DEFENSE

Systems Digest

15 OCTOBER 2024

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

OCTOBER IS CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH

Cybersecurity is crucial to protecting our nation’s information infrastructure. October is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the importance of cybersecurity and its role in preventing and eliminating threats to our communities and U.S. national security systems.

Our sister IAC, the Cybersecurity & Information Systems Information Analysis Center (CSIAC), brings you the most current resources to help maximize knowledge and stay cyber safe.

Visit CSIAC here: https://csiac.org/.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Members of the Laser Plasma Branch at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory join visitors from fellows defense research agencies for a group photo in the NIKE target area in Washington, D.C., Oct. 25, 2024. The visit featured a tour of the NIKE laser facility to promote potential collaborative experiments in reactive materials research. (U.S. Navy photo by Sarah Peterson)

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s NIKE Laser-Target Facility Helps to Advance Department of Defense Nuclear Mission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has announced a new strategic direction for its NIKE laser-target facility to align its world-class capabilities with the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) nuclear strategic priorities. The new strategic direction marks a shift from the facility’s historical focus on Department of Energy (DoE) missions, specifically those…

DAHLGREN, Va. — Engineer technician Philip Sisson adjusts a high-speed camera in preparation for an upcoming range test at the Potomac River Test Range. Engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division deploy a range of high-speed cameras capable of capturing up to 75,000 frames per second to better understand and refine the lethality and effectiveness of the Navy’s munitions. (Dave Ellis/NSWCDD Photo)

Capturing the Unseen: The Role of High-Speed Cameras in Weapon Advancements

DAHLGREN, Va. – The spin rate and velocity of a projectile shot from a five-inch gun are so fast only a camera capturing 75,000 frames per second can freeze it mid-flight. At this speed, unseen phenomena become visible, revealing critical data that underpins the precision and impact of modern weapon systems. At the Naval Surface…

Supporting Safer Skies: ANSI Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative Releases May 2025 Gaps Progress Report

To facilitate the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the availability of the May 2025 Gaps Progress Report, a vital document capturing key standardization progress and opportunities for the rapidly evolving UAS industry. The Gaps Progress Report tracks how standards developing organizations…

RAPID PROTOTYPING — An electrical engineer works on soldering for Core SkyFox. The project includes the use of commercial off-the-shelf parts and systems for rapid prototyping and testing of hypersonic flight testing. (Photo by Craig Fritz)

SkyFox: Revolutionizing Hypersonic Flight Testing

In the fast-paced world of hypersonic technology, high costs and infrequent launches have been major roadblocks to innovation and development. Sandia has developed a game-changing, low-cost guided flight test platform to turbocharge experimentation and technology maturation. The platform, called SkyFox, combines Sandia’s rich experience in hypersonics glide body development with state-of-the-art technology to accelerate evolution…

The Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Experimentation Payload System (TULEPS) is a new test asset that enables rapid testing of unmanned aviation payloads without requiring flight clearances providing extended operational time, secure data transmission, and adaptability for ship- and vehicle-based applications at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. (U.S. Navy photo by Chuck Regner)

New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, St. Inigoes, Md. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is boosting its testing capabilities with a new UAS experimentation system showcased recently at a training event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field. Designed to accelerate unmanned aviation development, the Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle…

A Soldier holds Project Manager Positioning, Navigation and Timing's (PNT's) Dismounted Assured PNT System Generation II, or "DAPS GEN II" as part of a product demo. DAPS GEN II enables dismounted Army forces to shoot, move and communicate in GPS-challenged environments.

U.S. Army Partnerships Bring Critical Assured PNT Capabilities to American Soldiers

As disrupting U.S. soldiers’ access to accurate and trusted positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information continues to proliferate globally, the U.S. Army is leading the way in delivering the latest Military Code (M-code) and Assured PNT technologies. Three Army organizations within the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA[ALT]) partnered with…

DoD Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) conducted a second successful flight of a fully recoverable uncrewed hypersonic test vehicle in March 2025, with the first being in December 2024. This test campaign, led by the DoD’s Test Resource Management Center, in partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, marks the nation’s first return to…

An atomic-scale close-up of the copper-lithium particle, one of many embedded in the microstructure of the nanocrystalline copper-tantalum-lithium alloy. The blue features represent the lithium atoms, the yellow features represent the tantalum atoms encasing the lithium atoms and the orange features represent the surrounding copper matrix. (Lehigh University)

Army Researchers, Academia Create Stronger, More Durable Copper That Could Advance Military Systems

ADELPHI, Md. – U.S. Army researchers, in collaboration with academic partners, invented a stronger copper that could help advance defense, energy, and aerospace industries thanks to its ability to endure unprecedented temperature and pressure extremes. Extreme materials experts at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory (ARL), built on…

What over-the-horizon logistical resupply technologies are available for aerial and maritime unmanned aerial systems?

The Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) is seeking information on logistical resupply technologies for unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles with long range and low emission (heat, sound, and radar). The product should be TRL 7-9, US, NATO, FVEY, SWE, NOR, or JPN acceptable. Waterborne systems are of particular interest, but airborne systems would also…

Models and Simulation Demonstrating Cavitation and Hydrodynamic Ram Effects Within Fuel Tanks

The Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) was asked to identify models, simulations, and tools used to model bubble growth, cavitation, and hydrodynamic ram (HRAM) effects within fuel tanks. When a high-velocity projectile penetrates or impacts a liquid-filled container such as a fuel tank, cavitation occurs. The cavity formed in the liquid results in extreme…

Notable Technical Inquiry

Gaps Between Civilian and U.S. Department of Defense for Determining Airworthiness of Additively Manufactured Parts

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has made some progress certifying additive manufacturing (AM) parts for airworthiness, but certification has been limited to the lab, with significant engineering and inspections required for each part. Over the last two decades, each branch of the DoD developed their own processes for AM certification, thus fragmenting certification and slowing the widespread acceptance of AM. The Federal Aviation Administration…

Learn More

FUTURE WEBINARS

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s NIKE Laser-Target Facility Helps to Advance Department of Defense Nuclear Mission

Hosted by:

Capturing the Unseen: The Role of High-Speed Cameras in Weapon Advancements

Hosted by:

Supporting Safer Skies: ANSI Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative Releases May 2025 Gaps Progress Report

Hosted by:

SkyFox: Revolutionizing Hypersonic Flight Testing

Hosted by:

New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

Hosted by:

U.S. Army Partnerships Bring Critical Assured PNT Capabilities to American Soldiers

Hosted by:

DoD Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle

Hosted by:

Army Researchers, Academia Create Stronger, More Durable Copper That Could Advance Military Systems

Hosted by:

What over-the-horizon logistical resupply technologies are available for aerial and maritime unmanned aerial systems?

Hosted by:

Models and Simulation Demonstrating Cavitation and Hydrodynamic Ram Effects Within Fuel Tanks

Hosted by:

DID YOU MISS OUR LAST WEBINAR?

WATCH NOW

or download the slides

FEATURED WEBINAR

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s NIKE Laser-Target Facility Helps to Advance Department of Defense Nuclear Mission

Hosted by:

Capturing the Unseen: The Role of High-Speed Cameras in Weapon Advancements

Hosted by:

Supporting Safer Skies: ANSI Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative Releases May 2025 Gaps Progress Report

Hosted by:

SkyFox: Revolutionizing Hypersonic Flight Testing

Hosted by:

New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

Hosted by:

U.S. Army Partnerships Bring Critical Assured PNT Capabilities to American Soldiers

Hosted by:

DoD Demonstrates Reusability of Hypersonic Test Vehicle

Hosted by:

Army Researchers, Academia Create Stronger, More Durable Copper That Could Advance Military Systems

Hosted by:

What over-the-horizon logistical resupply technologies are available for aerial and maritime unmanned aerial systems?

Hosted by:

Models and Simulation Demonstrating Cavitation and Hydrodynamic Ram Effects Within Fuel Tanks

Hosted by:

2024 Aircraft Survivability Symposium

November 5, 2024 - November 7, 2024

The 2024 Aircraft Survivability Symposium is a SECRET//NOFORN event; attendees must hold at least a Secret clearance and be U.S. citizens. Please review the security clearance and gate access information page when available and submit…

2024 U.S. Department of Defense Steels Summit

November 19, 2024 - November 20, 2024

The U.S. Department of Defense Steels Summit brings together the defense, government, industry, and academic communities engaged in the production, use, and research of steel alloys relevant to military applications. The summit is a 2-day…

Voice From the Community

Greg Meholic

Senior Project Leader, The Aerospace Corporation

As The Aerospace Corporation’s senior project leader, Greg Meholic explores advanced space launch and propulsion technology for national security and commercial applications. His current projects include coordinating technical support for various interests and activities in space nuclear propulsion and power, cryogenic fluid management, commercial launch licensing, and rocket engine development. These efforts directly support the mission assurance provided to defense and commercial customers as they navigate the ever-changing space industry.