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

graphic of futuristic military drone sky above earth

Attritable Unmanned Aircraft Systems:  Conceptualization and Key Players

Air domain operations are critical to the U.S. military defense strategy. Military air domain missions use aircraft for tasks like attack; resupply; rescue; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; etc. Historically, air domain missions required manned aircraft, putting the aviator at risk. In the 1990s, the military began replacing manned aircraft with unmanned aircraft. Unmanned aerial systems…

Read More...
A 3-D printer for metal from Naval Surface Warfare Center

Digital Twin Research and Development for a Metal Additive Manufacturing Process

A laser-based metal additive manufacturing process offers lower heat input; thus leading to less base metal distortion compared to traditional welding processes. Digital twin (DT) is a critical technology, as it gives insights into many critical aspects of a manufacturing process. DT offers continuous improvement through sensor data from physical tests and data from virtual…

Read More...
NASA antenna in space

Antenna Systems for Space Applications at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Antenna developments for space applications have a long history at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Starting from the 1970s, Voyager; Galileo; Cassini; the Shutter Radar Topography mission; and, more recently, Aquarius, the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, the NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation Synthetic…

Read More...
U.S. Navy Special Operators conduct training.

13th Annual SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium

The 13th Annual SOF and Irregular Warfare Symposium will focus on the dynamic challenges of modern unconventional warfare. As state and non-state actors continue to evolve their strategies, this year’s event will gather senior leaders and key decision-makers from across the SOF community, regional combatant commands, the Department of Defense, nonprofit organizations, and industry to…

Read More...
Image of a satellite orbiting Earth.

11th Space Resiliency Summit

The 11th Space Resiliency Summit will bring together senior leaders, experts, and innovators to discuss the policies and operations necessary to ensure the safety and resiliency of US-space based assets and missions in an increasingly contested space domain. The 2024 Summit will highlight innovative technologies, strategies, and policies needed to assure continued space superiority for…

Read More...
Graphic of an F-22 Aircraft flying.

2025 AIAA SciTech Forum

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) SciTech Forum highlights aerospace research, development, and technology, showcasing breakthrough science, revolutionary technologies, and generation-after-next capabilities. The 2025 forum theme, “Energize the Future,” reflects the current shift in the aerospace industry: envisioning and enabling new means of transportation and exploration, achieving sustainability goals, developing and applying new and improved…

Read More...
U.S. Marines fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System at Camp Shorab in Helmand Province Afghanistan, Feb. 22, 2019. Marines conducted strikes in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Victoria Ross)

2025 Future Indirect Fires Summit

The 2025 Future Indirect Fires Summit will bring together leaders from the indirect fire community to discuss the latest innovations in indirect fire systems, support systems, munitions, and challenges presented by the current conflict in Ukraine. Discussions will focus on achieving enhanced lethality, survivability, precision, and range. Thought leaders will provide insights into modern warfare…

Read More...
Service member operating a mine detection tool.

11th Annual EOD/IED & Countermine Symposium

The 11th Annual EOD/IED & Countermine Symposium will bring together experts, innovators, and policymakers to address critical challenges in explosive ordnance disposal, improvised explosive devices, and countermine operations. The 2024 Symposium will highlight cutting-edge research, technological innovations, domestic and international cooperation and counter-IED missions, and best practices in mitigating the threats posed by explosive hazards….

Read More...
Global Navigation System microsatellite observatories hovering in space

Launch Site Selection Using Inland Commercial Spaceports for Constellation Deployment

As nontraditional, inland spaceports start to become operational, there is a need to understand the viability of deploying satellite constellations from these potential commercial offerings for launching. This work investigates how utilizing a small launch vehicle with these nontraditional spaceports can deploy a low Earth orbit constellation in each timeframe, competing with the traditional means…

Read More...
The Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit Mississippi (SSN 782) conducts alpha trials in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of General Dynamics Electric Boat)

Navy Partners With Private Industry to Grow Submarine Industrial Base Capacity

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy is proud to announce a groundbreaking co-investment collaboration to bolster U.S. maritime dominance and national security. In order to meet submarine production requirements, and in support of Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro’s Maritime Statecraft initiative, the Navy and its submarine industrial base partners are committed to rebuilding a manufacturing base…

Read More...

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

FEATURED WEBINAR

graphic of futuristic military drone sky above earth

Attritable Unmanned Aircraft Systems:  Conceptualization and Key Players

Air domain operations are critical to the U.S. military defense strategy. Military air domain missions use aircraft for tasks like attack; resupply; rescue; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; etc. Historically, air domain missions required manned aircraft, putting the aviator at risk. In the 1990s, the military began replacing manned aircraft with unmanned aircraft. Unmanned aerial systems…

Read More...
A 3-D printer for metal from Naval Surface Warfare Center

Digital Twin Research and Development for a Metal Additive Manufacturing Process

A laser-based metal additive manufacturing process offers lower heat input; thus leading to less base metal distortion compared to traditional welding processes. Digital twin (DT) is a critical technology, as it gives insights into many critical aspects of a manufacturing process. DT offers continuous improvement through sensor data from physical tests and data from virtual…

Read More...
NASA antenna in space

Antenna Systems for Space Applications at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Antenna developments for space applications have a long history at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Starting from the 1970s, Voyager; Galileo; Cassini; the Shutter Radar Topography mission; and, more recently, Aquarius, the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, the NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation Synthetic…

Read More...
U.S. Navy Special Operators conduct training.

13th Annual SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium

The 13th Annual SOF and Irregular Warfare Symposium will focus on the dynamic challenges of modern unconventional warfare. As state and non-state actors continue to evolve their strategies, this year’s event will gather senior leaders and key decision-makers from across the SOF community, regional combatant commands, the Department of Defense, nonprofit organizations, and industry to…

Read More...
Image of a satellite orbiting Earth.

11th Space Resiliency Summit

The 11th Space Resiliency Summit will bring together senior leaders, experts, and innovators to discuss the policies and operations necessary to ensure the safety and resiliency of US-space based assets and missions in an increasingly contested space domain. The 2024 Summit will highlight innovative technologies, strategies, and policies needed to assure continued space superiority for…

Read More...
Graphic of an F-22 Aircraft flying.

2025 AIAA SciTech Forum

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) SciTech Forum highlights aerospace research, development, and technology, showcasing breakthrough science, revolutionary technologies, and generation-after-next capabilities. The 2025 forum theme, “Energize the Future,” reflects the current shift in the aerospace industry: envisioning and enabling new means of transportation and exploration, achieving sustainability goals, developing and applying new and improved…

Read More...
U.S. Marines fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System at Camp Shorab in Helmand Province Afghanistan, Feb. 22, 2019. Marines conducted strikes in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Victoria Ross)

2025 Future Indirect Fires Summit

The 2025 Future Indirect Fires Summit will bring together leaders from the indirect fire community to discuss the latest innovations in indirect fire systems, support systems, munitions, and challenges presented by the current conflict in Ukraine. Discussions will focus on achieving enhanced lethality, survivability, precision, and range. Thought leaders will provide insights into modern warfare…

Read More...
Service member operating a mine detection tool.

11th Annual EOD/IED & Countermine Symposium

The 11th Annual EOD/IED & Countermine Symposium will bring together experts, innovators, and policymakers to address critical challenges in explosive ordnance disposal, improvised explosive devices, and countermine operations. The 2024 Symposium will highlight cutting-edge research, technological innovations, domestic and international cooperation and counter-IED missions, and best practices in mitigating the threats posed by explosive hazards….

Read More...
Global Navigation System microsatellite observatories hovering in space

Launch Site Selection Using Inland Commercial Spaceports for Constellation Deployment

As nontraditional, inland spaceports start to become operational, there is a need to understand the viability of deploying satellite constellations from these potential commercial offerings for launching. This work investigates how utilizing a small launch vehicle with these nontraditional spaceports can deploy a low Earth orbit constellation in each timeframe, competing with the traditional means…

Read More...
The Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit Mississippi (SSN 782) conducts alpha trials in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of General Dynamics Electric Boat)

Navy Partners With Private Industry to Grow Submarine Industrial Base Capacity

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy is proud to announce a groundbreaking co-investment collaboration to bolster U.S. maritime dominance and national security. In order to meet submarine production requirements, and in support of Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro’s Maritime Statecraft initiative, the Navy and its submarine industrial base partners are committed to rebuilding a manufacturing base…

Read More...

2024 Aircraft Survivability Symposium

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

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 Headshot 0822
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.

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