Military Engineering (ME) Focus Areas

Protective Structures and Systems

​Technologies, components, systems, materials that reduce manpower, logistical requirements or equipment hours and improve survivability of individuals and small units, individual or crew-served fighting positions, platform fighting positions, semi-fixed assets, observation/combat outposts or contingency bases. Prototype processes including planning tools and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) integrating force protection needs for quicker more effective setup and reuse / retrograde of materials. Technologies to enable or improve overwatch, security, perimeter security, port security, border security, de-escalation/turnover, surveillance and warning.

Protection and Survivability

Technologies, components, systems and materials at the Unit and System level that provide the ability to detect, disable, survive, and/or defeat, and to determine the threat that enemy weapon systems pose. Survivability efforts include research and prototype activities to improve and enhance the capability and effectiveness in areas of key infrastructure hardening/retrofit, camouflage, detectability, susceptibility, vulnerability, and recoverability. Technologies include protection of personnel, critical assets and facilities from a range of threats, including unconventional, conventional and advanced threats.

Geophysical Sensors and Data Fusion

Technologies, components, systems, and materials to detect, assess and persistently monitor threats and critical infrastructure in all environments including urban, subterranean and complex terrain to increase awareness and enable faster decisions. Integrate geophysical sensors, sensor systems and unmanned systems with natural terrain to obtain automated fusion creating an in-depth Common Operating Picture for super and sub surface movement, maneuver and force protection planning. Integrates sensors, sensor systems, and unmanned systems with automated fusion creating a Common Operating Picture for integrated force protection, maneuver and defense planning.

Vulnerability Assessment, Detection, and Analytics

Technology and processes that are relevant to strategic, operational and tactical analytical framework for understanding anti-terrorism/force protection posture, population and infrastructure disruption from combat, humanitarian, and other disaster situations. Prototype framework supports military assessment of mission assurance, population vulnerability and resilience disruptors, such as combat, disaster, disease, etc., for various environments.

Geoscience, Environmental, Geospatial, and Material Modeling and Simulation

Technologies to enable and integrate materials-by-design capability as well as new materials and components for advanced force protection for domestic and foreign protective construction. Computational methods to simulate technologies that detect activities in above/below ground and maritime avenues of approach. Technologies will enable virtual material synthesis and optimization to predict system performance, environmental impact/scene clutter on sensor performance, structural response to weapons effects, level of protection and scalability. Technologies and system includes models, surveillance, counter measures and targeting in dynamic multi-domain environments.

Enhance and Assess Mobility of Manned and Unmanned Systems

Technologies, systems and materials to accelerate manned and unmanned platform development, integrate autonomous systems at all levels of operation, execute tactical reconnaissance and real-time mobility predictions to increase mobility and optempo of manned and unmanned ground and watercraft systems in complex environments and through challenging terrain. Technologies to clear or breach obstacles, cross gaps and rivers, improve combat roads/trails, improve vehicle/soil interaction and traction, and detect dynamic mobility hazards in complex environments. M&S enabled analytical tools for predicting the mobility performance of ground vehicles and watercraft in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions. Technologies to enable autonomous systems assured mobility and situational awareness in various dynamic terrain and environment.

Engineering and Engineering Enabling Technologies

Technologies that are relevant, enable support or compliment systems or weapon systems for the DoD and Joint Force. This includes but is not limited to: Combat Engineering; Mobility Obstacles; Explosive Effects; Breaching; Materials; Manufacturing and Process Technologies; Engineering Services, Modeling and Simulation and Virtual Prototyping; Operational Energy; Autonomous Systems; Prime Power; Engineer-related Environmental Technologies; and Engineer mobility, counter mobility, and survivability technologies, other Engineer Technology Enablers.

Global Access Engineering

Technologies, systems, materials and planning tools to conduct technical reconnaissance, assessment, construction, maintenance, repair, restoration and upgrade of infrastructure critical to Force Projection, transportation and global theater access. Prototypes include remote sensing, on-site tactical, derived and experimental methods for estimating engineering attributes and properties of soils, ice and snow, pavements, matting, natural terrain, bathymetry, river currents, port depths, coastal regions, airfields, road/rail networks, bridges and other infrastructure.

Infrastructure Maintenance, Repair and Reconstruction Technologies

Materials and equipment solutions to rapidly assess the condition of existing infrastructure, rapidly repair damaged infrastructure, and rapidly construct new infrastructure such as pavements, bridges, railways, ports, and airfields. Prototypes include advanced physics-based technologies for measuring layer thicknesses, layer strength parameters, rail capacity, pier capacity, bridge structural capacity, and critical engineering properties for engineering analyses. Prototypes also include new advancements in repair equipment solutions and packaging of technologies into prototype kits for technology transition.

Engineering Analysis Tools and Decision Aid Prototype Software

Prototypes include software development solutions to integrate advanced engineering algorithms for the evaluation, design, repair and operation of critical infrastructure systems to support force projection and maneuver support planning. Prototype software systems will be used to demonstrate the research results through integration of new analytical methods into practical maneuver solutions using prototype software tools and decision aids.