As America’s near-peer adversaries have developed more effective anti-satellite capabilities, the US has been forced to rethink the resilience of our current satellite network.

Following the success of the commercial industry, the US military is learning lessons from companies who have run pilot projects and who already have plans for small satellites constellations of 1,000 or more.

Of course, there are challenges from the pace of DOD acquisition processes to operational concepts around launch options, rapid deployment for crises, etc. These issues and more are discussed in this interesting article.

Click here for more.

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“As the armored BCT fields new systems, it will replace main battle tanks, howitzers, and mortar indirect fire platforms. Far-term initiatives aim to solve the absence of the armored BCT’s ability to deploy rapidly. The Army assesses the feasibility and application of autonomous or semi-autonomous sub-systems, manned and unmanned teaming, and autonomy enabled combat platforms,” so states the Army’s modernization strategy.

Imagine going into an armored fight with autonomous reconnaissance, artillery, and main battle tanks as part of the force under your command and control. While the technical and tactical challenges for ground autonomy are immense, the US Army is already engineering high-tech autonomy kits for many of our current combat vehicles.

Click here for more about this amazing work.

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“We should be monitoring all soldiers, all the time, looking for patterns of injury or other signs for early detection,” proposed the Army’s Surgeon General, LTG Nadja West, at the Association of the U.S. Army in Arlington, Virginia. “We can do better when every soldier is a sensor, and we can continuously monitor information culled from them.”

Given the proliferation of wearable and implantable sensors, it is possible to envision military doctors thousands of miles away monitoring detailed data on a soldier’s health.

​Click here for more details of the Army Surgeon General’s vision.

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“A concerted push by China to reshape the market in its favor, using industrial policies backed by over one hundred billion dollars in government-directed funds, threatens the competitiveness of U.S. industry and the national and global benefits it brings,” declared a January 2017 report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, warning of the urgent threat to U.S. superiority in semiconductor technology.

Almost a year and a half later this problem has only gotten worse across more sectors.

​Click here to read Politico’s detailed report on the myriad challenges for an open society to prevent the acquisition of critical U.S. defense technology.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

“The hyper-enabled operator is a concept, it is not a deliverable product,” said Lisa Sanders, the SOCOM director of science and technology, during remarks at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa, Florida this week.

The ultimate goal is to make warfighters as effective as possible in achieving their missions. Ms. Sanders’ office is looking to enhance that effectiveness by integrating four technology areas: communications, computing, data/sensors and human-machine interfaces.

​Click here for more about the strategy and implementation behind hyper-enabled operators.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

During a meeting last year at the University of Texas - Austin, one of America’s leading professors told me that, while they could safeguard their research, they needed to turn over their prototype for further development to industry because “we have too many foreign graduate students here.”

Long recognized as one of the challenges of an open society, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has taken a stab at the problem of losing intellectual property to foreign governments who have crowdsourced intelligence collection to their overseas students.

In the HASC version of the annual defense policy bill, they added a provision to reduce Russian, Chinese, Iranian and North Korean efforts to exploit American universities for cutting-edge defense research. While recognized as an insufficient first step, this issue will become ever more critical as our near-peer adversaries continue to advance their R&D with stolen American technology. 

​Click here for more.
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For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

Critics of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) scoffed at the technical challenge of “hitting a bullet with a bullet.” They would be even more impressed with the problem of attacking a warhead with an explosive charge so precise it can dismember an incoming warhead just milliseconds before impact.

Modular, lightweight and low cost, these systems are available for light vehicles as well as tanks. The U.S. Army is currently evaluating Iron Curtain, an Artis system funded by DARPA, as well as Israel’s Trophy and Iron Fist systems. 

Click here for more details and some amazing slow motion video of the systems in action.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.
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The ubiquitous Hellfire missile is facing competition from a new munition with a 20-mile range and a 36-lb warhead.

The Small Glide Munition (SGM) by Dynetics can hit a target moving up to 70 mph, delivers a more powerful blow but weighs almost half the amount of the famous Hellfire. An unpowered glide weapon, the SGM can be deployed by C-130 gunships tens of thousands of feet above a battle area significantly improving the precision strike capability of special operations forces below.

Citing immediate combat requirements, SOCOM has ordered hundreds of the small, lethal munitions. 

Click here for more.

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

The U.S. Army Research Lab (ARL) has invested in an R&D joint venture with Uber to collaborate on rotor technology research that will benefit both the Army’s Future Vertical Lift program and Uber Elevate’s urban air transportation network. The research will expand on Uber’s advances in a new co-rotating propellor system which greatly reduces noise by spinning the propellers in the same direction instead of the current counter directional systems.

ARL will be able to accelerate incorporation of more silent and efficient lift into military service and Uber Elevate will receive ARL support to develop and test aircraft for their air taxi service.

First demo flights are planned for 2020 and you know you want to ride one, so click here for more!

For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.

“Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.”

This quote by Russian President Putin sets the tone for an excellent paper by Michael C. Horowitz. Published this week by the University of Texas’ National Security Network, Horowitz evaluates how developments in artificial intelligence will influence the military balance of power and international competition. 

DTA subscribers will read our in-depth review next week, but for now, click here to read Horowitz’ fascinating paper.

​For access to some of the most profitable opportunities in the defense technology sector, check out Massengill’s Defense Technology Alert. Click here to learn more.