The Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory has signed a five-year partnership agreement with two universities to conduct research into new materials and manufacturing processes.

DEVCOM ARL, University of Kentucky and University of Tennessee at Knoxville will collaborate on a project aimed at advancing systems for producing advanced materials that could support military equipment modernization priorities, the service said Monday.

Bryan Cheeseman, leader of ARL's rapid technology transition team, said forming a group that includes university professionals who are knowledgeable about fundamental materials science, industry partners that develop high-strength products and defense equipment manufacturers, is key to drive innovation for warfighters.

I.S. Jawahir, director of the University of Kentucky Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing, will serve as the project's principal investigator.

The school's researchers will work with the Army to develop nanostructured metal alloys and composite materials through hybrid manufacturing methods.

Jawahir noted that the partnership intends to establish an additive manufacturing laboratory in the University of Kentucky College of Engineering.

NASA has completed the high-voltage testing of its all-electric X-57 Maxwell aircraft at the agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

The test plugged an auxiliary power to the Emipircal Systems Aerospace-developed aircraft to ensure that all integrated systems could function as designed at full power, NASA said Friday.

The milestone saw the first time the X-57's propellers spun under electric power since Empirical Systems delivered the aircraft to NASA in October 2019.

With the high-voltage procedure now completed, the space agency will put the experimental aircraft through verification and validation testing next.

The X-57 project is aimed at helping regulators and the aviation industry in developing certification standards for urban air mobility vehicles and other electric aircraft.

The U.S. Army's Integrated Fires Mission Command program intercepted a cruise missile in a highly contested, electronic attack environment during a demonstration at White Sands Missile Range.

Soldiers participating in the program launched a Patriot Advanced Capability – 3 interceptor to block a missile that was targeting assets, while another missile was electronically attacking radars, the Army said Friday.

The 3-6 Air and Missile Defense Test Detachment deployed the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System to track and identify the cruise missile targets before launching the PAC-3 interceptor.

IBCS integrates a wide range of fire control sensors, including Army Sentinel radars, an AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar from the U.S. Marine Corps and F-35 jets from the U.S. Air Force.

"The ability to integrate joint weapons and sensors with Army platforms on a single fire control network is a game-changing capability that is one step closer to being delivered to our warfighters,” said Col. Philip Rottenborn, program manager for IFMC.

Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., said the U.S. should invest in military software capabilities, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to better compete with China, USNI News reported Friday.

“Cyber attacks are definitely in their interest,” Larsen said Friday during an online forum. But “the days of hiding behind hackers is over [for the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party] as are the days of the United States saying nothing.”

His remarks came days after the U.S. government and allies, including the U.K., European Union and NATO, attributed the Microsoft Exchange Server and other malicious cyber activities to threat actors with ties to China’s ministry of state security.

Larsen, who serves on the House Armed Services cyber, innovative technologies and information systems subcommittee, said that condemnation from U.S. and allies “provides a lever” for Indo-Pacific countries to use against China’s aggressive behavior.

He also noted that the Pentagon is taking advantage of AI investments the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has made in the past four decades and that 5G networks should not be easily breached.

“The security the Defense Department needs is far higher than what an individual needs,” Larsen added.

If you’re interested in 5G technology and 5G integration’s impact on public and private sectors, then check out Potomac Officers Club’s Fall 2021 5G Summit coming up on Sept. 16. To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page. 

The Department of Defense (DOD) issued a statement saying drones manufactured by China-based Da Jiang Innovations pose a national security threat and that a report that those systems were approved for purchase and use by U.S. government agencies was inaccurate. 

“A recent report indicated that certain models of DJI systems had been found to be approved for procurement and operations for US government departments and agencies,” DOD said in a statement published Friday.

“This report was inaccurate and uncoordinated, and its unauthorized release is currently under review by the department,” the department noted.

The Pentagon prohibited the use and procurement of all commercial off-the-shelf drones due to cyber issues in 2018. A year later, Congress passed a measure banning the use of drones and components produced in China.

The department said U.S. Special Operations Command has bought commercial off-the-shelf drones in accordance with Section 848 of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order 13981.

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.