DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
In an interview with Deputy Editor Aaron Mehta, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord provides an update on her office”s reorganization and the path ahead for acquisition reform. When the Pentagon split the legacy Acquisition, Technology and Logistics office into two new organizations, it came with a massive reshuffling of personnel.
The G2X Jetboard pushes itself along at up to 36 MPH. Nearly three years after we first saw Radinn”s prototype electric wakeboard, the Swedish outfit is back with a redesigned version. The G2X will be on display at the Boot Düsseldorf show this week, showing off its capabilities like a swappable battery so owners don”t
Directed energy weapons intended to disrupt or damage their victims’ brains were the most likely source of a series of mysterious attacks singling out U.S. personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Cuba in 2017, three doctors involved in the investigation have told National Defense in exclusive interviews. The three experts were contacted by the
NASA and the US Department of Energy have developed a new nuclear fission reactor design for space applications, the Kilopower. NASA successfully conducted testing and demonstration of the Kilopower system during November 2017 to March 2018 testing at the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Nevada National Security Site. This moves the reactor one step
The objective of this effort was to develop a comprehensive test protocol to accurately predict all aspects of the performance lifetime of Department of Defense (DoD) coatings and alloys. This test protocol was to be comprised of a test methodology which would include the development of a test chamber, modified to include the synergistic effects
he Army is starting formal production of a new Self-Propelled Howitzer variant engineered for faster movement, better structural protection, improved drive-train ability, new suspension and advanced networking tech, service and industry developers said. The new vehicle is built with a more capable, larger chassis, designed as an initial step toward building a next-generation cannon able
It is with great sadness that we received news about the sudden passing of Dr. Brad Forch. Brad served the U.S. Army Research Laboratory as a senior research scientist in ballistics, where we had the opportunity to work with him as DSIAC”s first Contracting Officer’s Representative. Brad maintained regular contact with DSIAC ever since its
Critical minerals, including rare earth elements and metals, are the new oil. The modern world has become accustomed to and dependent on technologies that require rare earth parts. Yet for decades, as the U.S. fought and won battles against its dependence on foreign oil, it ceded complete control to China for rare earths and most
The Pentagon is eyeing space-based laser weapons technology as the ultimate solution to defeat a missile threat in its boost phase of flight, but the Defense Department is not yet at a point where it has determined the best possible solution. “Waiting until an adversary is in midcourse [phase of flight] is giving the adversary
Understanding how lithium reacts to pressure developed from charging and discharging a battery could mean safer, better batteries. There’s an old saying: “You must learn to walk before you learn to run.” Despite such wisdom, numerous industries skip the basics and sign up for marathons instead, including the battery industry. Lithium ion batteries hold incredible
“Everyone in the industry has been waiting for this discovery. This is a paradigm shift in the field of high-temperature oxidation. We are now establishing new principles for understanding the degradation mechanisms in this class of materials at very high temperatures.” Many current and future technologies require alloys that can withstand high temperatures without corroding.
Researchers at Columbia Engineering have demonstrated for the first time a new technique that takes its inspiration from the nacre of oyster shells, a composite material that has extraordinary mechanical properties, including great strength and resilience. By changing the crystallization speed of a polymer initially well mixed with nanoparticles, the team was able to control