Nov. 10, 2021

Pentagon plans two-part C-sUAS demo for April 2022

The Army-led Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office is planning to hold a two-part demonstration next spring centered on a directed-energy, ground-based aerial denial system and another defensive capability to detect, track, identify and defeat sUAS threats from a given location. Details for the upcoming third demonstration, slated for April 2022 at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, were shared with industry in two separate notices posted Tuesday, as well as an Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office press release.

Nov. 4, 2021

AFRL partners with UNM for new Directed Energy Center

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate is partnering with The University of New Mexico (UNM) to establish a center for directed energy studies, a congressionally-funded endeavor. The Directed Energy Center will be based at UNM and jointly managed by UNM’s School of Engineering and UNM’s Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM). AFRL is recognized as the nation’s center of excellence for the development of directed energy technologies and will oversee the founding of the center as well as the research taking place at UNM.

Oct. 20, 2021

Marine Bangs Drum for Investing in Nonlethal Weapons

Enhancing “lethality” has become a buzzword at the Pentagon and a mantra among force modernizers as the U.S. military gears up for great power competition. But the Defense Department needs to invest more in nonlethal capabilities to expand the range of options for commanders and troops when killing people isn’t the best course of action, the director of the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office said Oct. 20.

Oct. 2, 2021

North Korea Is Weaponizing the Naval ‘Gray Zone’ Against the South

After months of relative restraint, the Korean Peninsula is experiencing a new arms race. Since the announcement of the Medium-term Defense Program in 2020, South Korea commissioned a 3,800-ton Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarine and test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on September 15. The U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) missile guideline was terminated in June, freeing South Korea to develop long-range missiles, and the ROK Navy (ROKN) is expected to commission a light aircraft carrier within years. North Korea also test-fired its new cruise missile that flew approximately 1,500 km and recently resumed its ballistic missile testing after a six-month break. While South Korea has been preparing for the future wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from the United States by acquiring cutting-edge platforms and enhancing its capabilities for autonomous military operations, there has been a lack of debate on a comprehensive strategy to counter North Korean conventional and asymmetrical military threats.

Sept. 23, 2021

Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities

Active Denial Technology (ADT) is a non-lethal, counterpersonnel, directed energy (DE) Intermediate Force Capability (IFC) that creates a heating sensation, quickly repelling potential adversaries. ADT provides the Joint Force with an option to stop, deter, and turn back suspicious individuals with minimal risk of injury or damage to critical infrastructure.