Military Applications Research Articles

Military college alumni application of leadership competencies in the workplace

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the leadership competencies that are effectively transferring into the workplaces of recent military college alumni from both their curricular and co-curricular experiences.Design/methodology/approachThrough semi-structured interviews, this study explored 15 military college alumni’s perspectives on the leadership competencies they developed in college and currently apply in the workplace.FindingsThe findings indicated the 15 military college alumni participants developed and applied the following student leadership competencies at work: productive relationships, helping others, supervision, empathy, ethics, functioning independently, resiliency, positive attitude and scope of competence.Originality/valueLimited research explores leadership learning at military colleges and service academies in the United States. Yet these collegiate military environments have a missional focus on leadership education and development. This article highlights the importance of the alumni lens in assessing leadership learning in collegiate military environments and provides recommendations to administrators of this institution type.

Theoretical Investigation of Energetic Materials Based on Imidazole Framework Featuring Azido/Nitro/Nitrato/Fluoro Groups

ABSTRACTDevelopment of new high‐energy materials (HEMs) is one of the thrust areas of research. These compounds are important for various applications such as propellants, gas generations, explosives in mining, construction, civil and military applications, and safety equipment for national security and defense. HEMs based on imidazole frameworks are currently getting research spotlight due to their exceptional detonation performance with optimum sensitivity. This study reports five imidazole derivatives containing azido/nitro/nitrato/fluoro functional groups. These groups are viable options to design promising explosives with moderate sensitivity. Density functional theory (DFT) method is adopted to determine the geometries, thermodynamic properties, detonation properties, and impact sensitivity of the designed molecules. All the compounds have high density in the range of 1.89–2.03 g/cm3 along with high heat of formation. These compounds aid in new strategy to design HEMs with optimum sensitivity.

Debate: Building a U.S. Regulatory Empire in the Chip War with China.

Regulating the circulation of technology is a powerful weapon to exercise global power. In August 2022, U.S. president Joe Biden moved to strangle China's high-end semiconductor industry by imposing a swath of export controls aimed at restricting the country's access to global semiconductor supply chains. While this chip war is usually framed as a bilateral conflict between Washington and Beijing, the success of the U.S. strategy depends on the active cooperation of allied firms and governments. This article fills a critical gap in the standard narrative. It describes how the U.S. government has constructed an empire by regulation, leveraging its global political and economic power to impose extraterritorial export controls on allied trade. By seeking to regulate the flow of technology, knowledge, people, and foreign investment into China, the U.S. risks alienating traditional allies and has triggered China to seek self-sufficiency in the production of advanced semiconductors for civilian and military applications.

Thermally insulated C/SiC/SiBCN composite ceramic aerogel with enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption performance

Thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption integrated materials with lightweight are highly desirable in hypersonic vehicles and military application, as they provide both aerodynamic heat resistance and EMW stealth capability. Herein, a C/SiC/SiBCN ceramic composite aerogel was developed using a novel strategy combining in situ chemical vapor deposition of SiC nanofibers with the polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) aerogel method. The microstructure, phase composition, thermal insulation, mechanical properties and EMW absorption performances of the composite aerogel were thoroughly investigated. The resulting C/SiC/SiBCN composite aerogel with three impregnation-pyrolysis cycles demonstrates improved mechanical properties, with the compressive strength increasing from 0.21 MPa to 0.48 MPa compared to pure SiBCN aerogel. Additionally, the composite aerogel shows a low thermal conductivity of 0.049 W/mK and a low density of 0.116 g/cm3. Moreover, the C/SiC/SiBCN composite aerogel exhibits outstanding EMW absorption properties, achieving a minimum reflection loss of -45.7 dB and an effective bandwidth of 5.3 GHz. Owing to the integration of EMW absorption and thermal insulation properties, the C/SiC/SiBCN composite aerogel offers promising potential for developing integrated microwave absorption and thermal insulation materials for high-speed vehicles.

Dielectric properties and temperature dependence of holey graphene/resin composites

In order to enhance the survivability of fighter aircraft, it is crucial to develop microwave absorbing (MA) materials with a low dielectric-temperature dependence. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has potential for military stealth applications, but its wave absorbing properties are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations due to significant conductivity loss. In this work, conductivity and polarization loss are balanced through microstructural design to disrupt the conductive pathways by creating holes on the graphene surface. The holey RGO aerogel/phenolic resin (HRGA/PF) composites with a hierarchical pore structure were synthesized through combining freeze-drying and PF infiltration. The results show that the HRGA/PF composites possess excellent X-band full frequency absorption performance in the temperature range of 25 °C–250 °C, and the reflection loss (RL) is optimized to −62.78 dB. This work expands feasible thoughts for the design of stable MA materials with wide temperature range.

Watercraft as Overwater Ambulance Exchange Points to Enhance Air Medical Evacuation

Ambulance exchange points are preidentified sites where patients are transferred between evacuation platforms while en route to enhanced medical care. We propose a new capability for maritime medical evacuation, which involves co-opting underway watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points to transfer patients between medical evacuation aircraft. We partnered with the US Army's 25th Combat Aviation Brigade to demonstrate the use of Army watercraft as overwater ambulance exchange points. A manikin was transferred between 2 HH-60M medical evacuation Black Hawk helicopters conducting hoist operations over Army Logistics Support Vessel 3, which was traveling south of Honolulu, HI. The demonstration was enabled by a decision support system for dispatching aircraft, hoist stabilization technology, commercial satellite internet, military geospatial infrastructure applications, and digital medical documentation tools, the benefits of which are all discussed. Three extensions of the overwater ambulance exchange point are introduced, and civilian applications are considered.

Deep convolutional neural networks for ship detection using refined DOTA and TGRS-HRRSD high-resolution image datasets

Automated identification of ships in satellite imagery is of utmost significance in many military and civilian applications, including monitoring maritime traffic and maintaining maritime security. However, ship detection from remotely sensed imagery is a challenging task because of their varying sizes, orientations, types, and various interferences. In recent years, deep learning algorithms have become a powerful tool in image processing applications, including image classification and object detection due to their strong feature representation capabilities. In this study, a refined ship dataset, containing a total of 13,735 instances and representing different ship types, was generated using state-of-the-art datasets for the ship detection task. In a comparative framework, the performance of five deep learning algorithms (Faster R-CNN, YOLOv8, CenterNet, EfficientDet, and SSD) in ship detection was investigated using the created dataset. The performance of the deep learning models was compared using MS COCO accuracy metrics. In addition, the generalization capabilities of the models were tested on an independent image acquired by Göktürk-1 having a mucilage effect that undermines the spectral discrimination. Results revealed that the YOLOv8 model had the greatest ship detection performance (AP@0.50 = 96.33 %), followed by CenterNet (AP@0.50 = 88.80 %), Faster R-CNN (AP@0.50 = 85.30 %), EfficientDet (AP@0.50 = 78.91 %) and SSD (AP@0.5 = 75.98 %), and obtained the highest accuracies in terms of other COCO metrics. In addition, generalization capabilities on the test image confirmed the superiority of the YOLOv8 model with AP@0.50 score of 63.93 %. Overall, the results of this study validated the effectiveness of the YOLOv8 model in identifying ship targets in remotely sensed images.

Facile synthesis of ZnFe2O4/ZnO/Fe3O4/Fe3N/C composites derived from bimetallic MOFs for efficient electromagnetic wave absorption

A novel metal–organic framework (MOF), ZnFe-MOF, was synthesized using a water phase method. By employing an explosion method with ZnFe-MOF as a precursor, a porous carbon composite electromagnetic wave-absorbing powder, ZnFe2O4/ZnO/Fe3O4/Fe3N/Fe2N/Zn/C (ZFC280), was obtained. This study examined the effects of paraffin filling amount and calcination temperature on the absorption performance of carbon composite materials. Notably, when the mass ratio of the absorber to paraffin was 1:1, the nanocomposite absorber ZnFe2O4/ZnO/Fe3O4/Fe3N/C (ZFC300) exhibited superior electromagnetic wave absorption capability. The ZFC300 sample demonstrated nearly complete absorption of electromagnetic waves across frequencies from 2 to 18 GHz with thicknesses ranging from 1 to 10 mm. Particularly, ZFC300 achieved a minimum reflection loss of −55.32 dB at 4.31 GHz with the 5.46 mm thickness and exhibited the broadest absorption bandwidth of 4.14 GHz at a thickness of 2.0 mm. The primary loss mechanism of the multicomponent and porous ZFC300 was dielectric loss with supplementary magnetic loss. Owing to its excellent absorption performance, the ZFC300 absorber is be a promising candidate for both civilian and military applications.

Tunable optically transparent graphene–ITO patterning-based millimeter-wave absorber

In this work, we demonstrated a multilayer millimeter-wave absorber capable of tuning the absorption frequency while simultaneously maintaining the optical transparency. It comprises indium tin oxide (ITO) as the bottom ground plane deposited over polyvinyl chloride (PVC) substrate over which a patterned ITO layer is formed. Above this ITO layer, a PVC spacer is put to isolate the upper graphene sandwich structure (GSS) comprising of two patterned graphene mediums separated by a diaphragm paper. The configuration shows the tunability of reflectance minima (which correspond to high absorptance of ≥ 98 %) in a frequency range of 92.5–97.5 GHz due to the adjustable bias voltage applied to GSS. Additionally, the designed absorber demonstrates adequate shielding effect, generally required for both commercial and military applications in the stated frequency range. This simultaneously configurable and optically transparent device has potential in multispectral and smart stealth technologies, particularly 6G applications.

Extending mid-infrared wavelength to 6.84 μm in oxide nonlinear optical crystal via birefringence dispersion management.

Extending lasing wavelengths to the mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum is vital for both civilian and military applications; however, it remains challenging when employing oxide nonlinear optical crystals. In this study, we report the generation of MIR nanosecond pulses via difference frequency generation (DFG) with a near-IR pump using a newly designed langasite (LGS) crystal, La3(Nb0.6Ta0.4)0.5Ga5.5O14 (LGNT0.4), which incorporates birefringence dispersion management techniques with La3Ga5.5Nb0.5O14 (LGN) as a template. Due to the improved effective nonlinear coefficients and the maintained IR cutoff relative to LGN, the tunable DFG laser in LGNT0.4 extended from 4.24 to 6.84 μm, delivering a maximum pulse energy of 16.3 μJ at 5.02 μm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first known oxide material capable of generating tunable nanosecond pulsed lasers beyond 6 μm at μJ-level energies, demonstrating promising potential for high-intensity MIR laser systems owing to its high laser damage threshold.

Elastic and layered carbon/silica composite nanofibrous aerogels through solution blow spinning

Carbon fibrous aerogels, distinguished by low density, outstanding mechanical properties and thermal stability, hold great promise for applications in aerospace, military, and environmental protection. However, large-scale production and precise structure control of carbon fibrous aerogels present significant challenges. Herein, solution blow spinning combined with rotating receiving apparatus was employed to fabricate elastic lamellar carbon/silica nanofibrous aerogels (CSNFAs). The utilization of receiving apparatus for traction enabled efficient assembly of PAN nanofiber networks into layered and stacked structure. Interlayer spacing of CSNFAs could be finely tuned within range of 30–250 μm by adjusting speed with range of 500–1000 RPM. The mesoporous architecture of CSNFAs, along with their intrinsic properties, significantly enhanced adsorption capabilities. Integration of lamellar structure enabled precise control over thermal stability. Capitalizing on laminated structure, CSNFAs exhibited excellent compressive elasticity while maintaining exceptional super elasticity across extreme temperatures ranging from 600 °C to −196 °C. CSNFAs guaranteed reliable performance across a wide temperature range and supported repeated use.

Survey of UAV Security Authentication and Cryptography Protocols

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are gaining significant attention because of the strategic and financial information and value involved in aerial applications, as well as the sensitive data collected through embedded sensors. UAVs are rapidly developing in various fields and find widespread utility in military applications for effective target tracking, battlefield surveillance, radiation monitoring, and sports. UAVs are useful and advantageous, but they can also be attacked by a variety of techniques, including jamming, fuzzing, false data injection, and zero attacks. Researchers were looking on robust security mechanisms to protect UAVs from attackers in order to combat such security risks. However, there is a large number of vulnerabilities in designed protocols that hackers could take advantage of. For the identification and addressing of those vulnerabilities and weaknesses, it is becoming highly important to study and analyze current security protocols that are used in the UAVs. In this study, a thorough survey will be introduced on authentication and cryptography that are used in the UAV protocols, as well as describing architecture, procedure, and security of Micro Aerial Vehicle Link (MavLink) protocol. We will explain as well the cryptography and authentication approach that has been developed by the use of the MavLink protocol. Index Terms— UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, MavLink, Zero attack.

Angle-resolved polarization Raman spectroscopy of β-Ga2O3 and their application in sensitive solar-blind photodetection

Polarization-sensitive photodetection has promising prospects for civilian and military applications based on anisotropic semiconductors. However, it is greatly limited due to the lack of valid materials as well as the terrible linear dichroism ratio. In this Letter, a metal–oxide–semiconductor β-Ga2O3 with strong anisotropic property is proposed for highly efficient polarizing detection, which can potentially overcome these limitations. Angle-resolved polarization Raman spectroscopy was performed to confirm excellent anisotropic phonon vibration. Unique narrow solar-blind polarization-sensitive photo-absorption (240–270 nm) can be observed, which can be attributed to the natural anisotropy, referring in particular to the polarization-resolved absorption in the surround of the bandgap of β-Ga2O3. Benefiting from the structural anisotropy, the polarization-sensitive photodetector exhibits an excellent linear dichroic ratio of ∼1.8. Moreover, obvious color change is observed under different polarized angles, providing great potential in polarization imaging. With these advantages, we anticipated that this research will pave avenues for the fabrication of polarization-sensitive solar-blind UV photodetectors.

Study on water entry impact characteristics and parameter influence analysis of the vehicle passing through the thin crushed ice zone in a polar environment

The problem of water entry in polar environments holds significant research value for polar resource exploration and military applications. This study uses computational fluid dynamics and the discrete element method (CFD-DEM) to investigate the complex process of a vehicle entering water through a thin crushed ice zone. Experimental data validates the efficiency of the coupling algorithm. The primary focus of this study is to investigate the influence of crushed ice shapes, arrangement patterns, coverage densities, and sizes within thin crushed ice zones on the process of water entry. A comprehensive analysis is carried out to assess how the characteristic parameters of different thin crushed ice zones affect the dynamic behavior of the vehicle during water entry and the movements of the crushed ice. Concurrently, the influence of different velocities of the vehicle on the water entry process through a specific thin crushed ice zone is analyzed. The results show that when the crushed ice is in a regular arrangement, it exhibits a circular immersion phenomenon and a cross-shaped passive movement trend. The arrangement patterns, coverage densities, and sizes of the crushed ice have different effects on the water entry process. Of these factors, the complexity of the influence of crushed ice sizes on the water entry process stands out. Meanwhile, the water entry velocity plays a crucial role in determining the relative significance of the hydrodynamic force and the collision force of crushed ice on the total resistance of the vehicle during water entry. These insights provide valuable guidance for the planning and execution of missions in polar regions.

Optimizing BHF/PVDF Composites via Compression Molding for High-Frequency Applications and Electromagnetic Shielding

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) poses significant challenges to the reliable operation of communication systems, medical devices, and electronic equipment, often resulting in signal degradation, data loss, and equipment failure. To mitigate these issues, this study investigates the development of barium hexaferrite (BHF)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites, synthesized via compression molding, to optimize their electrical and magnetic properties for high-frequency EMI shielding applications. Through comprehensive characterization, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and vector network analysis (VNA), we demonstrate that increasing the BHF content within the composites enhances their complex permittivity, impedance matching, and attenuation coefficients, making them highly effective for EMI shielding. Notably, the composite containing 20 wt.% PVDF achieved a reflection loss (RL) of -42 dB at a thickness of 2 mm, indicating superior shielding effectiveness. These results underscore the potential of BHF/PVDF composites as a viable solution for advanced EMI suppression in high-frequency electronic and military applications, combining economic feasibility with robust performance.

Effectiveness of an Expendable Unmanned Ground Vehicle Stalling a Mechanized Infantry Company's Primary Combat Units—A Virtual Simulation Experiment

ABSTRACTTechnological advancements have spurred the development of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and their innovative military applications and strategies. Such applications include expendable UGVs. However, public research concerning expendable military UGVs remains sparse. Particularly, the unclassified literature does not contain studies regarding their capabilities and effectiveness in combat. This study introduces a new low‐cost expendable UGV called Laykka. Moreover, the study presents a virtual simulation experiment to evaluate Laykkas' operational capabilities and their impact on advancing mechanized infantry units. The experiment involved armored reserve officer students assuming the roles of infantry troops forming an attacking opposing force while staff officers controlled simulated infantry troops operating the UGVs. A total of 16 battle simulations were fought. The simulated UGVs operated by a single soldier were able to stall the advancement of the mechanized infantry company's primary combat units three times out of four and a smaller force 11 out of 12 times. The best stalling effect was observed using a mix of UGVs with different module types. These modules allowed reconnaissance, loitering mine, and anti‐tank operations. The simulation experiment revealed that the UGV was an effective defensive tool due to its self‐destructive capability, causing marked battle damage, disruption, and confusion to the opposing forces.

Investigation of Gnetum Gnemon and Ramie Natural Fiber on the Mechanical Properties of Composites with the Combination of Aramid and Carbon Fiber as Reinforcement for Military Personnel Applications

Every equipment infrastructure in a TNI unit will be needed to support an operation in the defence system to maintain the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Personal protective equipment is needed for a war operation’s safety or continuity. Protective components made from composite fibers have the advantage of being resistant to corrosion caused by the environment. The natural and carbon fibers will be mixed/reinforced with epoxy resin to become composite materials. This study aims to identify Gnetum Gnemon fiber composites with carbon fiber and aramid fiber to determine the mechanical properties of the composite material resulting from a collision. Natural fiber Gnetum gnemon has not been widely studied as a reinforcing material for polymer composites. Gnetum gnemon fiber chemical composition is hemicellulose approx. 25%, 40% alpha cellulose, 10% lignin and 3-5% benzene extractive. Its density is quite light, 1.2087 g/cm³ - 1.8069 g/cm³. Because this fiber has a continuous fiber structure and a strong natural weave, its use is still minimal. Special treatment such as alkali treatment on Gnetum gnemon, can increase the strength of natural fibers. Due to its exceptional mechanical properties, Kevlar or aramid fibre are extensively used in industrial and military applications. The aramid fiber exhibited a transversely anisotropic nature in a small strain range, with its stress-strain behavior as linear and elastic. The anisotropic nature of the aramid fiber was due to its high tensile-to-shear modulus ratio. The high strength and modulus were also found to be scattered due to the larger distribution of defects in the longer fiber. Epoxy resin is a type of polymer characterized often by one or more epoxide functional groups, with at least one of the epoxide functional groups acting as a monomer and terminal unit of the polymer within the structural chain.

An introduction to the current state of standardization and certification on military AI applications

The main objective of this article is to provide an overview of the current state of development regarding certification and standardization efforts for Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in military aviation. The incorporation of AI capabilities in the military holds the potential for significant strategic advantages in information and decision supremacy. However, AI also brings novel risks and safety considerations that existing certification processes are inadequate to address. Consequently, the need arises for the establishment of an entirely new certification framework, encompassing requirements and standardized processes tailored to the unique demands of AI safe-ty. During the development of such framework, the 7 High Level Requirements of the EU AI High Level Experts Group are taken as reference to develop the successive horizontal (cross-domain) and vertical (domain-specific) standards that would produce legal, robust and ethical AI. To facilitate the creation of a new AI certification framework in military aviation, a review has been done over traditional civil and military certification processes and the current AI certification progress under development, to present an overview of the key elements and processes involved. References from various levels (regulatory, industry, research) have been considered to provide an introduction to the prospective military AI certification framework.

Design and application of omnidirectional mirror for catadioptric optical system dedicated to high-speed video registration of lightning

Omnidirectional optical mirrors are widely used in many scientific, industrial and military applications but there is still a lot to do to improve their projection characteristics. The paper presents design method for a novel class of omnidirectional mirrors characterized by their settable reflection angle and 3D/2D image projection. Such approach can effectively improve the mirrored image distribution on matrix of optical sensor. A complex mirror curvature was manufactured with application of computerized numerical control milling machines and Physical Vapor Deposition technique. Three prototypes with 15°, 30° and 45° vertical top view angles were tested. Mirrors were applied to get a set of wide range cloud-to-ground lightning video registrations. Analysis of the high-speed video confirmed design assumptions, and using lightning location system data, enabled dimensioning and measurement of the lightning channel geometry in 3D. Proposed method can be easily implemented in other applications involving omnidirectional observation and photogrammetry.

A Novel Spotted Hyena Optimizer for the Estimation of Equivalent Circuit Model Parameters in Li-Ion Batteries

Li-ion batteries possess significant advantages like large energy density, fast recharge, and high reliability; hence, they are widely adopted in electric vehicles, portable electronics, and military and aerospace applications. Albeit having their merits, accurate battery modeling is subjected to problems like prior information on internal chemical reactions, complexity in problem formulation, a large number of unknown parameters, and the need for extensive experimentation. Hence, this article presents a reliable Spotted Hyena Optimizer (SHO) to determine the equivalent circuit parameters of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The methodology of the SHO is derived from the living and hunting tactics of spotted hyenas, and it is efficiently applied to solve the battery parameter estimation problem. Nine unknown battery model parameters of a Samsung INR 18650-25R are determined using this method. The model parameters estimated are endorsed for five different datasets with various discharge current values. Further, the effect of parameter range and its selection is also emphasized. Secondly, for validation, various performance metrics such as Integral Squared Error, mean best, mean worst, and Standard Deviation are evaluated to authenticate the superiority of the proposed parameter extraction. From the computed results, the SHO algorithm is able to explore the search area up to 89% in the case of larger search ranges. The chosen model and range of the SHO precisely predict the behavior of the proposed Li-ion battery, and the results are in accordance with the catalog data.