Session Category: Tuesday Sessions

Accelerating Technology Transition

Within OUSD R&E, there are three Directorates of Defense Research and Engineering. The Directorate of Modernization sets the strategic technical direction and investment strategy for DoD; the Directorate for Research and Technologies ensures the DoD’s science and technology enterprise is postured to develop the next generation of game-changing technologies and enable rapid delivery of superior capabilities to the warfighter; while the Directorate for Advanced Capabilities accelerates and prototypes more mature technologies, ensuring the integration of new technology into the joint force. In this session, the leaders of each office will discuss what it means to accelerate technology transition to ensure technical dominance on the battlefield.

Rising Leaders in Aerospace Panel

Join us for a discussion of trending issues in our industry, hosted by the AIAA Young Professionals Group and featuring industry leaders who will offer their insights and answer your questions live.

Sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation

Forum 360: What’s the Next Breakthrough? Technology or Integration?

What’s next on the horizon for the gas turbine engine, the workhorse propulsion system for aviation? Whether it’s making transportation faster, cleaner, and more efficient, or increasing its performance, it is clear air-breathing propulsion still has lots of opportunities. But does it require a breakthrough in technology or a higher level of integration? Hear a robust discussion on the future of gas turbine systems and technologies including a diversity of perspectives from government, industry, and academia.

Forum 360: Next Steps in Supersonic and Hypersonic Propulsion: Platforms and Applications (Part I)

1330–1445 hrs
Hypersonic Propulsion Advancements
The hypersonic regime has a simple definition, Mach ≥ 5, but the solution to propelling a vehicle to those speeds is not at all simple. Like every aerospace design, the solution is mission and technology dependent and the two primary missions for airbreathing hypersonics today are: point-to-point for global high-speed travel, and responsive access to space. Even with a known mission there are different approaches to airbreathing hypersonic propulsion – from turbine-based combine cycle engines (TBCC) to air-breathing rockets. This panel will discuss these different missions and propulsion systems, and provide their perspective on the drivers.

OUSD R&E Enterprise

In 2018 and 2019, DEFENSE Forum attendees heard Mike Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, describe his top modernization priorities, the critical areas identified in the National Defense Strategy the R&E enterprise is built around. In the past two years, he has brought in Assistant Directors for each priority, serving as Department-wide “portfolio managers.” They are charged with establishing and advising Department leadership on budgetary and programmatic priorities, to ensure the Department is focused on fostering technological dominance, securing the unquestioned superiority of the American joint force. The R&E ADs will provide an update on their respective technology development and the critical roles government, industry, and academia play in getting these technologies to the warfighter.

Forum 360: Maximizing the Power of Intelligent Systems in Energy and Propulsion

Advances in intelligent systems are enabling a re-imagining of energy and propulsion systems. These digital innovations are influencing the full product lifecycle by optimizing performance, cost, and safety in development, manufacturing, test, delivery and maintenance. Effective integration of such tools as automation and artificial intelligence will result in shorter development cycles, large-scale distributed coordination, and higher human-machine team success rate. Focusing on the space propulsion and energy fields, hear from experts about how intelligent systems are powering innovation.