Technical Focus Areas

Traditional materials and processes for science, engineering, and technologies in the context of defense systems and military applications.

Ground, air, or sea-launched kinetic munitions that utilize onboard sensors, algorithms, and control methods to improve estimates on the target state, to understand the implications of the engagement situation/environment, or to develop engagement geometries that are otherwise unavailable to a conventional weapon.

Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) refers to systems, procedures, techniques, and equipment used to collect, analyze, disseminate, and translate information into actionable intelligence, principally through cyber and electromagnetic activity.

Weapons that emit energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile.

The scientific study of energy under transformation in the context of defense systems and military applications.

All sensing applications that apply to the defense of the United States of America.

Consists of two sub-areas: non-lethal weapons and information operations. Non-lethal weapons are weapons, devices, and munitions that are explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate targeted personnel or materiel immediately, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property in the target area or environment. Information operations is the integrated employment, during military operations, of information-related capabilities in concert with other lines of operations to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or seize the decision making of adversaries and potential adversaries while protecting our own.

Reliability, maintainability, quality, supportability, and interoperability (RMQSI) is comprised of how well each weapons system is designed, manufactured, and maintained over time.

The science and technology for remaining mission capable after a military engagement to avoid or survive a hostile threat (survivability of platforms and ability against specific threats). This subcategory comprises four elements: susceptibility, vulnerability, recoverability, and lethality.

Any integrated system, usually computerized, for the control and operation of weapons; this includes strategic and tactical, offensive, and defensive weapons.