Advanced Materials

Rebuilding our military and re-establishing deterrence hinge on transformational warfighter technologies that require access to Advanced Materials

Advanced Materials Shape the Future Force

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Technological superiority on the battlefield hinges on delivery of advanced materials at speed, scale, and cost

  • Advanced materials are the evolution and revolution of materials to meet warfighter needs and includes advances in materials science and technology tools and capabilities
  • The Principal Director for Advanced Materials, as senior official for the Critical Technology Area, will accelerate transition of materials to the military and combatant commands
    ~ FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 217
  • As critical enablers of the Future Force across the competition continuum, defense materials will evolve at the convergence of human ingenuity, artificial intelligence, autonomy, and advanced manufacturing

Advanced Materials Vision and Strategy

A picture showing advanced manufacturing components in a laboratory.

Vision

Provide transformational warfighter technologies through
advanced materials for unmatched protection, performance, and battlespace control.

A picture showing land, sea and air military components

Strategy

Accelerate materials discovery and development to ensure technological superiority, reduce reliance on critical materials, and strengthen economic value and security of defense materials research.

S&T Priorities Materials Readiness and Affordability Force Protection Battlespace Power and Control Platforms and Weapons Technologies Visual Description

S&T Priorities

  • Materials Readiness and Affordability
  • Force Protection
  • Battlespace Power and Control
  • Platforms and Weapons Technologies

Mission: Deliver defense materials at speed, scale, and cost

Joint Force Capability Gaps and Material Needs

The Future Operating Environment (FOE) is dynamic, contested, congested, and transparent, requiring transformation of the Joint Force and presenting new challenges for materials:

  • Force protection – Multispectral materials, low-dimensional materials
  • Agile, lethal, and survivable platforms and weapons technologies – Lightweight structural and multifunctional materials, materials for extreme conditions, advanced energetics
  • Improved battlespace awareness, control, and responsiveness – Robust electronic and photonic materials, wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors
  • Force readiness – Accelerated materials development cycles and innovations in manufacturing

FOE requires acceleration of affordable advanced materials to shape and enable Future Force capabilities