ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Feb. 13, 2016) -- A group of 15 military and civilian students and four faculty members from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., visited the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Jan. 29.
The visiting seminar is part of the Eisenhower School's Industry Studies Program. The students are exploring the relationship between industry and the military to gain an understanding of the critical relationship between strategic resourcing and national security.
"They are interacting with ARL to better understand where many of the technologies come from," said Chief Michael Zoltoski of the ARL Weapons and Material Research Directorate's Lethality Division. "They've realized that a key part of this relationship is related to science and technology."
The January visit follows two previous engagements between the weapons Technology S&T community and the NDU Eisenhower School. In August 2015, as the Office of Secretary of Defense Weapons Technology Community of Interest lead, Zoltoski provided a seminar to NDU students and faculty, which illustrated S&T investment and its importance in the research, development, and acquisition process.
"A follow-up visit, hosted by Dr. Jim Newill, Lethal Mechanisms Branch chief, ensued. After that visit, the NDU decided to incorporate an S&T discussion in its spring Weapons' Industrial Study Seminar," Zoltoski said.
Early applied research is sometimes overlooked by the acquisition community, he said.
"This is often where concepts originate," Zoltoski said.
TOUR HIGH POINTS
The Eisenhower School students are field-grade officers and senior civilians from the services and government agencies.
With 15 students there were 15 opinions about the high point of the tour, according to Col. Rich Paquette, a faculty lead for the Weapons Industry Study.
"It was all fascinating," he said. "In my opinion, the high points were the discussions of the cutting-edge research done to develop the M855A1 round and also the revolutionary ideas under consideration by the disruptive-energetics team."
ARL is an essential part of the strategic-resource process of National Defense, Paquette said.
"The technical expertise and innovation found at ARL provides a decisive advantage to the evolution of existing technologies and systems and the development of new ones," he said.
Army researchers have the mantra of "assured delivery, overwhelming effects." Working within the laboratory's Sciences for Lethality and Protection Campaign, this research is part of ARL's core competencies.
"When combined with our other research areas, disruptive energetics and propulsion science have the potential to bring about revolutionary advances to the way we fight," Zoltoski said.
EISENHOWER SCHOOL'S WEAPONS INDUSTRY STUDY TOPIC
"Precision-guided weapons, and the precise battlefield effects they create, have helped the United States achieve tremendous military successes," Paquette said. "Success is not only attributed to precision targeting and delivery, but also to the warheads themselves."
Today's technology provides many weapon choices allowing the military the potential to select the most appropriate means toward the desired end, he said.
"The NDU industry study considers the health of the industry, the sensor-to-shooter cycle examining the strategy, utility, procurement, production, and life-cycle issues associated with effective use of weapons in today's environment," Paquette said.
"I expect NDU and ARL's relationship to expand and deepen in the years ahead," Paquette said. "While this was the first time the Weapons Industry Study visited, we plan to continue this partnership and shared interest in weapons technology, evolution, and enhancing the lethality and survivability of the warfighter."
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The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is part of the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, whose mission is to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter, and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the Army Materiel Command.
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