Archive | May 31, 2011 | Armed with Science

Forget CSI, When it Comes to Downed Aircraft, Call SURVIAC

Filed under STEM, Uncategorized by Julie Weckerlein on May 31, 2011 at 4:45 pm {no comments}

This blog was shared by the Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center (SURVIAC). It is the 21st in our 22-part series produced by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Courtesy Photo

Imagine the following scene: broken glass, bent steel, charred sand, and remnants of a downed US aircraft. Now imagine you are asked to play detective and collect critical information related to the damaged aircraft that will be used to further the Aircraft Survivability community. If this sounds like a scene out of CSI, you’d be close. It’s actually a typical scene for the hard working personnel at the Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center (SURVIAC).

Originally known as the Combat Damage Information Center (CDIC), SURVIAC has been responsible for combat damage collecting, analysis and reporting since its inception in 1984.

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ONR’s Distinguished Lecture Series (Video)

Filed under Featured by Julie Weckerlein on May 31, 2011 at 11:45 am {no comments}

Office of Naval Research‘s Distinguished Lecture Series is now posted.

ONR’s Office of Innovation hosted Rear Adm. Giancarlo Stagno of the Chilean Navy as the featured speaker. He shared his experiences at the helm of rescue and salvage operations following last year’s devastating 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile.

Distinguished Lecture Series: Join Us for a Live Stream on Tuesday

Filed under Featured by Julie Weckerlein on May 30, 2011 at 12:55 pm {no comments}

Photo of the aftermath of a 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile

Join us Tuesday, May 31 at 1 p.m. EST for the Live Stream featuring the Office of Naval Research‘s Distinguished Lecture Series.

ONR’s Office of Innovation hosts Rear Adm. Giancarlo Stagno of the Chilean Navy as the featured speaker. He will share his experiences at the helm of rescue and salvage operations following last year’s devastating 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile.

Rear Adm. Giancarlo Stagno of the Chilean Navy

His presentation, “Chile’s 2010 Tsunami: Salvage Operations in the Aftermath,” will be shown LIVE here on Armed with Science!

DARPA Asks “Can You Design, Build, and Fly the Next-Generation UAV?” [VIDEO]

Filed under Challenge, STEM, Technology, Videos by Carla Voorhees on May 25, 2011 at 4:38 pm {no comments}

Win $100,000 by designing the next generation UAV

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a critical role in modern military operations. The next generation of these aerial robotic systems needs to have enhanced takeoff and landing capabilities, better endurance, require less support equipment and be adaptable to mission needs in varying conditions.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Atlantic (SSC Atlantic) call on innovators of every kind; scientists, engineers, citizen scientists and dreamers to collaborate on the UAVForge Challenge and win $100,000 USD. The UAVForge challenge uses crowdsourcing to build small UAVs through an exchange of ideas and design practices. The goal is to build and test a user-intuitive, backpack-portable UAV that can quietly fly in and out of critical environments to conduct sustained surveillance for up to three hours.

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TEDxMonterey Talk: The Open World by Dr. Sujata Millick [VIDEO]

Filed under Cyber Security, Education & Culture, Policy, Videos by Carla Voorhees on May 24, 2011 at 11:50 am {one comment}

Sujata Millick is a visiting researcher at Hewlett-Packard Labs in Palo Alto, CA, where she is examining public-private approaches to cyber security and sustainable IT. She is on assignment from the Department of Navy’s Office of Naval Research, where she recently served as the Deputy Director of Research. Sujata’s TEDxMonterey talk focused on painting a new picture of the world we live in, taking us from the industrial age to the information age while asking provocative questions along the way. (more…)

Thunderbirds to Perform First Demo With Alternative Fuel

Filed under Technology by Carla Voorhees on May 20, 2011 at 11:26 am {2 comments}

by Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. This article originally appeared on www.af.mil

The Thunderbirds will use alternative fuel, unprecedented for any Department of Defense aerial team, at the Joint Services Open House here May 20 and 21, officials said May 18.

The team will fly with Camelina-based hydrotreated renewable jet fuel as part of the nation’s overall strategy to reduce reliance on foreign energy and establish greater energy security through conservation and use of “home grown” alternative energy sources, said Terry Yonkers, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics.

Maintainers signal to returning Thunderbirds pilots May 16, 2011, during a practice run for an upcoming aerial show during the Joint Services Open House May 20 to 21, 2011, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. During the show, the Thunderbirds plan to fly with Camelina-based hydrotreated renewable jet fuel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Tiffany Trojca)

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Peering Through the Sniper’s Scope

Filed under STEM, Technology by Carla Voorhees on May 19, 2011 at 1:59 pm {one comment}

This blog was shared by the Weapons Systems Technology Information Analysis Center (WSTIAC). It is the 20th in our 22-part series produced by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Photo by Steve Thurow (DefenseImagery.mil)

“One shot, one kill” is a phrase that has gained significant notoriety in pop culture when referring to a sniper’s lethality and impact. Without question, today’s U.S. military snipers are elite force multipliers. Often referred to as the “tip of the spear,” snipers provide real-time reconnaissance to the combatant commanders and have the ability to take direct action, if called upon.

To ensure they remain elite force multipliers, all snipers receive specialized training in marksmanship, camouflage, evasion, and target range estimation. Upon successful completion of their training, they receive a distinct high-precision rifle. A sniper’s rifle is much more than a weapon; it’s often the only lifeline they have back to a safer environment. But who is in charge with making sure a sniper’s tools and weapons continue to evolve and improve over time?

The Product Manager Individual Weapons (PM-IW), a component of Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, is responsible for the research and development of current and future rifles, carbines, pistols, shotguns, grenade launchers, small arms ammunition, and related target acquisition/fire control products. Within PM-IW, a special unit works to address all of the unique needs of the sniper team. (more…)

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 2011: The Military’s role in Combating HIV

Filed under Life Sciences by Carla Voorhees on May 18, 2011 at 8:50 am {no comments}

Col. Nelson L. Michael, M.D., Ph.D is the Director, Division of Retrovirology, at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and Director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), an international HIV vaccine research program that successfully integrates HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

Col. Nelson L. Michael, M.D., Ph.D, Director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program

Today, May 18, marks HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It has now been 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported and more than 33 million people are living with the disease worldwide. With an average age of around 28 years old, many of our service members do not know a world without AIDS.

The U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research has been working to combat HIV for more than 25 years. We aim to develop a globally-effective HIV vaccine which, in combination with other proven prevention strategies, would enable us not only to protect our troops from HIV, but could also help curb the global pandemic.

MHRP supports HIV prevention and treatment in civilian and military communities. Shown here, President Kikwete of Tanzania attends the 2010 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference, where he offered “a very special thanks to the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research for the good leadership in HIV research and treatment efforts globally.“

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