Articles

Sensors/Data Acquisition

Designing the Next Generation of Military Robots

Many recent blockbuster films and best-selling books depict the robotic apocalypse and have shed a negative light on military robotics. However, not all unmanned system development is aimed...

Articles

Aerospace

Improved Interference Rejection Using Multi-Static Radar Signal Processing

In multi-static radar (MSR), the transmit/ receive aperture is divided into a number of sub-apertures that can be placed in various locations relative to each other....

Articles

Data Acquisition

USB-to-Synchronous Cable Enables IP Data Communications for Tactical Radios

Warfighters can benefit greatly from having radio IP-based data communications at the theater level. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the 750,000 tactical radio...

Articles

Aerospace

Evaluating the FPGA Selection Process in Military System Design

As technologies such as digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and general-purpose processors (GPPs) advance, product and feature differentiation...

Articles

Aerospace

Fiber Interferometry for Testing Military Avionics

Fiber-optic networks have benefited from nearly 20 years of continuous expansion (notwithstanding the brief, yet surprisingly quiet period from 2002 to 2005). For terrestrial networking, this...

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

Demodulating Over-the-Air Communications

Today, modern radio designs have made a predominant shift to the software-defined radio architecture. From cellular handsets to military communications devices, the flexibility to use multiple wireless...

Articles

Aerospace

Tactical Lab Trains Warfighters in Space Hardware and Software Control Tasks

A Training and Tactical ORS Operations (TATOO) Laboratory is being developed by Star Technologies Corp. under the direction of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)...

Articles

Aerospace

Electrically Driven General Systems for UAVs

General systems are defined as all of the flight safety critical systems of an aircraft, excluding the engine and flight control computing. Usually, the main subsystems in a general system include...

Articles

Aerospace

Middleware Offers Integration Framework for Dynamic UAV Applications

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the MQ-1 Predator have excelled in the theaters of war in which they have been deployed. However, the ability of those controlling the UAV...

Articles

Aerospace

Interaction Methods for Virtual Reality Applications

The potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technology has not been fully realized because the user interfaces are not designed to effectively support the user. One of the most critical interface...

Articles

Data Acquisition

2D Laser Profiling Scanner for Detecting Targets

The Radiometric Sensor Development and Applications Team of the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed a 2D laser profiling...

Articles

Aerospace

Active Thermal Management for Cooler Body Armor

The military places greater demands on its equipment — electronic and otherwise — than any other market segment. It is also true that it places its greatest thermal demands on the men and...

Articles

Sensors/Data Acquisition

Weapon and Armor System Power in Future Combat Vehicles

Future combat vehicles will require unconventional weapons and armor systems such as electromagnetic (EM) or electrothermal chemical (ETC) guns, electromagnetic (EM) armor, and directed-...

Articles

Aerospace

Detecting Improvised Explosive Devices in Urban Areas

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are rudimentary bombs that generally consist of commonly found non-military materials. Although common IED threats include roadside bombs, suicide bombers...

Articles

Aerospace

Today’s Gigabit Ethernet Modules: Realizing the Netcentric Vision

To realize the Depart ment of Defense's (DoD) vision of a ubiquitous, netcentric battlefield — connecting the warfighter with critical data in real time — embedded...

Articles

Aerospace

The Future of Space Propulsion

Significant challenges and advances in space propulsion have occurred over the past ten years. The end of the Cold War had significant impacts, both positive and negative. Operational systems now have to operate...

Articles

Aerospace

Data-Based Paradigm for Rapid Development of Advanced Avionics Displays

The database concepts, tools, and runtime software described in this article provide a methodology for creating advanced avionics human-machine interfaces (HMIs), such as...

Articles

Aerospace

The Ballistic Missile Defense System: An Integrated Approach to Global Defense

Although the end of the Cold War signaled a reduction in the likelihood of global nuclear conflict, the threat from ballistic missiles has grown steadily as...

Articles

Communications

SpaceWire: The Standard for Aerospace Communications

Developed in 1999 under the auspices of the European Space Agency, SpaceWire answered a longstanding spaceflight problem: no standard, high-speed communications protocol existed for flight...

Articles

Aerospace

Update on NASA’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

In the August issue of Defense Tech Briefs, we highlighted NASA’s Altair/Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for Earth science missions. A lot has happened in the past two months, so we’re...

Articles

Aerospace

The Altair/Predator B: An Earth Science Aircraft for the 21st Century

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) of San Diego, CA, to demonstrate technologies that...

Articles

Aerospace

Advanced Training and Simulation Technology Helps Produce Mission-Ready Warfighters

Today's warfighters operate some of the most technologically advanced vehicles, aircraft, and weapons systems, and to do so effectively and safely, they require...

Articles

Aerospace

Creating a Synthetic Virtual Instrument for Avionics Testing

The demand for fast evolution and increased flexibility of electronics systems in many different industries and applications has driven the trend for increasing software content of...

Articles

Aerospace

WIN-T: The Warfighter's Communications Backbone for Today and Tomorrow

The battlefield of the future will integrate all elements into one networked force, enabling communication among soldiers and commanders on the land, at sea, in the air, and...

Briefs

Aerospace

Near-Precision Soft Landing Resupply Dispenser

AFRL munitions experts teamed with engineers from Systima Technologies, Inc., under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to develop a Covert Resupply (COVRES) dispenser. The team...

Briefs

Aerospace

Blended Wing Body Aircraft

Scientists from Boeing Phantom Works, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and AFRL are testing a new aircraft with the potential to realize up to 30% better fuel efficiency because of its unique...

Briefs

Medical

Remote-Controlled Aerial Vehicle for Application of Pesticides

AFRL demonstrated its Remotely Controlled Aerial Vehicle for Application of Pesticides (RCAVAP) at the Force Protection Equipment Demonstration (FPED) conducted at Quantico Marine...

Briefs

Aerospace

Unmanned SkyTote Demonstrates Capabilities

AFRL scientists are working on SkyTote, a novel unmanned air vehicle (UAV) that will take off and land vertically like a helicopter (see figure) but also transition into horizontal flight like a...

Briefs

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

The Propulsion - Safety, Affordability, and Readiness Program

Propulsion - Safety, Affordability, and Readiness (P-SAR) is a new and unique program effort intended to achieve common engine sustainment goals across the Army, Navy, and Air Force...