Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) staff conducted research on the U.S. energetic materials supply chain and provided links to a Government Accounting Office report that describes what the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and industry are doing to address challenges and risks. Staff provided information from DSIAC articles on the U.S. rocket propulsion industrial base and other related topics. They also provided information on the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and the Joint Army Navy NASA Air Force Interagency Propulsion Committee, which are actively working on issues related to the DoD’s critical energetics supply concerns. In addition, DSIAC staff included relevant information on energetic technologies related to rocket propellants from the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center Weapons Development and Integration Directorate Report.

 

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1.0 Introduction

Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) staff compiled information relevant to the inquirer’s request from DSIAC Journal articles and open sources [2].

 

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2.0 DSIAC Publications 

 

2.1 Most Relevant DSIAC Publications

DSIAC staff recently completed a website article and several DSIAC Journal articles related to the energetic materials supply chain.

• “Solid Rocket Motors: GAO Studies Supply Concerns and Challenges” [3]:
  • The DSIAC website article contains a link to the Government Accounting Office (GAO) Report “SOLID ROCKET MOTORS – DOD and Industry Are Addressing Challenges to Minimize Supply Concerns.” The report specifically reviewed risks to the supply chain and what the GAO assessed that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and industry were doing about the risks; the GAO did not make any recommendations [4].
• “The U.S. Rocket Propulsion Industrial Base: A Status Report” by Albert Defusco [5]:
  • The article contains additional information on risks to energetic materials supply chain and the DoD response.

 

2.1.1 Additional Relevant DSIAC Journal Articles

• “Breakthroughs in Engine Propulsion Research with High-Performance Computing” by L. Bravo et al. [6].
• “Space Travel Aided by Plasma Thrusters: Past, Present and Future” by A. Defusco et al. [7].
• “A Historical Overview of a Half Century of U.S. Missile Development” by J. Teague and E. Fleeman [8].
• “A Promising Future for US Navy: Vertical Launching Systems” by E. Fiore [9].

 

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3.0 Joint Army Navy NASA Air Force (JANNAF) Interagency Propulsion Committee Programmatic and Industrial Base Team Annual Report

The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (OUSD(AT&L)) has staff responsible for working on issues associated with the DoD’s critical energetic materials supply concerns. Additionally, JANNAF’s Programmatic and Industrial Base (PIB) Team is responsible for releasing the PIB’s Annual Report, which is an excellent resource for information on the economics of the energetics market. OUSD(AT&L) and JANNAF are valuable sources for pertinent information regarding the inquiry topic.

 

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4.0 Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), Weapons Development and Integration Directorate Report

AMRDEC recently published a 36-page report on enabling energetic technologies related to rocket propellants.  The report is available through the Defense Technical Information Center.

 

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References

[1] U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Armed Services. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. 115^th Congress, 1^st session, H. Rep. 115-200, Washington, 2017, https://congress.gov/congressional-report/115th-congress/house-report/200/1.

[2] DSIAC. “Shortages and Risks to the U.S. Energetic Materials Supply Chain.” https://www.dsiac.org/resources/notable-ti/shortages-and-risks-us-energetic-materials-supply-chain, 8 February 2018.

[3] DSIAC. “Solid Rocket Motors: GAO Studies Supply Concerns and Challenges,” 4 December 2017. https://www.dsiac.org/resources/news/solid-rocket-motors-gao-studies-supply-concerns-and-challenges, accessed June 2018.

[4] “SOLID ROCKET MOTORS:  DOD and Industry Are Addressing Challenges to Minimize Supply Concerns.” GAO-18-45, United States Government Accountability Office, October 2017, https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687977.pdf.

[5] Defusco, A. “The U.S. Rocket Propulsion Industrial Base: A Status Report.” DSIAC Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, Winter 2017, https://www.dsiac.org/resources/journals/dsiac/winter-2017-volume-4-number-1/us-rocket-propulsion-industrial-base-status.

[6] Bravo, L., D. Kim, and M. Ihme. “Breakthroughs in Engine Propulsion Research with High-Performance Computing.” DSIAC Journal, vol. 4, no. 4, Fall 2017, https://www.dsiac.org/ resources/journals/dsiac/fall-2017-volume-4-number-4/breakthroughs-engine-propulsion-research-high.

[7] Defusco, A., C. Craddock, and W. Faler. “Space Travel Aided by Plasma Thrusters: Past, Present and Future.” DSIAC Journal, vol. 4, no. 2, Spring 2017, https://www.dsiac.org/ resources/journals/dsiac/spring-2017-volume-4-number-2/space-travel-aided-plasma-thrusters-past.

[8] Teague, J., and E. Fleeman. “A Historical Overview of a Half Century of U.S. Missile Development.” DSIAC Journal, vol. 3, no. 3, Summer 2016, https://www.dsiac.org/resources/ journals/dsiac/summer-2016-volume-3-number-3/historical-overview-half-century-us-missile.

[9] Fiore, E. “A Promising Future for US Navy: Vertical Launching Systems.” DSIAC Journal, vol. 1, no. 2, Fall 2014, https://www.dsiac.org/resources/journals/dsiac/fall-2014-volume-1-number-2/promising-future-us-navy-vertical-launching.