By Ann Roosevelt
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.–The past decade has shown how important technology is for soldiers, and Army science and technology (S&T) is working to meet the challenge of moving technology to the field to provide better, smarter tools, the service’s technology chief said.
Army S&T strategy is “being smart about investing in tech and fundamental science that will make a difference to our Army,” Tom Killian, deputy secretary of the Army for Research, Technology/Chief Scientist, said at the Association of the United States Army Winter Symposium here.
“I’m responsible for management for our science and technology research…but in order to get that technology to the field we have to hand that off,” he said.
That means working with industry–a “critical partnership.”
The bottom line for Killian’s office is to foster innovation and accelerate or mature technology to enable future force capabilities while exploiting opportunities to rapidly transition technology to the current force.
The S&T budget has been increasing, particularly in basic and applied research, he said. The Office of the Secretary of Defense also has been willing to add funds to such efforts.
There is $1.9 billion in the fiscal year 2011 president’s budget for Army S&T. That is a little more than in FY ’10, with an additional $1.4 billion from congressional earmarks.
The funds address long-term basis research, in areas such as nano-micro assemblies. Beneficiaries are generally universities and labs.
There is $81 million in applied research into areas such as new armor, materials. About one-third of this involves industry.
Advanced technology development, near-term work, requests $697 million, and such things as armor kits fall in this category.
“We have to sustain a vital S&T base if we’re going to exploit that technology in the future,” Killian said. Technology must be on the shelf for when it’s needed.
Looking at the future, $169 million is slated to improve deployable force protection over FY ’11-’15. Another $93.5 million is aimed at infrared focal plane arrays over FY ’11- ’15. “We own the night, but there are lots of competitors out there,” he said.
Research enhancements garners $27 million in FY ’11, in areas such as training technology and tissue regeneration.
Killian played a video of efforts to help soldiers and civilians regenerate tissue–something the Army put $250 million into to help soldiers regrow muscles and skin, and perhaps transplant for lost limbs.
“This is absolutely phenomenal,” Killian said. “This kind of technology will make a difference not only for our soldiers but the civilian population as well.”
Future efforts focus on force protection, C4ISR and ISR, he said, based on service needs.
“The promise is there to make a real difference in the quality of life, “he said.
Army S&T listens to the great ideas, sifts through the options and works to make smart investments, so the technology can transition to a program of record or rapidly move to the field.
All the efforts work to support soldiers. For example, it was the Defense Advanced Research Agency investment in robots in the 1990s that has led to the now more than 10,000 in theater right now, he said.
The system doesn’t work without cooperation with industry partners, Killian said.