Technical Strategy

Research Management & Leadership Strategy

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This document is a new strategic framework for how ARL will conduct defense research within a rapidly evolving global environment. This RM&LS provides the high level vision of how ARL plans to manage its resources, positioning ARL to develop as the Nation's premier laboratory for land forces, while fulfilling its mission in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Four focus areas in this framework guide the management and leadership of the laboratory: People First, Open Campus, Technical Strategy and Business Acumen.

Open Campus Strategic Plan

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ARL's Open Campus business model is building the framework for a global science and technology ecosystem that will foster an agile, efficient, and effective research environment supporting the continuous flow of people and ideas to ensure transformative scientific discovery, innovation, and technology transition beneficial to national security.

Technical Implementation Plan

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This document defines ARL's KCIs; each of which is described by a long range(FY15-FY30) plan identifying the 1) expected impact on the operational Army of 2040; 2) technical goals; 3) requisite increase in personnel above existing staffing levels; 4) infrastructure enhancements needed; and 5) alignment with the Army Warfighting Challenges3 (AWFCs) and Army Centers of Excellence (CoE) S&T needs.

Technical Strategy 2015 - 2035

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The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed an overarching technical strategy, envisioned to support Strategic Land Power Dominance for the Army of 2030 and beyond, which is based on eight subordinate S&T campaigns; namely, Extramural Basic Research, Computational Sciences, Materials Research, Sciences-for-Maneuver, Information Sciences, Sciences-for-Lethality and Protection, Human Sciences, and Assessment and Analysis. These subordinate campaigns are structured to foster discovery, innovation, and transition of technologies leading to Power Projection Superiority, Information Supremacy, Lethality and Protection Superiority, and Soldier Performance Augmentation for Strategic Land Power Dominance.

S&T Campaign Plans 2015 - 2035

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ARL's S&T Campaign Plans and is an appendix to the Army Research Laboratory Technical Strategy (April 2014). It is intended to provide additional insight into the technical areas that ARL believes are critical to the Army's assured land power dominance into the deep future.

Opportunities/Facilities

Facilities Book

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The U.S. Army Research Laboratory operates laboratories, testing facilities, ranges, offices and many one-of-a-kind facilities in several prominent locations around the U.S. In many cases, the laboratory's collaborations with other nations, laboratories, academia and industry span the globe. ARL operates from several primary locations including Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Adelphi Laboratory Center, Md., Research Triangle Park, N.C., Orlando, Fla. And White Sands Missile Range, N.M., with field elements strategically located at Army installations from coast to coast.

This book provides an overview of ARL's facilities at these locations and how they help achieve success in the management of each of ARL's S&T Campaign Plans. The diversity of our laboratories coupled with a world-class research team are leading to unprecedented capabilities for our nation's Soldiers-10, 20 and even 30 years from now. As you learn about ARL's facilities, you will quickly see why ARL is leading the Department of Defense in the areas of discovery, innovation and transition of basic and applied research.

Objectives/Achievements

Annual Performance Plan - 2014

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The FY14 Annual Performance Plan (APP) articulates ARL's key FY14 technical objectives aligned to our Major Laboratory Programs (MLPs). The FY14 APP represents a transition year for ARL planning as we are currently in the process of revising the ARL long term Science & Technology (S&T) strategy based upon a series of S&T campaigns designed to shape and ensure Army land dominance in the near, mid and far term (i.e., 2030).

ARO-In-Review - 2015

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This report is intended to be a single-source document describing the research programs of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Army Research Office (ARO) for fiscal year 2015 (FY15; 1 Oct 2014 through 30 Sep 2015). This report provides:

• A brief review of the strategy employed to guide ARO research investments and noteworthy issues affecting the implementation of that strategy
• Statistics regarding basic research funding (i.e., "6.1" funding) and program proposal activity
• Research trends and accomplishments of the individual ARO scientific divisions

Annual Review - 2012

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This is the fiscal year 2012 edition of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory(ARL) Annual Review. This publication is our opportunity to provide the reader a brief look at who we are and highlight some of the significant achievements of the past year. We are a diverse organization with a wide variety of research and analysis expertise and capabilities that touch on virtually every area of scientific endeavor. What you will see here will therefore be only a representative sample of the ongoing efforts of the ARL.

ARL's research continuum stretches from early, long-term, basic research to evolving new technologies to support current operations. We organize our research and analysis programs within nine Major Laboratory Programs: Extramural Basic Research, Networks, Human Dimension, Lethality, Protection, Mobility, Power and Energy, Sensors, and Survivability/Lethality Analysis.

ARL Annual Review - 2011

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ARL Annual Review - 2010

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ARL Annual Review - 2009

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Fellows

ARL Fellows - 2012

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The Fellows of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) play a critical role in how ARL advances science and engineering for our nation's Soldiers. Their leadership in a broad spectrum of disciplines allows them to continuously promote and maintain our technical excellence in science and engineering and our reputation as a state-of-the-art research laboratory. They are among the best and brightest the Army has to offer and their dedication and devotion to excellence is benefiting those who put their lives in harm's way every day.

The research the ARL Fellows accomplish for the nation is cutting edge-in many cases, their research is hig-risk and can produce game-changing scientific and technological innovations that enhance the survivability and lethality of America's armed forces.

ARL is fortunate to have these world-class individuals. Their work has undoubtedly saved the lives of many American Soldiers throughout the years and has contributed immeasurably to their success as the world's most formidable fighting force.

The Fellows of ARL are and will continue to be examples of exceptional performance to which we can all emulate.

ARL Fellows - 2010

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The Fellows of ARL are among the best and brightest the Army has to offer to support the men and women who put their lives in harm's way every day in every corner of the world. Their research interests span a wide spectrum of scientific and engineering fields.

Excellence in a research laboratory is dependent, first and foremost, on quality staff. ARL is fortunate to have these world-class individuals. Their work has undoubtedly saved the lives of many American Soldiers throughout the years.

In addition to the excellence in their technical work, we laud the Fellows for their positive influence on the organization.

They are an example of performance to which we can all aspire.

Research@ARL

Research@ARL - February 2016

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All of us began our interaction with light when we first glimpsed the world. Since then, we rely upon light to bring us brightness and beauty, warmth and joy. Prompted by these comfortable feelings, one cannot help but ponder, "What is Light?" Why is there something that we can see and feel but not catch and hold? The quest to understand its nature has not only fascinated scientists at every turn but also helped us uncover many of nature's deepest secrets. Each new level of understanding has inspired new applications that have changed the world.

Research@ARL - July 2014

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The Army's critical needs relate to the development of advanced materials for sensors, devices, power and energy, as well as for lightweight vehicle and Soldier protection. The performance and function of every Army system is determined by the underlying properties of the materials and the (structural/electrical) design of the engineering system. In turn, the properties of the materials themselves are a product of the hierarchy of structures found within. From atoms, to molecules, to crystals, to grains, to laminates, etc., the final performance of any system is a "sum of the parts" of the underlying physics down to the smallest level. The potential to gain extraordinary component or system improvements through the effective design and control of the constituent materials remains untapped. Enabling the design of these hierarchical materials structures in concert with the overall design and function of the system will allow for transformational gains in the performance of Army materiel.

Research@ARL - January 2014

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Today cameras are ubiquitous. In addition to capturing special moments with family and friends, they monitor traffic and they monitor us in public places. They provide a full visual field as we back up our cars. We can even swallow a pill-sized camera to image our intestinal tract. Cameras are so widely used that 48 hours of video data are uploaded to YouTube every minute.1 Through advancements in optics and photodetectors, cameras are now commodities. Further, the proximity of cameras to processing chips in smartphone platforms is driving an explosion in imaging applications.

Research@ARL - July 2013

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Unlike the apocalyptic scenarios envisioned in the movies, autonomous systems perform critically helpful roles for today's soldiers and first responders. Routinely aerial platforms surveil large areas of urban terrain without an on-board pilot. Ground platforms neutralize improvised explosive devices on streets in Baghdad and investigate the radiated environment of the disabled Fukushima Nuclear Plant. For over a decade, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has contributed significantly to the development of technologies capable of enabling autonomous behavior by mobile platforms. This volume presents some of those contributions and this introduction provides context for the research performed at ARL.

Research@ARL - March 2013

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The objective of the Network Science Program of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the Army's corporate research laboratory, is to perform foundational research on network science (NS), leading to a fundamental understanding of the interplay within and among the physical, social/cognitive, information, and communication networks. This research is expected to lead to insights on how processes and parameters in one network affect and are affected by those in other networks. The underlying long-term goal is to optimize human performance and to greatly enhance speed and precision for complex networked military operations.

Research@ARL - June 2012

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The discovery of novel materials and methods to store more energy and release energy faster is a crucial area of research to address Army needs in both weapons development and lightweight compact power for individual Soldiers, combat vehicles and munitions. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the Army's corporate research laboratory, is breaking existing paradigms in these areas by developing a rigorous science-based understanding of diverse multidisciplinary domains, integrating theoretical, computational and experimental research. Recently, ARL announced the establishment of Enterprise for Multiscale Research of Materials to create a unique capability for the design of materials that are suitable for extreme dynamic environments and novel electronic and electromagnetic devices. Cognizant of new research initiatives during the past five years, powered by breakthroughs in advanced experimentation and computational chemistry, physics, and materials science, ARL is boldly creating and enhancing the essential computational tools and capabilities to advance these rapidly evolving fields.

The select papers included in this monograph are representative of the high level of theoretical and experimental research, discoveries and achievements of ARL scientists and engineers in energetics science and technology, and in energy storage electrochemical power, focusing on lithium-ion, lithium-air and lithium-sulfur batteries.