynamics, survivability in high-threat environments and an enhanced ability to provide pilots and allied assets across operational domains with robust situational awareness. The F-35 is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program to develop a single-engine, stealthy, multi-role fighter to replace an aging

Army Eyes Getting into the Ship Killing Business with This Cruise Missile

As the U.S. military rolls out its budget request for the 2019 fiscal year, one area that is likely to see newly increased attention is the development and purchase of land-based anti-ship weapons. The U.S. Army is already planning to sink a target ship with a truck-mounted anti-ship cruise missile in a major exercise as

China”s Electromagnetic Railgun is Apparently Already Roaming The High Seas

China”s futuristic electromagnetic railgun may already be the most powerful cannon to ever roam the high seas — ahead of schedule. In June, a U.S. intelligence assessment estimated that the Chinese military planned on fielding its own version of the electromagnetic railgun on naval vessels as early as 2025, far outstripping the Pentagon”s truncated efforts

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Tagging Detects Counterfeit Equipment

In order to identify counterfeit equipment and remove them from the supply chain, RDECOM ECBC scientists have developed a method to use DNA tags to identify them. A few years ago, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee issued a report stating counterfeit components were frequently found in the supply chain, usually electronics. They noted that

Army Looks Into Laser-Powered Drones

Even as drone technology advances, power constraints limit the amount of equipment unmanned systems can carry, as well as the time they can stay in the air. Some drone systems, like the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications drone from CyPhy Works, deliver power through a tether to keep a small drone aloft for an entire

Eel-Inspired Three Dimensional (3D)-Printed Hydrogel Instantly Generates Electricity

Inspired by the electric eel, researchers from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland have developed 3D-printed hydrogels that could generate up to 110 volts of electricity in an instant. The rows of gels contain positively and negatively charged ions that combine together to mimic the eel”s cellular structure. Unlike typical batteries, these systems are soft,

Commercial Accelerators and the Defense Department: A Blueprint for Collaboration

Three thousand two hundred and sixty-nine. This was the number of companies to graduate from more than 170 different accelerators across the United States and Canada in 2016. Since 2005, these short-duration programs, designed to expedite a company’s maturation, have helped their graduates secure over $19.5 billion in seed and early Series round funds. Zero.