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Briefs
Aerospace

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Help Responders in Urban Environments

In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory teamed up with Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, and DAGER Technology LLC, to conduct an assessment on selected models of cybersecure “Blue UAS.” The drones are cybersecure and commercially available to assist emergency responders with their public safety operations. Read on to learn more.

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Products
Electronics & Computers

New Products

See the new products, including SemiNex's narrow-linewidth high-power External Cavity Laser with single frequency; Rohde & Schwarz's extended R&S®BBA300 portfolio with two innovative amplifier series, the R&S®BBA300-F and the R&S®BBA300-FG; Teledyne FLIR's Prism™ Supervisor, the latest addition to its Prism embedded software ecosystem; STMicroelectronics' first product of its strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies to simplify development of next-generation wireless solutions for industrial and consumer IoT applications; and much more.

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Articles
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Manufacturing Spotlight: Advanced Drilling, Threading and Milling Tools Maximize Productivity in Challenging Aerospace Materials

Before threading holes, drilling is a necessary and critical step. Drilling challenging aerospace materials demands an application-specific solution. Stainless, titanium, and nickel- based alloys are highly heat resistant so heat generated during the drilling process is pushed into the cutter. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Weapons Systems

The Power Behind the Growth in Intelligent Munitions

This article describes the technologies enabling the evolution of intelligent munitions and focuses on the importance of stable power supplies. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Aerospace

The Future of Aerospace: Embracing Digital Transformation and Emerging Technologies

Most A&D companies are not seeing the ROI they expect from their digital transformation journeys. This does not mean digital transformation is not working, it just means it is not mature. Read on to learn what this means.

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Articles
Software

Physicists Measure a Key Aspect of Superconductivity in ‘Magic-Angle’ Graphene

Physicists at MIT and Harvard University have now directly measured superfluid stiffness for the first time in “magic-angle” graphene — materials that are made from two or more atomically thin sheets of graphene twisted with respect to each other at just the right angle to enable a host of exceptional properties, including unconventional superconductivity. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability Makes Tremendous Progress in First Year

Just one year after signing a ground-breaking trilateral agreement, the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability partnership is completing facilities construction at the first of three sites that will host a global network of advanced ground-based sensors. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Power

Design Considerations for Rugged Naval Equipment Enclosures

New, efficient approaches to cabinet and console design, fabrication, integration, and qualification are enabling prime defense contractors to equip the Navy faster with better technology while increasing ROI. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Materials

Fiber Computer Allows Apparel to Run Apps and Understand the Wearer

MIT researchers have developed an autonomous programmable computer in the form of an elastic fiber, which could monitor health conditions and physical activity, alerting the wearer to potential health risks in real-time. Read on to learn more.

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Application Briefs
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Robust Quantum Sensors Program

To address quantum sensors' barriers, DARPA is launching the Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program. RoQS will seek to develop quantum sensors that are inherently resistant to environmental disruptions, ensuring they can operate reliably outside of a laboratory without sacrificing their sensitivity. Read on to learn more.

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Application Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Eurofighter Common Radar System Upgrade

The Eurofighter Common Radar System Mark 1 project is the next-generation Eurofighter radar that is to be fielded by the air forces of Germany and Spain. This E-Scan radar will enhance the capabilities of the Eurofighter — which Airbus produces for the German and Spanish air forces — in air-to-air and air-to-ground operations and also equip it with electronic warfare capabilities. Read on to learn more.

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Application Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

6.8 MM Ammunition Production Facility

The U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, along with the Joint Munitions Command, officially broke ground on a new 6.8 mm ammunition production facility in support of the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri. Read on to learn more about the 6.8 mm family of ammunition, set to be produced at the new facility.

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Application Briefs
Manned Systems

Thailand Army Vehicle Computer System Upgrades

Leonardo DRS received a new contract to provide and integrate the latest Battle Management Systems C4I hardware and software into new Royal Thailand Army combat vehicles. The total value of the award is more than $7 million. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army through the U.S. Government Grant Assistance program. Read on to learn more.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

F/A-18 Infrared Search and Rescue System

The U.S. Navy declared initial operational capability for the F/A-18 E/F Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II system in November 2024, providing the fleet with an enhanced capability to search, detect and track airborne targets at long range. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Aerospace

How Generative AI Wargaming Can Accelerate Mission Analysis

A team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is creating an artificial intelligence-driven capability that automates much of the work that goes into designing, setting up, developing and running wargames. The effort holds promise to dramatically amplify the impact and value of wargames and similar exercises for the military and other government agencies. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Army Researchers Develop Chemical Threat Scanning on the Fly

U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center researchers are developing a way to scan for chemical biological agent on surfaces on the fly. It is called Hyperspectral Threat Anomaly Detection, or HyperThreAD for short. Read on to learn more about it.

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Articles
Aerospace

Advancing Embedded Systems with VITA 93: A New Era in Modular I/O for Aerospace and Defense

In this article, system architects and design engineers will learn how evolving embedded system requirements are driving the need for flexible mezzanine solutions. Additionally, the challenges of traditional mezzanine standards and their impact on system design are outlined.

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Articles
Defense

Centralized Computing in Next-Generation Army Vehicles

As we move toward an era of autonomous vehicle warfare, technology will need to remain a top priority to ensure mission success and the safety and security of military personnel and civilians alike. Read on to learn what this means.

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Articles
Connectivity

Next Level Rugged Fiber Optic Interconnects: A New Era of High-Speed Data Transmission in Defense

In addition to the high level of complexity, the upcoming generation change from fifth- to sixth-generation fighter jets poses major challenges for component suppliers and accelerates the pace of technological competition. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Connectivity

How Will TSN Ethernet Impact the Future of Embedded Computing?

Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet is a real-time networking capability that is being developed by a growing number of embedded computing companies for the earliest stages of adoption by aerospace and defense manufacturers and their suppliers. Read on to learn more about it.

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Articles
Software

A Supercomputer for Aerospace and Defense Systems Modeling and Simulation

In February 2024, Cadence launched a new generation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the introduction of the Millennium M1 CFD Supercomputer. Read on to learn more about it.

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Articles
Defense

The Unusual Machines Approach to Low-Cost Drones and Drone Components

Headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Unusual Machines describes itself as a “classic American technology company born from garage tinkerers and hobbyists, focused on serving the emerging drone industry with unique and innovative products.” Read on to learn more about Unusual Machines' drone dealings.

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

Fully Rugged Mobile PCs Provide an Edge on the Battlefield and Beyond

DARPA pioneered satellites, the internet, drones, and human-computer interfaces. Now that work is enabling the next round of revolutionary technologies, including AI, edge and cloud computing, and the Internet of Military Things for a wide variety of C4ISR applications. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Aerospace

Affordable Mass: Embracing a New Strategy for Advancing Defense Capabilities

Affordable mass refers to the ability to rapidly produce large quantities of effective, cost-efficient munitions and systems. It’s not about cutting corners but about optimizing every facet of the production process, from design to deployment. Read on to learn more about it.

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Articles
Aerospace

5 Startups Developing AI for Defense Application

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being adopted and deployed across the global aerospace and defense industry in a wide variety of software and hardware-defined applications right now. Read on to learn about five startups developing new and novel AI and ML technologies for aerospace and defense applications.

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Products
Electronics & Computers

New Products

See the new products, including EIZO Rugged Solutions' Condor VC300xX, an XMC form factor Ultra High-Definition (UHD) video capture card for C5ISR applications; new R&S NRPxE power sensors from Rohde & Schwarz; Q-Tech Corporation's new AXTAL GHz Series of high-performance/ultra-low noise/high-frequency crystal oscillators and modules; Concurrent Technologies' TR MDx/6sd, which is a compute intensive rugged Plug In Card; Samtec's LL043 Series Nitrowave™ high-performance microwave cable assembly; and more.

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Articles
Aerospace

Notre Dame’s New Boundary Breaking Mach 10 Quiet Wind Tunnel

The University of Notre Dame opened its new Large Mach 1 Quiet Wind Tunnel — the first and only hypersonic research facility of its kind — in November 2024. Notre Dame researchers describe the new facility as serving several immediate purposes, including to help address hypersonic testing backlogs at Department of Defense (DoD) facilities. Read on to learn more about it.

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

The Art of Reverse Engineering Yesteryear for Aerospace and Defense Data Storage Drives

The failure of electromechanical drives has been placing, and continues to place, the reliability of many computer-based systems in use in the aerospace and defense industries at risk. Read on to learn how the industry can ameliorate this.

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Articles
Materials

Shape-Shifting Antenna Poised to Transform Communications

By leveraging cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques and shape memory alloys, researchers have created an antenna that can change its shape based on its temperature. This technology has transformative potential in a wide range of military, scientific and commercial applications. Read on to learn more.

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