 |
07-14 Science and Technology
The Army’s Science and Technology strategy is to develop the technology options that will ensure that the Army has overmatching technical capabilities now and remains dominant in the future. The synchronization between the Army’s Science and Technology strategy and the Warfighter needs enhances the Army’s ability to continue to execute the War on Terrorism and its ability to simultaneously organize into full spectrum organizations that will have the speed and agility necessary to create the modular force that is capable of moving strategically as part of a Joint expeditionary force. Success in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) requires that we enhance the capability of our current force in real time. The Army Science and Technology (S&T) program is developing technologies that will enhance the Current Force while enabling the Future Force.
The Soldier remains the centerpiece of all S&T investments while the Future Combat Systems (FCS), now in the Systems Development and Demonstration phase, remains the core of our focus on the Army’s Future Force. The S&T strategy is to mature emerging technologies for the FCS and, where feasible, to quickly incorporate selected technologies directly into the Current Force.
The FCS program has three integrated phases to achieve transformation this decade: Concept and Technology Development (CTD); System Design and Demonstration (SDD), and Production. The FCS Lead System Integrator (LSI) team will be partnering with industry and government during each of these phases to provide the Army with the most effective / best value FCS solution to begin initial fielding in 2010.
Army S&T supports our Soldiers deployed to fight the GWOT through three mechanisms. First, we are capitalizing on future technology. Second, we are exploiting transition opportunities from on-going S&T efforts. Third, we are leveraging the expertise of our scientists and engineers to develop solutions for unforeseen problems. The following are examples of the three approaches:
Capitalizing on Future Technology. Although the Army does not have a Directed Energy Application Program of Record, the Army does support funding mature and proven technology as potential solutions for identified capability gaps in the defeat of Rockets, Artillery, Munitions (RAM), and the Active Denial System (ADS) utilized in the denial and protection of designated assets and dispersion and crowd control.
Exploiting technologies from current investments. Radio Frequency (RF) jamming technology solutions from investments in our electronic warfare technology program have been incorporated into the family of Warlock systems being used to defeat radio controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) today.
Leveraging S&T expertise to solve unforeseen problems. Engineers at the Army Research Laboratory and the Tank-Automotive Research Development Engineering Center have extensive experience in designing armor for the Army’s combat vehicles. This team rapidly responded to a critical need by designing and demonstrating add-on armor survivability kits for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) for enhanced survivability. These kits have now been installed on over 14,000 HMMWVs deployed for GWOT.
The mid-term priority is the development and demonstration of technologies for “spin outs” into Current and Future Forces focused on network centric Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), lighter weight materials, more energetic lethality, increased survivability, advanced networks and hybrid propulsion.
In the far-term, Army S&T will provide revolutionary new technology concepts for completely autonomous ground and air vehicles, training and simulation environments with “Holodeck" potential, compact power sources that are a factor of 20 times smaller and lighter than current power sources and investment in nanoscience, biotechnology, smart structures and materials-by-design.
US Forces encounter IEDs every day in current operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other locations around the world. The IED has become the favorite weapon for the terrorist due to the challenges in detection, identification, and destruction of the IED in daily operations. The current methods of detection, identification, and destruction bring Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel within deadly range of the IED. There are Directed Energy solutions that have demonstrated their effectiveness in the current Areas of Operations (AO). These systems use new technologies to detect, identify, and destroy a wide range of IEDs. These systems can be produced and delivered to the field to reduce the threat to operational forces within theater. The Army Directed Energy programs will address Force Protection and Force Application by providing ultra-precise IED detection, identification, and engagement at effective stand-off ranges and applying new technologies to provide expanded IED threat reduction capabilities
The terrorist adversary has demonstrated a willingness to expose noncombatants and cultural icons to damage in order to strike at US forces. The US military forces have relied on kinetic weapons to provide for crowd control, area use denial, and protection of designated assets. Kinetic nonlethal systems have limitations beyond certain ranges and potential lethality within specific ranges of engagement. Kinetic systems cannot defend to the maximum effective range of adversary personal weapons. Directed energy solutions give friendly forces safe, manageable, scalable, and nonlethal methods to control areas of interest and disperse threatening crowds without the use of kinetic weapons.
The Active Denial System gives the commander an asset that has demonstrated the ability to clear areas of personnel without damage to facilities, structures, or equipment. This gives the commander very precise control over avenues of approach beyond the effective engagement range of the adversary’s current small arms. The ability to clear areas without the use of kinetic weapons supports the objective of providing security with minimal collateral damage, loss of noncombatant lives, and protection of culturally sensitive buildings and locations.
The Army Directed Energy programs will address Force Protection and Force Application by providing precise area denial system engagement at effective ranges, protecting designated assets with minimal collateral damage, and applying scalable technologies to provide expanded capabilities
In 2005, the Army in collaboration with the Air Force and the OSD High Energy Joint Technology Office (HEL JTO) demonstrated the power of 25 KW Solid State Lasers (SSL). They have the potential to precisely focus high energy to defeat Rockets, Artillery and Mortars (RAM). Further initiatives are currently being explored to leverage directed energy applications. Continued funding for these projects is critical to employing its capability for emerging Force Protection requirements.
WE THEREFORE RESOLVE to urge the Administration and Congress to:
Fund Advanced Technology Development focusing on maturing critical Future Force modular technology enablers:
- FCS
- Unmanned systems
- Directed Energy Applications
- Countermeasures for improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
- Defeat -Rockets, Artillery and Mortar
- Network Battle Command Systems
- Fund Applied Research to provide “spin out” technologies to Future Force systems:
- Solid State Lasers
- Light weight armor
- Kinetic Energy Active Denial System
|