Technology Maturation Initiatives

Abstract

Technology Maturation Initiatives (TMI) demonstrates the utility of directed energy for missile defense. MDA's directed energy plan incrementally demonstrates and improves the constituent components required to execute a directed energy kill chain; acquisition, tracking and lethality. The efforts shape future BMDS acquisition choice by advancing the technology readiness levels of emerging and developing technology, while simultaneously assessing the performance and contributions to the BMDS architecture. TMI includes development, demonstration, systems engineering and test efforts to improve performance of lasers, EO/IR sensors, and disruptive directed energy concepts MDA will develop cost effective technology demonstrators to address specific risks: - An advanced sensor integrated into an airborne or space platform to provide discrimination of lethal objects and other advanced sensor applications - A compact, ruggedized advanced sensor that builds on the airborne discrimination program to demonstrate persistent overhead discrimination coverage from space - Sensor system tests to validate performance against emerging advanced threats - Component technology development leading to future advancements of strategic laser weapons - Technology risk reduction for a disruptive directed energy concept The Directed Energy Demonstrator Development (DEDD) addresses technology risk reduction and maturation for high powered strategic lasers as well as beam control and steering. The laser scaling effort is tightly coupled with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD R&E) Laser Road map, and is essential to mature strategic laser technology sufficient to enter into the ASD R&E approach. Once strategic laser concepts meet the minimum requirements, they can be transitioned into the R&E laser scaling program for further development. The Neutral Particle Beam is a game changing space-based directed energy capability for strategic and regional missile defense. MDA will design, develop and conduct a feasibility demonstration of a first stage accelerator subsystem. The Discrimination Sensor Demonstrator Development (DSDD) program includes the development of an advanced sensor to discriminate lethal objects and uses MDA configured airborne platforms to introduce EO/IR sensors into the BMDS. The advanced sensor incorporates incrementally developed, integrated, and tested next-generation sensors and electronics to demonstrate Launch-on-Remote, Engage-on-Remote, discrimination and handover improvements for missile defense from the air and/or space. These advanced sensors improve the probability of engagement success for stressing threats, expand the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) battle space and increase the ability to negate larger raid sizes. The MDA configured airborne platforms are used to obtain additional EO/IR data by tracking targets in MDA flight tests. They also help develop the associated concept of operations and provide the basis for a quick reaction precision tracking capability to augment radar. To address emerging advanced threats, MDA may use MDA-configured airborne platforms to support hypersonic threat testing scenarios. TMI Test and Cyber Operations provide enabling capabilities to support all directed energy technical maturation initiatives. MDA collaborates with the ASD R&E, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office, Department of Energy, and the Air Force, and national laboratories in a systems engineering based strategy to research, develop and test directed energy weapons technology. MDA is developing a set of common core disruptive technologies that will enable both missile defense and air dominance missions.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Source ID
0604115C_4_0400_PB_2020
Change Summary Explanation
Increase in FY 2018 from PB19 to PB20 reflects the enacted congressional adjustments for retaining three vendors for the Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD). Increase in FY 2019 from PB19 to PB20 reflects the enacted congressional adjustments to continue research and development for three separate laser scaling efforts, to retain three performers for LPLD through Critical Design Review (CDR), and to address cyber threats. Increase in FY 2020 from PB19 to PB20 provides for the addition of the Neutral Particle Beam (NPB), a new directed energy capability to defeat the emerging threat, laser scaling, and Electro Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) participation in Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) level tests.
Service Agency Name
Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

  • Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Battle Management
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberspace Operations
  • Detectors
  • Directed Energy Weapons
  • High Energy Lasers
  • Information Assurance
  • Information Systems
  • Infrared Detectors
  • Lasers
  • Neutral Particle Beams
  • Particle Beams
  • Product Development
  • Systems Engineering
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military Science and Technology Research and Modernization.
  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Cyber
  • Cyber - Quantum
  • Directed Energy
  • Hypersonics
  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects

Related Documents