Chapter VII. Technology Transfer
Army Science and Technology Master Plan (ASTMP 1997)

4. Opportunities

The Army assesses international opportunities across a broad spectrum of subject areas on a continuing basis. Subjects addressed in recent studies include artificial intelligence, antiarmor technology, autonomous guidance, microelectronics, computing and simulation, aerospace propulsion, biotechnology, virtual reality, photonics, robotic sensors, materials and structures, and military power sources.

Leveraging opportunities have also been identified through several other mechanisms:

• Individual scientists and engineers (S&Es) recommendations based on their direct experience with foreign S&Es.
• International working groups of test engineers, working in a program for 11 years developing over 70 test procedures that incorporate the best work of all countries.
• Comparison of selected ASTMP milestones with ally S&T documents.

Table VII-1 highlights the breadth of leveraging opportunities discussed in greater depth in Annex E. This table also provides a crosswalk between the basic research topics (defined in Chapter 5) and technologies (defined in Chapter 4). The arrows indicate a rough qualitative assessment of those areas where the individual tables contained in Annex E identify a critical mass of foreign basic and applied research capabilities. The numerous overlaps evident in the crosswalk are indicative of a growing depth of infrastructure combining where both basic and applied efforts offer potential for long-term, sustained cooperation. Finally, the arrows give a qualitative feel for the quality of the research capability and key trends as shown in the legend to the table.

Table VII-1. International Opportunities Summary

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Accessing foreign technology in compliance with legal and security requirements through cooperative programs requires international agreements. These legal vehicles may allow the bench S&Es access to foreign technology covered by the scope of such agreements to address near- and mid-term requirements. Volume II, Annex E, of the ASTMP further describes technology leveraging opportunities while providing Army points of contact through which further details can be obtained. Figure VII-10 illustrates how these technology leveraging opportunities could impact major Army systems.

Figure VII-10. International Cooperative Opportunities

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