The Defense Department showcased more than 80 technical projects from 63 defense laboratories and warfare and engineering centers during an event held Thursday at the Pentagon Center Courtyard, DoD News reported Thursday.Mary Miller, acting assistant defense secretary for research and engineering, highlighted innovation efforts within the defense laboratory enterprise at the department’s second biennial Lab Day.
“The defense laboratory enterprise helps meet today’s urgent operational needs while ensuring decisive overmatch for the force of the future,” said Miller.
Miller noted that DoD scientists and engineers have developed technologies in the areas of chemical biological defense, combat fielding, active and passive protection, space robotics, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Current DoD projects include the Army Research Laboratory’s soldier weapon exoskeleton, the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Stilleto experimental all-carbon fiber craft and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s low-cost attritable aircraft technology.
James MacStravic, acting defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said that basic research and science experiments that take place in DoD laboratories help sustain the U.S. military’s technological advantage in land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.
“Our engineering centers help translate research into militarily useful technologies and provide reachback capabilities and subject matter expertise to solve problems and challenges within the existing systems,” MacStravic added.
