Ballistic and artillery

Missile-defense systems cannot be validated using simulations alone. Radars and combat-management systems ultimately need to encounter physical targets moving through real airspace, allowing crews...

As more military and civilian infrastructure depends on satellites, space is becoming an increasingly important operational domain. Communications, navigation, intelligence gathering, missile warning, and...

Attack helicopters are facing a growing challenge on today's battlefield. The widespread use of inexpensive drones, loitering munitions and persistent aerial surveillance has made...

Modern armored vehicles are increasingly equipped with camouflage, thermal-management technologies and other measures intended to make them harder to identify and engage. At the...

Traditional rocket launches depend on large, permanent spaceports containing launch pads, control systems and specialized ground equipment. That infrastructure is expensive, geographically fixed and...

The rapid spread of military drones has created a growing problem for air-defense forces. Many attack drones are inexpensive to produce, yet they are...

Modern militaries are fielding an increasingly diverse range of unmanned systems, from interceptor missiles and one-way attack drones to robotic ground vehicles. While these...

One of the biggest challenges facing modern air defense is no longer just stopping incoming threats, it's doing so at a sustainable cost. Militaries...

Long-range precision weapons have become increasingly important for militaries seeking to strike targets while keeping launch platforms outside heavily defended areas. The challenge is...

The growing use of drones, cruise missiles and low-flying aircraft is putting renewed pressure on short-range air defense systems. Soldiers operating near the front...

Modern air-defense systems are forcing combat aircraft to engage targets from ever greater distances. Flying too close to heavily defended areas increases the risk...

Modern anti-ship missiles are becoming increasingly difficult to defeat. Equipped with radar, infrared, laser or electro-optical seekers, many can identify and track their targets...

Modern military operations increasingly depend on the ability to strike high-value targets from long distances before they can threaten friendly forces. Command posts, air...

Unmanned surface vessels are rapidly evolving from reconnaissance platforms into armed combat systems capable of operating alongside conventional naval forces. As maritime threats become...

Electronic warfare has become one of the defining features of modern conflict. Jamming systems can disrupt satellite navigation, interfere with communications, and reduce the...

One of the less visible challenges in modern defense programs is manufacturing. Even when advanced weapons are fully designed and tested, production bottlenecks can...

For any country that relies on ballistic missiles as part of its military strategy, launching them is only half the challenge. The other half...

The rapid growth of battlefield drones has forced militaries to rethink short-range air defense. Small, unmanned aircraft are inexpensive, widely available, and increasingly capable...

Modern artillery faces two growing challenges. The first is range. As adversaries field longer-range weapons, artillery units must be able to strike targets from...

Integrating heavy weapons onto compact robotic ground vehicles has become a growing focus for modern militaries, but the engineering challenge is significant. Small unmanned...

Modern air-defense networks face an increasingly diverse set of threats. Combat aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and tactical ballistic missiles can approach from different altitudes...

Modern armed forces are increasingly looking for strike weapons that can engage targets from long distances without exposing launch platforms to enemy air defenses....