Annex E. International Armaments Strategy
Army Science and Technology Master Plan (ASTMP 1997)

C. Overview and Trends

To implement our International cooperative strategy effectively, we must be prepared to take advantage of existing capabilities and exchange mechanisms to access world-leading or potentially world-leading capabilities in other countries. At the same time we need to improve our awareness of new opportunities and significant trends in the state-of-the-art in other countries. With the spread of Internet and other modern communications links, we have unprecedented access to data from other countries. We now are evolving the tools needed to collect, evaluate, and synthesize that data in an efficient and effective way.

The following tables highlight a number of areas (also reflected in Table E-1 of the International Cooperative Opportunities in Chapter VII of the ASTMP) where significant potential for cooperation exists. Table E.I-1 highlights some of the stronger prospects selected from Section E.II, which discusses potential opportunities of other countries to contribute within the next three-to-six years to the near-to-mid-term milestones identified in Chapter IV of the ASTMP. Table E.I-2 highlights basic research areas where capabilities abroad may provide a basis for longer-term cooperation.

Table E.I-1. Highlighted Near/Mid-Term Opportunities

TECHNOLOGY (Ref. to E.II) UNITED KINGDOM FRANCE GERMANY OTHER COUNTRIES JAPAN PACIFIC RIM FSU
B. Aerospace Propulsion and Power Gas turbine engines High-performance transmission High temperature structures, Bearingless rotor hub Bearingless rotor hub, Composite and high-strength shafting        
C. Air and Space Systems Composite structures, FADEC, Rotor systems Adaptive controls, Fly-by-light, Crash survivability Smart structures, Fatigue   Ceramics, Composite materials and structures    
D. Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Chemical agent sensors CBW agent sensors, Vehicle systems, Electronic decontamination Detection systems Canada Detection systems Detection systems    
E. Individual Survivability and Sustainability Soldier Systems (physiological and psychological) Soldier systems (ballistic protection) Soldier systems Canada Soldier systems (microclimate control) Electric power for man-portable systems AU Soldier systems (carriage)  
F. Command, Control and Communications Battlefield interoperability, Natural language processing, Intelligent systems Battlefield interoperability, Distributed real-time communications, Switching systems, Machine translation, C2 simulation, Mission planning Communication networks, Battlefield interoperability, Machine translation, Natural language processing Netherlands Natural language processing, Knowledgebase and database science Fuzzy logic, High-speed communications    
G. Computing and Software Massively parallel processing, Optical switching, Visually-coupled interfaces Optical processing, Fiberoptic networks, Visually-coupled interfaces Massively parallel processing, Neural networks, Visually-coupled interfaces Canada Visually-coupled interfaces, Large data set representation Neural networks, Optical switching and networks, Visually-coupled interfaces    
H. Conventional Weapons Overall strength, ETC gun Overall strength Overall strength, ETC gun Israel ETC gun, BMD missile     Russia Overall strength
I. Electronic Devices   IR focal plane arrays, MMIC components, Compound semiconductors, Batteries MMIC compounds, Compound semiconductors, Small engines   All aspects   Russia Molecular electronics, Power switching, Rechargeable batteries
J. Electronic Warfare and Directed Energy Weapons Low energy lasers Laser materials     High and low energy lasers   Russia High power microwaves, High energy lasers, Ukraine High power microwaves
K. Civil Engineering and Environmental Quality Environmental protection, Bioremediation, Lightweight bridging Environmental protection, Bioremediation, Demilitarization of energetic materials Environmental protection, Bioremediation Nordic Group Environmental protection, Bioremediation Environmental protection, Bioremediation    
L. Battlespace Environment Overall capability Overall capability, Remote sensors Overall capability Israel Atmospheric effects Canada Atmospheric dispersion Remote sensing, Robotics    
M. Human System Interfaces VR interfaces, Performance models Displays, Ergonomics, Performance models Soldier system interfaces, Performance models Canada VR displays Displays, VR, Robotics    
N. Manpower, Personnel and Training Good overall capabilities, Dynamic training and simulation, Good overall capabilities, Dynamic training and simulation, Good overall capabilities Canada Simulation and displays Ceramics, Composites, Polymer processing    
O. Materials, Processes and Structures Welding and joining, Alloys and composites, Lightweight structures, Smart structures Alloys and composites, Energy-absorbing structures, Smart structures Alloys and composites, Engineering structures, Smart structures        
P. Medical and Biomedical Infectious diseases, Biological defense, Operational medicine, Combat casualty care Infectious diseases, Biological defense, Operational medicine, Combat casualty care Infectious diseases, Biological defense, Operational medicine, Combat casualty care   Medical imaging    
Q. Sensors Automatic target recognition, seismic sensors, Vehicle integration IR focal plane arrays, Laser sensors, Multidomain sensors, Signal processing, Multisensor integration Combat ID sensors, Vehicle integration Israel Acoustic sensors, Target recognition Electronic components, Photonic devices   Russia, Ukraine High power microwaves
R. Ground Vehicles Good overall capabilities, Gas turbines Good overall capabilities, Secondary batteries Good overall capabilities, Structural design, Vehicle survivability, Autonomous control, Diesel engines, Integrated electronics Israel RPVs, Teleoperation Austria Diesel engines Ceramic engines, Electric drive   Russia Electric drive, Batteries, Switches
S. Manufacturing Science and Technology Bioprocess engineering, CASE tools, Industrial robotics Bioprocess engineering, CASE tools, Industrial robotics Bioprocess engineering, CASE tools, Industrial robotics Israel, Canada, Netherlands Bioprocess engineering Fuzzy logic, Bioprocess engineering, Industrial robotics    
T. Modeling and Simulation Strong capabilities in all aspects Strong capabilities in all aspects Strong capabilities in all aspects Canada VR 3-D visualization VR, Distributed industrial enterprises Distributed interactive simulation  

 

Table E.I-2. Highlighted Long-Term Opportunities

TOPICS (Ref. to E.III) UNITED KINGDOM FRANCE GERMANY OTHER COUNTRIES JAPAN PACIFIC RIM FSU
B. MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES Fluid dynamics, Linear algebra Levy processes, Dynamic systems, Boltzman's equations, Control theory, Computer vision, Finite elements, Nonsmooth optimization Finite elements, Interactive methods Canada Analytic geometry Israel Computational physics General capabilities India China Russia Numerical methods
C. COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS Data base sciences, Natural language processing Natural language processing Natural language processing Netherlands Sweden Software prototyping    
D. PHYSICS Optical switching, Sensors, Signature reduction, Lasers Optical switching, Sensors, Signature reduction, Lasers Sub-micron research, Optical switching, Sensors Canada Sweden Israel Sub-micron research, Optical switching, Sensors, Fiberoptic gyros, Lasers   Russia Glonass, Optical sensors, Non-linear optics
E. CHEMISTRY Polymer composites, Surface resistance to wear and corrosion, Chem/biol defense, Soldier power, Demil, restor, & pollution prevention Chem/biol defense, Soldier power Polymer composites, Surface resistance to wear and corrosion, Chem/biol defense, Soldier power, Explosives/
propellants		 Israel Netherlands Sweden Finland Chem/biol defense Israel Sweden Canada Explosives/ propellants Polymer composites, Surface resistance to wear and corrosion, Explosives/ propellants, Chem/biol defense S. Korea China Surface resistance  
F. MATERIALS SCIENCE Welding and joining, Armor/antiarmor, Coatings, Ion implant Ceramic matrix composites, Armor Ceramics, Coatings Israel Armor, Personnel armor, Diamond deposition Composites, Superconductors, Coatings S. Korea Tungsten alloy penetrators Russia Armor, Anti-armor, Superalloys Ukraine Welding and joining
G. ELECTRONICS JESSI/MEDEA research, C3, Networking, Switching JESSI/MEDEA research, Battlefield communications JESSI/MEDEA research, Networking, Switching   Solid-state devices, Networking, Switching, MMIC, Low-power devices    
H. MECHANICAL SCIENCES Smart/active structures, Fluid dynamics, Gas turbine engines, Solid/liquid gun Smart/active structures, Fluid dynamics, Gas turbine engines, Solid gun Smart/active structures, recipricating engines, solid gun Italy Smart/active structures Canada Fluid dynamics, Solid gun, Gas Turbines Smart/active structures, Fluid dynamics, Recipricating engines   Russia Ukraine Naval gun propulsion, Experimental-
theoretical fluid dynamics
I. ATMOSPHERIC & TERRESTRIAL SCIENCES Atmospheric backscatter, Global and regional weather prediction, Cold weather prediction Atmopheric electricity-aircraft interactions, IR physics of the atmosphere Low level weather prediction Canada Ice flow & weather prediction, Atmospheric dispersion Denmark Ionosphere interactions, Atmospheric turbulance Netherlands IR background Brazil Ionosphere experiments Ionosphere & troposphere interactions, Tropical cyclones   Russia Solar flare prediction, Atmosphere spectral transmissivity, Low level weather prediction
J. MEDICAL Infectious diseases, Combat casualty care, Operational medicine, Biological defense Infectious diseases, Combat casualty care, Operational medicine, Biological defense Infectious diseases, Combat casualty care, Operational medicine, Biological defense Switzerland Israel Netherlands Sweden Infectious diseases, Combat casualty, Operational medicine, Biological defense Infectious diseases, Combat casualty care, Operational medicine, Biological defense China Infectious diseases, Combat casualty care Russia Combat casualty care, Bbiological defense
K. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Combinatorial chemistry, Genome project, Receptor characterization, NMR, Microbial products for nutrition, Bioremidiation, Nutritional additives, Protein stabilizers, PHB plasticizer, Energy transduction, Biomaterials for tensile strength Genome project, Receptor characterization, Nutrient additives, Bioremediation, Stress resistance, Protein stabilizers, Energy transduction, Biomaterials for tensile strength Combinatorial chemistry, Genome project, Nutrient additives, Bioremediation, Protein stabilizers, Energy trnasduction, Biomaterials for tensile strength Israel Wide range of entries Netherlands Wide range of entries Switzerland Wide range of entries Genome project, Receptor characterization, NMR, Visual sensing, Metabolic products, Bioremediation, Protein stabilizers, Biomaterials for tensile strength Australia Wide range of entries  
L. BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVE AND NEURAL SCIENCES Cognitive, Noncognitive, Perceptual processes Cognitive, Noncognitive, Perceptual processes Cognitive, Noncognitive, Perceptual processes Netherlands Israel Sweden Cognitive, Noncognitive, Perceptual processes, Leadership Cognitive, Noncognitive, Netherlands Perceptual processes