DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
While thousands turned out to watch NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) recently complete a full-scale test of its booster, few were aware of the other major test occurring simultaneously. NASA’s High Dynamic Range Stereo X (HiDyRS-X) project, a revolutionary high-speed, high dynamic range camera, filmed the test, recording propulsion video data in never before seen
The newest Airbus and Boeing passenger jets flying today are made primarily from advanced composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic—extremely light, durable materials that reduce the overall weight of the plane by as much as 20 percent compared to aluminum-bodied planes. Such lightweight airframes translate directly to fuel savings, which is a major
A GO-KART ISN’T the most obvious place to find the engine that could change how cars, drones, and anything else with a motor gets around, but it makes sense when you think about it. Karts are small, cheap, and crazy fun. “It’s a thrilling ride,” says Alexander Shkolnik. Shkolnik is the president and co-founder of
In an intriguing paper certain to catch the eye of senior Pentagon officials, a company claims that an artificial intelligence program it designed allowed drones to repeatedly and convincingly “defeat” a human pilot in simulations in a test done with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). A highly experienced former Air Force battle manager, Gene
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Maryland — The Defense Department”s push to develop leap ahead technology known as the “third offset strategy” must include ground forces, an Army official said Aug. 3. The third offset strategy calls for the development of cutting edge technologies in various fields that will give the services battlefield advantages. Many of the
The Air Force this week declared that the F-35 Lightning II, one version of the most expensive weapon system ever, had reached initial operating capability, some 15 years after the Joint Strike Fighter program got underway. The Air Force’s announcement that the fifth-generation fighter was “combat ready” follows the Marines’ declaration last summer that its
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Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) marked its first successful flight demonstration of a flight critical aircraft component built using additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, July 29. An MV-22B Osprey completed a test flight outfitted with a titanium, 3-D printed link and fitting assembly for the engine nacelle. This link and fitting assembly is one of four
A contract to develop the Afghan National Army’s capacity to maintain its growing fleet of vehicles has more than doubled in cost, reaching a total of $423 million, a recent Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction [SIGAR] report found. See SIGAR 16-49, July 2016,Afghan National Army: DOD Has Taken Steps to Remedy Poor Management of
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter officially opened the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental in Boston July 26, and unveiled a slew of new efforts to enhance the Pentagon’s outreach to the commercial technology sector. DIUx Boston is the second such office in the country. The first was opened last year in Silicon Valley to help the Defense
The Air Force variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter passed another key test days ago, deploying an AIM-9X missile while in flight to hit a drone over a military test range, officials with the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office said. The test with the F-35A was conducted off the California coast July 28, Joint
The nation”s top defense contractors are drafting bids in anticipation of an Air Force request for proposals to develop the next generation of nuclear-tipped intercontinental missiles. Based on preliminary guidance given to potential bidders, industry officials said, the Air Force is avoiding the pitfalls of past development programs and has written the requirements for the