The Pentagon picks its top 10 hot technologies for 2008

Call it a high-tech military wish list.  The Department of Defense this week unveiled the projects it most wants to see reach fruition this year. 

At first glance communication technology dominates the list but unmanned aircraft also play a big role.   

The two unmanned aircraft programs are:  

Zephyr: A solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle for high-altitude surveillance. The pentagon says the low-cost aircraft will offer persistent surveillance and communications relay, flying continuous operations for periods of months at a time using solar power plus batteries for continual day/night operations. Sensors enable ground radio communications links over hundreds of square miles and surveillance of logistics routes and ground threats. The hand-launched UAV requires no formal infrastructure and little manpower to operate and provides cross-theatre benefits to all U.S. Forces.  The Zephyr has been under development by UK defense contractor Qinetiq and last August completed a 54-hour flight at  almost 60,000ft.

Global Observer: This aircraft is a long-endurance, liquid hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicle. The GO flies extremely long endurance 6 to 7 days at a time with a moderately sized payload (about 1,000lbs) capacity at altitudes greater than 60,000 feet. Persistent surveillance capability enables operations from garrisoned locations, reducing the number of forward bases required for world-wide support. May support global, persistent, and synchronized intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and targeting, and broadband communications into denied areas, according to the DoD release. The craft is under development by AeroVironment which recently received the go-ahead from the US Air Force for full production of its the one pound, 29-inch WASP III unmanned aircraft designed to be used for special battlefield operations such as targeting and tracking. 

The communications-related technologies:  

Communications AirBorne Layer Expansion (CABLE): Demonstrates information exchange at the tactical edge. Uses a backbone network for internet protocol (IP)-based, high-capacity data transfer, secure gateways to interconnect data links, voice systems, and net-centric IP-based networks. Includes an information broker that organizes, transforms, and shares knowledge across various data and voice networks. Uses an application platform to host enterprise-wide services, such as a common tactical picture service or chat service. The idea is that CABLE is a gateway that helps bridge the air, ground and space networks designed to be carried on manned and unmanned aircraft. It makes dissimilar data and voice radios interoperable by translating diverse radio signals transmitted on different frequencies and extends the range of line-of-sight radios and tactical data links by relaying information to ground and airborne users as well as distant AOCs and command centers via satellite, according to an article here. 

Collaborative On-Line Reconnaissance Provider/Operationally Responsive Attack Link: The idea behind CORPORAL is to be able to more easily share data that exists in many military locations- be it a tank, or onboard an aircraft and be able to share it openly across air and ground based systems. The DoD said CORPORAL should greatly improves/expands target results communication range and availability so that critical data/information can be shared with other war fighters for collaboration and visibility to higher authorities. Provides ground forces with a beyond-line-of-sight connectivity to Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance resources. 

Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System: Is an integrated system-of-systems to protect expeditionary military installations, incorporates comprehensive situational awareness for force protection providers, reduces manning due to systems integration and robotics, and reduces logistics cost. Functional areas for installation protection addressed include: perimeter security, chemical-biological-radiological defense, access control, nonintrusive inspection, and waterside security. Included in this effort are standard network sensors that can transmit security-related information across multiple networks. One company that is part of JPASS, ViaLogy, said Today there is a significant lack of interoperability between systems in the military and the public sector. The company’s Sensor Policy Manager can enable interoperability between networked sensor, tactical and operational subsystems, it said in a statement.  

Other hot military items, a couple of which defy simple explanation:  

Hard Target Void-Sensing (HTVS) Fuze: Void-sensing, cockpit-programmable, fuze that functions in greater than 10,000 pounds per-square-inch concrete Multi-Function Threat Detector (MFTD): An  expanded aircraft missile warning system to include Hostile Fire Warning from man-portable air defense systems, rocket-propelled grenade, unguided rockets and incoming surface-to-air fire ranging from small arms to antiaircraft artillery. Provides an infrared micro-lens optics package that provides simultaneous spatial and temporal co-registration of spectral images. 

Combat Autonomous Mobility System: Aimed at Special Forces use, the communications system uses mature sub-components to extend intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance range and targeting coverage, to improve joint fire support and multiple command and control unmanned ground and air systems. 

Shadow Harvest (classified):  Demonstrates the C-130 aircraft as a rapidly configurable multisensory platform that provides new existing/emerging sensors and processing techniques. Enables on-board data processing and exploitation that will lead to new concepts to accurately and efficiently find obscured target enemy assets. 

Joint Surface Warfare (JSuW): Integrated multiple airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and strike platforms. 

The DoD designates what it calls Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) projects to rapidly move advanced technology and innovative concepts into the hands of troops in the field, it said in a release.   A JCTD enables faster project start-up by providing more resources earlier in the traditional two-year DoD budget cycle and a flexible start process that moves urgently needed technologies throughout the fiscal year.   

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