1998 Army Science and Technology Master Plan 1998 Army Science and Technology Master Plan2. Current Level of Technology Maturity
a. Transitioning and Maturing Technologies
The need for integrated technology development, experiment and
demonstration to meet future needs, along with the M&S needed to underpin technology
development and provide user interface, is a must for maturing and transitioning
technology. An approach that provides for the development of potential technology
capabilities that can be "bundled" and transitioned through Advanced Technology
Demonstrations (ATDs) and Advanced Concepts Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs) is depicted
in Figure D–5.
Five "bundled" technology programs with high payoff potential that address expected needs in the near and mid term are discussed below. Most are applicable to both the TMD and NMD mission areas. They leverage existing service core competencies and expertise and will require a minimum learning curve or infrastructure investment. When these five technology areas are developed concurrently, capability demonstrations will yield multiple options that can be integrated into existing weapon programs to enable them to meet evolving threats, or rapidly develop and field complementary systems. The five technology areas also offer excellent capability transition across the services by addressing the need for protection against early release of submunitions and low cross–section missiles and by reducing the size, weight, and cost components while increasing performance and efficiency. These five technology areas are summarized as follows:
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Atmospheric Interceptor Technology (AIT). This program focuses on advanced lightweight technologies for hypersonic HTK intercept and advanced propulsion systems and propellants for higher velocity and safe storage and handling.•
Counter Early–Release Submunitions Technology (CET). This program focuses on technology for miniature, lightweight HTK warheads, reactive materials for warheads and other advanced kill mechanisms, and lethality technology focused on defeating early–release chemical and biological (CB) submunitions.•
Exoatmospheric Interceptor Technology (EIT). This program focuses on fire–and–forget smart interceptor technology for exoatmospheric interceptors with onboard discrimination capability, radiation–hardened advanced electronics, high–performance boosters, and sensor fusion algorithms. This program supports NMD and Navy upper tier programs with follow–on technology insertion for future needs.•
Advanced Radar Technology (ART). This program focuses on technology for higher power and efficiency X– band solid–state transmit/receive (T/R) modules, more stable and efficient power conditioning, multifunction waveform processing, and dual–band technology for future radar applications. Effort will provide warfighter with improved target detection, discrimination, kill assessment, and data for precision tracking and engagement with flexible reengagement capabilities.•
Information Processing/Communications Technology (IPCT). This program focuses on technology for advanced satellite to interceptor communications for over–the–horizon (OTH) cueing of interceptors in flight, advanced image processing for the Space and Missile Tracking System (SMTS), and sensor data fusion for advanced BM/C3.Click here to go to next page of document