DefenceTalkDefenceTalkTwo DARPA-developed technologies – a novel decision aid for mission commanders and a rapid software integration tool – played a critical role in the recent Air Force demonstration of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). The Adapting Cross-domain Kill-webs (ACK) program and the System-of-systems Technology Integration Tool Chain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems (STITCHES) were among […]https://www.defencetalk.com/creating-cross-domain-kill-webs-in-real-time-76369/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkDARPA and the US Air Force (ave announced the successful completion of captive carry tests of two variants of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) and are ready to proceed to first free-flight testing within the calendar year. The joint Agency and Service effort seeks to develop and demonstrate critical technologies to enable an effective […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpa-completes-key-milestone-on-hypersonic-air-breathing-weapons-program-76236/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkAfter meeting several primary objectives during risk reduction flights at the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah in late July, DARPA’s Gremlins program now is targeting additional tests of its X-61A vehicle later this year. The program seeks to develop and demonstrate air launch and air recovery of up to four unmanned aerial systems […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpas-gremlins-program-completes-second-flight-test-in-demonstration-series-76221/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe third and final competition in DARPA’s AlphaDogfight Trials will take place virtually August 18-20 instead of in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Participating teams and audience members will watch online as artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms control simulated F-16 fighters in aerial combat, culminating in a matchup on August 20 between the top […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ai-fighter-pilot-vs-air-force-pilot-dogfight-showdown-scheduled-for-this-week-76181/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkDARPA has selected three performers to work on the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program, which aims to demonstrate an aircraft design based on active flow control (AFC), an area not fully explored compared to traditional flight controls. The goal is to demonstrate significant efficiency benefits of AFC, as well as improvements […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpa-awards-contracts-for-new-x-plane-program-based-on-active-flow-control-76008/

DefenceTalkWarfighters are travelers and thus suffer from travelers’ ailments including disrupted sleep cycles and limited access to safe food and water. Warfighters who have not slept well have lower alertness, weaker athletic performance, and greater disorientation. Current approaches to restoring wakefulness often lean on chemical methods that disrupt downstream sleep patterns and lead to exhaustion. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpa-program-to-build-travel-adapter-for-human-body-75099/

DefenceTalkDARPA has selected three performers to develop technologies and solutions for the Underminer program that would surpass current commercial drilling capabilities. Underminer aims to demonstrate the feasibility of rapidly constructing tactical tunnel networks to provide secure logistics infrastructure to pre-position supplies or resupply troops as they move through an area. Teams from General Electric Research […]https://www.defencetalk.com/underminer-demos-feasibility-of-rapidly-constructed-logistics-tunnels-75029/

DefenceTalkService members at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii recently tested a prototype DARPA system designed to help military analysts and planners determine if observed events – such as increased force movements, cyber intrusions, and civil unrest – are unconnected occurrences, or if they’re part of an adversary’s coordinated campaign to achieve strategic objectives in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpa-demonstrates-competition-tool-at-combatant-command-74881/

DefenceTalkDARPA’s Manta Ray Program aims to demonstrate critical technologies for a new class of long duration, long range, payload-capable unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). UUVs that operate for extended durations without the need for on-site human logistics support or maintenance offer the potential for persistent operations during longer term deployments. DARPA has selected three companies to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/darpa-awards-contracts-for-work-on-manta-ray-program-74801/

U.S. forces operating in remote, under-governed regions around the world often find that an area’s distinct cultural and societal practices are opaque to outsiders, but are obvious to locals. Commanders can be hindered from making optimal decisions because they lack knowledge of how local socio-economic, political, religious, health, and infrastructure factors interact to shape a […]