The most promising American military projects, the use of which is possible for peaceful purposes
For the development of the technological equipment of the military forces and science, multimillion-dollar funds are annually allocated. The Research Agency for Advanced Defense Projects, which is better known by its American abbreviation - DARPA, is engaged in developments in this area. It is this agency that is the author of such inventions as the Internet, GPS and stealth aircraft, which are of great importance not only for the military, but also for ordinary civilians.
At the moment, the agency is developing a significant number of projects that can also have a significant impact on humanity, if only they are allowed into industrial production.
Currently, DARPA pays great attention to the development of laser systems … Among the Agency's programs, the following programs can be distinguished: Excalibur, Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser System, Ultra Beam and Compact Mid-ultraviolet technology.
Small-sized laser guided gun Excalibur
The military is always very concerned about using the perfect weapon in an urban war. But in order to equip aircraft and drones with laser weapons, it is necessary that its dimensions be compact enough and much more efficient than the systems that currently exist and which are installed on large platforms. DARPA has begun developing a compact and powerful laser weapon system for use on airplanes and other aircraft.
Previously, the easiest way to create a laser was to use large containers of toxic active chemicals. In particular, such a laser is installed on the Boeing-747, but it is at least impractical to use such a large device as a weapon on an attack aircraft or fighter plane.
The new Excalibur laser cannon is much lighter and more compact. Schematically, this gun consists of a large number of lasers, independent of each other. Thus, the size of the emitters themselves can be reduced. These emitters must be combined into one beam without losing its power. Thanks to this principle, the amount of energy consumed is significantly reduced. But the cannon also has certain disadvantages. So, in particular, there are a number of problems associated with combining many rays into one, which would have a high brightness and low divergence. Interference, diffraction and other nonlinear effects are obstacles to achieving this. Therefore, in order to fix this problem, the creators used an analogue of the phased array antenna, which is used in modern radars and makes it possible not only to focus the beam, but also to correct the angle of its deflection without rotating the antenna itself.
By the end of the year, the agency promises to demonstrate a prototype laser cannon with a capacity of only 3 kilowatts. But the completed system will have a much higher power (about 100 kilowatts). Thus, it can be used for pinpoint strikes against air and ground targets. And since the weight of the gun will be 10 times less than the currently existing lasers, the Excalibur can be installed on almost any military platform without deteriorating their combat characteristics.
Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser System
The agency's other new program, Architecture for Diode High Energy Laser System (ADHELs), is dedicated to researching new laser beam lengths in the process of creating a new generation of compact, high-efficiency, high-energy lasers. Such systems can be integrated on tactical airborne vehicles, in particular, on drones.
The program is primarily aimed at developing technologies for obtaining laser beams of high power and brightness, with a low beam divergence.
The program is designed for 36 months and consists of two stages. At the first stage, it is planned to study the spectral and coherent beam combining. The second stage is completely focused on creating a spectral beam of high efficiency and power. The ultimate goal of the project is to obtain a diffraction structure for a system that will operate at long laser waves on the scale of HEL-class systems of 100 kilowatts.
Ultra Beam
The agency is currently carrying out several laser improvement projects. So, one of such programs is "Ultra Beam", the purpose of which is to create a laser with gamma-ray radiation. At the first stage of development, certain results have already been achieved - X-ray lasers were created under laboratory conditions, in which the photon energy was 4.5 keV, which proves the fact that a gamma laser is a matter of the near future. This development is also of civil importance, since compact gamma lasers can be used with greater efficiency in radiation therapy and diagnostics.
The unique in its characteristics X-ray laser, the technology of which was developed by DARPA, can contribute to the development of laboratory compact sources with high brightness of coherent radiation, which, as a result, will make it possible to display three-dimensional models of living cells.
There are two stages in the UltraLuch program. At the first stage, an increase in the saturation of X-rays by 4.5 keV with a power of 10 mJ was achieved, and it was proved that these rays can transmit pulses through opaque solid objects, for example, containers. At the second stage, it is planned to develop a higher power of an X-ray laser for 36 months, to diagnose gamma rays and to establish the necessary parameters for amplifying gamma radiation when using it on solid-state materials with a large number of atoms.
Compact Mid-ultraviolet technology
The military must be able to detect and identify chemical and biological weapons that may be in the arsenal of the enemy. But modern detection methods are large and heavy, and they also require a lot of power. To address these shortcomings, DARPA began developing the Compact Mid-ultraviolet technology program. The results, which are planned to be obtained within the framework of this program, will make the detection and identification of biological and chemical weapons using laser technologies more effective. Amino acids and other biological molecules can be detected using medium-wavelength ultraviolet waves, so these elements can be identified if this type of weapon is used.
Laser technologies for detecting NMP already exist inside ultraviolet rays in large lasers, in particular in KrF (248 nm). Small lasers (Biological Point Detection System) are currently in use at the chemical battalion level. But, as noted above, all these systems are so expensive and large-sized, so they are extremely inconvenient for widespread use. Therefore, the program proposed by the agency will be presented in two main directions: with an LED orientation of 250-275 nm and an output power of 100 mW, as well as lasers with a power of 10 mW and an orientation of 220-250 ni. The main part of the program will be aimed at solving the problems associated with limiting the arrangement of a group of nitrides as semiconductors of medium-short ultraviolet waves.
The implementation of this program will make it possible to create compact devices that can detect chemical and biological pollution, for example, in water.
DARPA's promising programs in medical field … These include projects of the Dialysis-Like Therapeutics (DLT) agency, In Vivo Nanoplatforms, Living Foundries, Reliable Neural-Interface Technology.
Dialysis-Like Therapeutics (DLT)
Infections caused by bacteria are often the result of blood poisoning (sepsis), from which even a slightly wounded soldier can die. The American military department is seriously concerned about this issue, therefore, instructed to develop a new technology for purifying blood from bacteria. DARPA has begun development work on a $ 10 million project. Its main goal is to create a portable device with which it would be possible to remove contaminated blood from the body, cleanse it of harmful substances using special filters, and then return already clean blood to the body. This device is similar in function to renal dialysis.
Currently, the development of sensors for pathogenic substances is underway, which will stop viral and bacterial toxins. In addition, technologies for the separation of these components from blood are being developed. The next step should be to conduct a test to verify the effectiveness of this device. Ultimately, the result should be a portable machine that will perform a detailed analysis of the entire volume of blood at a time, which will allow detecting the appearance of viruses and toxins at an early stage.
Such technology will be of great importance for civilian use, because with its help it will be possible to save hundreds and thousands of lives every year.
In Vivo Nanoplatforms
All sorts of diseases limit the combat readiness of soldiers and cause significant costs for the military department on health care. But at present, the existing technologies for diagnosing diseases are mostly expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, their faster diagnosis and treatment are necessary in a modern army.
DARPA has begun developing another promising project called "In Vivo Nanoplatforms". Its essence boils down to the creation of a new class of nanoparticles intended for uniform and accurate sensing of the human body, as well as for the treatment of various kinds of infectious diseases and physiological abnormalities.
In fact, the program is aimed at developing a nanocapsule that will provide continuous monitoring of the state of the human body.
A nanocapsule is a hollow spherical particle, the shell of which is made of phospholipids or polymers. Inside this capsule is a low molecular weight substance. In addition, the shell can be made of DNA molecules organized in a certain way, calcium silicate or hydroxyapatite.
The use of nanoparticles can provide targeted administration of drugs or genetic constructs of a certain composition (hormones or enzymes). And in order to deliver the nanocapsule "to its destination", its shell will be equipped with receptors or antigens.
The program was tested in March 2012. It is expected to be approved for use in the fall.
Living foundries
Modern engineering is based on painstaking special developments, and results are obtained only after repeated trial and error. And very often, working on one project does not allow you to start working on another. As a result, tens of years and hundreds of millions of dollars are allocated for one bioengineering project. The improvement of bioengineering technologies will make it possible to solve complex problems that currently either do not have a solution at all, or have several solutions at once.
DARPA's new Living Foundries program is designed to create a new biological framework for the design of human biology building systems and expand their complexity. The program is aimed at developing new technologies and techniques that will make it possible to solve previously unsolved problems. In particular, it will become possible to determine the genetic predisposition of a person to certain diseases, to correct the functions of cells and the body as a whole.
On the one hand, it may seem that such technologies cannot be created, but the very possibility of mass production of new biological materials and drugs sounds tempting.
Reliable Neural-Interface Technology
The development and research of neural prostheses, in particular, cochlear implants (artificial ears), proved that the human body perceives this material. With the help of such prostheses, lost functions have been restored to many people. Although prostheses that can be connected to the human nervous system are very promising and important for the War Department, there are two major and fundamental obstacles that prevent the use of such implants in a clinical setting. Both obstacles are related to the accuracy of information transfer. For example, a miniature portable neural device has not been adapted to obtain accurate information from nerve cells for many years. In addition, such prostheses cannot use the received signals and control them at high speed.
The agency is interested in solving these two problems so that the prostheses can be put into clinical use. Thus, the recovery of wounded soldiers will be faster, respectively, they will be able to return to service much faster.
First of all, the program is aimed at understanding why implants cannot serve reliably for several years. It is planned to conduct research on the parameter of interaction between abiotic and biotic systems. In addition, a new system will be created that will include information on how information is transmitted from nerve cells to prostheses.
It can be argued that this technology will also have extensive civilian applications.
DARPA's development-oriented programs surveillance systems.
Low Cost Thermal Imaging Manufacturing
The thermal vision system has many military applications. But until now, this system is extremely expensive, so its application is not as large-scale as necessary. DARPA offers a program to develop a cost-effective thermal imager. According to the assurances of the developers, it is quite possible to integrate such thermal imagers into communicators and mobile phones. The development was allocated $ 13 million. Moreover, the completion of the project should take place no later than three years later.
The main requirements for new generation thermal imagers are a relatively low price - about $ 500. In addition, the resolution of the resulting image must be at least 640 * 480 pixels, the viewing angle must be 40 degrees or more, and the power consumption must be less than 500 milliwatts.
The technology of the new thermal imager is based on the use of infrared radiation, which helps to distinguish warm from cold objects in the color spectrum. Thus, they can be used not only in normal conditions, but also in poor visibility and at night.
Those thermal imagers that exist today are large and expensive. It must also be said that if the research is successful, then the results will be able to use not only military, but also civilian organizations. Recall that such DARPA developments as hypertext technology and graphical interface were also originally developed for military purposes.
Advanced Wide FOV Architectures For Image Reconstruction and Exploitation
The ability to see farther, with higher clarity in any conditions, is one of the factors for the successful conduct of combat operations. There is a need to increase the field of view, the ability to see equally well during the day and at night, provided the camera is not expensive. The main reason for this need lies in providing soldiers with accessible visualization tools to increase their combat effectiveness, in other words, photo and video cameras. Therefore, DARPA launched the Advanced Wide FOV Architectures For Image Reconstruction and Exploitation (AWARE) program, which is designed to address these kinds of problems.
The new visualization system, which is planned to be obtained as part of the implementation of this program, will be very compact and lightweight. It assumes an increase in the field of view, high resolution and high-quality images in any weather conditions, day or night at a considerable distance. It combines over 150 cameras in one lens. The system is designed to create images with a resolution of 10 to 50 gigapixels - this resolution significantly exceeds the range visible to the human eye.
The first such systems will be designed for deployment on ground objects, they will increase the vision distance, operability, day and night vision, establish the ability to search for a target, and ensure the use of a large group of sensors.
Such devices are of great military importance, since they can be used for such purposes as targeting, sensing, and constant surveillance.
Nowadays, almost any military product is stuffed with electronic components, microcircuits, chips, etc. Therefore, quite a lot of DARPA programs are aimed at developing and improving component base … Among such programs are the following: Intrachip Enhanced Cooling; Integrity and Reliability of Integrated Circuits; Power Efficiency Revolution For Embedded Computing Technologies; Tip-Based Nanofabrication and others.
Intrachip Enhanced Cooling
The increase in the number of components in modern electronics has raised the level of heating and power dissipation to unprecedented heights. At the same time, it is still impossible to limit the temperature rise without increasing the volume and weight of the electronic systems themselves. The use of remote cooling, in which heat must be conducted from the chips into the air, is no longer effective.
Therefore, DARPA began developing a program called "Intrachip Enhanced Cooling (ICECOOL)", with which it seeks to overcome the limitations of remote cooling. The program will study the level of heating inside the chips using silicon for this. The agency aims to prove that cooling is as important to the design of the chip as the rest of the components. The project assumes that the internal cooling will be installed either directly in the microcircuit, or in the micro-gap between the chips.
If successfully completed, the project will provide an opportunity to reduce the density level of the chip itself and cooling systems, which will be very effective for creating a new generation of electronic systems.
Thermal Management Technologies
Significant improvements in technology and system integration have led to a significant increase in the level of energy consumption by the military. The power consumption has increased while the size of the microcircuits has decreased. This caused these systems to overheat. Therefore, DARPA launched the Thermal Management Technologies program, which is engaged in the study and optimization of new nanomaterials with a heat sink system, which are planned to be used in the production of microcircuits. The program is developing in five main areas: microtechnology for cooling heat exchangers, active cooling of modules, adapted heat pipe technology, modernized power amplifiers, thermoelectric coolers.
Thus, the main efforts of the program are aimed at the development and creation of high-performance heat distributors based on two-phase cooling and their replacement for copper alloys, which are currently used in systems; increasing the level of thermal cooling by reducing thermal resistance; development of new materials and structures that can reduce heating; study of cooling technologies using thermoelectric modules.
Power Efficiency Revolution For Embedded Computing Technologies
Most of the current military information systems have been limited in terms of computing power due to limitations in electrical power, size and weight, and cooling problems. Such a limitation has a significant negative impact on the operational management of military departments, because, for example, intelligence and reconnaissance systems collect more information than can be processed in real time. Therefore, it turns out that intelligence is not able to provide valuable data required at a certain time.
Existing information processing systems are capable of processing 1 gigabyte of data per second, while, according to the military, 75 times more is needed. But modern processors have already reached their maximum in the process of increasing capacities without increasing power consumption. DARPA's Power Efficiency Revolution For Embedded Computing Technologies (PERFECT) program is designed to provide the required energy efficiency.
The program provides for the achievement of an increase in the capacity of information processing by 75 times. The implementation of this program can make it possible to create smartphones that can work for weeks, or laptops, the battery of which will need to be charged as often as you refuel the car.
Tip-Based Nanofabrication
The agency spends a lot on the development of nanotechnology. But despite the fact that the basic concepts in their development are recognized as necessary, there are still problems with their mass production.
The goal of the Tip-Based Nanofabrication program is to establish control over the quality of the production of nanomaterials - nanowires, nanotubes and quantum dots, which includes control over the size, orientation and position of each product. The program involves combining control with innovative technologies, thus creating high temperatures, high-speed flows and powerful electromagnetic fields similar to optical technology.
Currently, it is impossible to control the nano-manufacturing process. Certain techniques have been demonstrated in recent years, but they all have significant drawbacks. So, for example, in the production of nanotubes, it is possible to control only their growth, but not their size and orientation. When creating quantum dots, it is impossible to create a large array with high homogeneity.
If the project is successfully completed, its results will be extremely important for the production of nanoproducts.
Integrity and Reliability of Integrated Circuits
At the heart of many of the electronic systems that have been developed for the US Department of Defense are integrated circuits. At the same time, the military department uses them with extreme caution, worrying about the integrity of these systems. Since in the context of the globalization of the market, most of the microcircuits are manufactured in illegal enterprises, there is a danger that the circuits acquired for the systems of the military department will not meet the specifications, and, accordingly, will not be reliable.
DARPA, as part of the Integrity and Reliability of Integrated Circuits (IRIS) program, seeks to develop methods that can verify the functions of each chip without destroying it. The system of these methods includes advanced recognition of devices of deep submicron circuitry, as well as computational methods for determining the relationship between devices.
In addition, the program provides for the creation of innovative methods for modeling devices and conducting analytical processes aimed at determining the reliability of integrated circuits by testing a small number of samples.
Leading Edge Access Program
As mentioned above, most of the chips used in the United States are manufactured outside the country. This state of affairs, in the opinion of the Americans, is pernicious. First, the lack of access to advanced technologies contributes to the outflow of highly qualified personnel from the country. Secondly, the Department of Defense does not trust such microcircuits too much.
Research in the field of semiconductor technology is of great importance for the introduction of technological developments not only in commercial structures, but also in the military department. Therefore, the agency launched a new program called the Leading Edge Access Program, which aims to provide universities, industry and government agencies with advanced military semiconductor technology. All this is done in the hope of a speedy return of chip production back to America.
Advanced technology applications include digital replacement of analog or mixed-signal integrated circuits, auxiliary mixed-signal integrated circuits, solutions to the problem of high speed and low power of analog-to-digital converters and multi-core processors. At a certain time, the military department will provide the agency with new projects. The main selection criteria will be the novelty of the design, the possibility of application in the military industry, as well as the potential for the successful mobilization of operational efficiency.
Diverse Accessible Heterogeneous
One of the main problems that currently hinder the further development of computer technology is that microcircuits for them have to be made of various materials. DARPA is developing the Diverse Accessible Heterogeneous program, the goal of which is to create a new single silicon platform on which new generation microchips will be created. Thus, according to the developers, heterogeneous integration should overcome a number of serious problems associated with the data transfer process, determine the density of heterogeneous compounds, establish the optimal temperature regime and optimize the new platform for mass production.
In case of successful development, the heterogeneous platform can be used in such industries as optoelectronic microcircuits, optical sensing systems, optical generators of arbitrary signals, multiwave thermal imagers with integrated image processing and information reading.
The results of the program will be important for civilian use as well, since the creation of a universal platform will help make computers run faster and more efficiently.
Ubiquitous High Performance Computing
Among the agency's developments, there is a program that approaches the process of creating computer equipment practically from scratch - "Ubiquitous High Performance Computing". It focuses on the design and development of technologies that provide the foundations for creating computers with low power consumption, protection against cyber attacks and with greater performance. In addition, the program assumes that such computers will be much easier in terms of programming, so that even specialists with little experience can do it.
These computers will be more reliable and more efficient by improving scalable, highly programmable systems. Such serious structures as Massachusetts Technological University, Intel, NVIDIA are taking part in this project. Thus, it can be argued that this program is one of the most ambitious developments of DARPA.
In addition, the agency is actively working on the development of integrated 3D microcircuits. Currently, microcircuits are one of the key points of microelectronics. But in the face of ever-shrinking microcircuit sizes, modern semiconductor technologies face many specific and fundamental problems. Therefore, despite the great success of semiconductors, developers are looking for new types of general-purpose microcircuits that will have higher performance.
The creation of a three-dimensional integrated circuit will open up great opportunities for a faster and more efficient development of computer technology, since the limitation of two dimensions will be overcome. After all, progress has reached the point of development when the microcircuits are so complex that there is simply no room for the necessary connections on a two-dimensional chip.
The creation of a three-dimensional microcircuit, with all the problems associated with its practical application, will make it possible to make technologies more compact.
Micro-technology for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
For many decades, the Global Positioning System, or GPS, has been built into most military navigation equipment. Thus, many types of weapons depend on data on location, direction of travel, flight time, and the like information transmitted by the system. But such dependence can create big problems, since in conditions of difficult reception or jamming of a signal, weapons that require constant communication with the system will not work.
DARPA has begun development of the Micro-technology for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (MICRO-PNT) program, the essence of which is to create technologies that allow you to work offline. The key issues at this stage of the fixture are size, weight and power. Successful research will create a single device that will combine all the necessary devices: accelerometers, clocks, calibration, gyroscopes. Microscopic calibration should provide more accurate targeting through internal error correction.
In 2010, research began in the development of microtechnology related to the creation of high-precision clocks and inertial instruments.
The development of the program is primarily aimed at increasing the dynamic range of inertial sensors, reducing the clock error, as well as developing microchips for determining the position and trajectory of movement.
If the program is being implemented, then imagine Google Maps in the subway.
