The next great electronics program
StoryApril 02, 2008
There are hundreds of electronics technologies that shaped defense capability over the last century. Mobile two-way radio. Radar. Inertial guidance. Proximity fusing. Infrared seeker technology. Nuclear device triggering. Electronic jamming and countermeasures. Computer-based encryption. Fiber optics. Night vision. Fly-by-wire. Global positioning systems. Phased-array radar. Software-Defined Radio. What will drive the next great electronics program?
There are hundreds of electronics technologies that shaped defense capability over the last century. Mobile two-way radio. Radar. Inertial guidance. Proximity fusing. Infrared seeker technology. Nuclear device triggering. Electronic jamming and countermeasures. Computer-based encryption. Fiber optics. Night vision. Fly-by-wire. Global positioning systems. Phased-array radar. Software-Defined Radio.
What will drive the next great electronics program? In the near term, information rules, and technologies to gather, manage, present, and secure it are high-value opportunities. In the longer term, a new wave of breakthroughs is needed for new types of systems.
Near term: Managing information
Programs such as the AEGIS Combat System and FBCB2 (Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below) are just the start in gathering, managing, and presenting information. Synthetic vision technology merges databases with information on terrain, obstacles, geo-political details, and other situational data with real-time information from GPS, video, and other sensors to create a total situational awareness solution. Digesting all this information into an easily understood and actionable 3D display (Figure 1, courtesy of Quantum3D) reduces information overload and makes manned vehicles more effective, while creating a high-fidelity experience for operating unmanned vehicles as well.
Figure 1
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Protecting all this information is vital. Digital armor technology does what it suggests: It prevents hackers from accessing sophisticated electronics systems in armored vehicles and aircraft. Advanced firewalls including the MESHnet Firewall (Figure 2), jointly developed by General Dynamics Canada and Secure Computing, are being created to protect these connected assets. The MESHnet Firewall deploys Secure Computing's proven Sidewinder firewall in a rugged, conduction-cooled package ready for combat duty.
Figure 2
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Longer term: Managing physics
Systems such as directed energy devices, electromagnetic rail guns or coil guns, and others call for advancements in electronics capability, survivability, and reliability to handle the sheer physics involved.
The Active Denial System uses a 95 GHz beam for crowd control, creating a sensation "too hot to bear without diving for cover" as a reporter and test subject from Reuters described after a 2007 demonstration. The vehicle-mounted beam penetrates skin about 1/64 of an inch, doing no damage but stimulating heat-sensing nerves, causing enough discomfort to cause crowds to disperse quickly.
Rail-gun technology envisioned for the U.S. Navy's DD(X) can theoretically launch a smart 3-foot long, 40-pound projectile up to 290 miles. But the forces involved are enormous, even in the initial 8 MJ versions. Generating 32 or 64 MJ requires big capacitive storage and arc-prevention technology. Surviving 45,000 g at launch requires rethinking the entire electronics payload design approach. On January 31, the brand new 32 MJ prototype was test fired for the first time at a 10 MJ level; we'll be watching as the tests continue.
Chances are good that when the next great defense electronics program emerges, it will contain new information and power electronics technology unimagined a decade ago, perhaps even turning science fiction into science fact.
For more information, contact Don at ddingee@opensystems-publishing.com.
