Microscopic Precision, Global Impact: Navy Scientists Support Trident Missile System

Aug. 24, 2026 | By Paige Bounds, Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division |

The pristine precision needed to certify the nation's underwater nuclear deterrent is anchored on the talents of civilian scientists at a Navy laboratory in Southern California. 

At Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division, scientists can measure parts down to millionths of an inch — the level of exactitude required to keep the Navy's Trident nuclear missiles ready. 

The Trident II D5 Life Extension ballistic missile is launched underwater from submarines, providing a critical deterrent and survivable response to aggression. The Navy's Portfolio Acquisition Executive Strategic Systems Programs provides the highly accurate and reliable weapon system to the warfighter. 

NSWC Corona's Measurement Science and Technology Laboratory plays a critical role in the Trident II D5LE missile by controlling and certifying the ultra-precision tools required for its assembly, known as special interface gages. 

"Every single component from every manufacturer is built correctly thanks to these gages," said Michael Pierce, NSWC Corona's Weapons Interface Assessment branch manager. "The work that we do here guarantees that those weapons will work as they're intended every single time." 

Special interface gages verify the form, fit and function of missile parts down to tolerances in the millionths of an inch. These highly precise gages ensure missile components are manufactured to the exact shape and size needed, so they fit and work as designed when installed on a submarine. 

NSWC Corona controls and ships gages to the defense industrial base partners responsible for manufacturing and assembling the Trident missile. The mandatory use of these gages ensures that the missiles manufactured by industry meet the Navy's requirements. 

"We have engineers that design these highly specialized tools," Pierce said. "They are certified against the nation's highest measurement standards to guarantee their precision." 

In addition to supporting the Trident missile, NSWC Corona's Measurement Science and Technology Laboratory helps sustain critical weapons systems throughout the Navy and Marine Corps. From small pistols to hypersonic missiles, the warfare center's expertise in calibration and specialized gages ensures the accuracy of measurements throughout the fleet. Its inventory ranges from precision hand-held tools, like calipers, to computerized machinery, like coordinate measuring machines. 

"Nearly every weapon system deployed by sailors and Marines relies on Navy special interface gages to ensure peak operational readiness," Pierce said. 

With warfighter safety fueling their mission, the scientists' microscopic measurements result in a global impact. Whether supporting the Trident missile or other systems throughout the fleet, NSWC Corona's work equips sailors with the confidence to trust their systems — empowering them to deliver peace through strength when the nation depends on them most.

Department of War Announces a $750 Million Investment as Part of a $1.55 Billion Initiative to Secure Critical Rare-Earth Elements From Serre Verde

Aug. 24, 2026 |

The Department of War's (DoW) Economic Defense Unit (EDU), in partnership with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (IBP) announced today a $750 million investment with US SIIE, LLC through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program. These funds will be utilized to support an offtake agreement for mixed rare-earth carbonates (MREC) produced at Serra Verde's Pela Ema Project in central Brazil. 

This strategic partnership will establish a secure supply chain for rare-earth elements (REE) critical for national defense and economic security.

This $750 million is part of a broader $1.55 billion total investment structure mobilized by EDU, which includes a $300 million purchase commitment from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and a $500 million commitment from a money-center bank. 

"Securing resilient domestic and allied supply chains is a fundamental warfighting requirement," said HON Mike Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy. "By partnering with Serra Verde, we are taking a decisive step to break our adversaries' near-monopoly on rare-earth elements. This collaborative effort ensures that our defense industrial base has the guaranteed, long-term access to the critical materials needed to manufacture next-generation weapons systems and maintain our technological edge."

This initiative aggressively addresses an over-dependence on China for rare-earth elements. Once fully operational, this project will secure a massive supply of vital elements like Dysprosium, Terbium, Neodymium, and Praseodymium, effectively bypassing Chinese supply chain dominance and supporting emerging U.S. magnet manufacturing capabilities. The deal follows a DFC financing agreement with Serra Verde for a $565 million loan to optimize and expand the Pela Ema Project. These investments work in parallel with the Department of Commerce's efforts to establish a non-Chinese mine-to-magnet value chain. 

"This historic $1.55 billion investment is a major step towards securing one of the most vital supply chains for our warfighters and our economy," said George K. Kollitides II, Director of the Economic Defense Unit. "By ensuring reliable access to these critical rare-earth elements, we are protecting the production of everything from fighter jets and nuclear submarines to the energy infrastructure and commercial technology that power our modern world."

Rare-earth elements are necessary to improve the thermal stability and magnetic strength of Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets, which are essential for manufacturing critical components for our warfighters. These include advanced systems in nuclear submarines, fighter jets, satellites, guided missiles, combat vessels, and drones. Beyond defense, these high-purity materials are a vital raw material for energy infrastructure, transportation, aerospace, and electronics, making them a cornerstone of a modern, industrial economy.

Motors Assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot Power Drone to World-Record Flight

Aug. 21, 2026 | By Lindsay Grant, U.S. Army Materiel Command |

A battery-powered small unmanned aircraft system recently shattered a world endurance record, flying for more than eight hours in the desert heat — a milestone achieved using critical propulsion components assembled by the Army's organic industrial base.  

During the Game of Drones 26-2 demonstration at Edwards Air Force Base, California, July 15-17, two brushless direct current motors assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania, successfully powered a Group 1 small UAS to a record-breaking flight time of eight hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. The aircraft flew for approximately 300 miles before safely landing, surpassing the previous record by 50 minutes.  

The record-breaking flight represents a major milestone for Army Materiel Command and its efforts to build secure, domestic supply chains for critical defense technologies. The demonstration served as the first major outdoor operational test of the Tobyhanna-assembled motors on an active aircraft.  

"AMC is proud to provide materiel solutions to support innovation across the uncrewed systems spectrum," said Army Capt. Lee Washburn, AMC military liaison for advanced manufacturing of small UAS. "From providing components to soldiers at innovation labs, to providing industry clean supply chain solutions in support of drone dominance, it is our goal to continue to participate in events that demonstrate our capabilities and help refine our components for the warfighter based upon realistic testing."  

Rapid, collaborative on-site manufacturing made the achievement possible. The drone was designed in less than 10 minutes using computer prompts via adaptability software. Within 24 hours of takeoff, the aircraft was fabricated inside a mobile containerized production factory using commercial 3D printers, integrated with the Tobyhanna brushless motors and a battery from an industry partner and assembled on-site by a three-person team.  

The event, sponsored by the Defense Contract Management Agency blue list team, highlighted a strategic shift toward domestic production. By establishing manufacturing capabilities within the Army's organic industrial base, the service is working to eliminate foreign dependencies for critical parts.  

"This is a huge milestone for AMC and Tobyhanna, considering the fact that we just cut the ribbon on the new brushless motor line on June 30," said Jon Strzelec, the AMC advanced manufacturing lead for small UAS.  

AMC recently began transforming the organic industrial base to produce and assemble various critical small UAS components, including frames at Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Illinois, and batteries at Red River Army Depot, Texas.  

A key focus of this initiative is developing organic industrial base capabilities to help government, industry and academic partners secure Defense Contract Management Agency approval for systems and components to be included on the blue list. The blue list is an aggregated reference portal of compliant, cybersecure and U.S.-manufactured UAS platforms and components, facilitating safer, faster procurement for defense users. AMC is already seeing positive results through this initiative, having sent small UAS that the organic industrial base fully assembled to several Army units for use in training events. Additionally, two brushless motor form factors and multiple lithium-ion battery configurations from Tobyhanna are being tested on various platforms at Redstone Test Center's new UAS test operations center.  

"Game of Drones was proof that industry and the government can work together in creative ways to produce exceptional results," Strzelec said. "The event showcases exactly what the Army set out to do — provide opportunities for industry to partner with the Army and let the Army leverage the innovation and technical depth of industry."  

As AMC continues to scale its advanced manufacturing capabilities including chassis, circuit card assemblies and propellers, its coordination with Defense Contract Management Agency remains vital.  

"As AMC's production efforts across the [organic industrial base] continue to expand, we will continue to work with [the Defense Contract Management Agency] in not only blue listing these components but also providing them to the experimental test force for Game of Drones events to innovate and break other performance and endurance records," Washburn said.  

The small UAS performance data from Edwards Air Force Base has been officially submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records for verification.

Army Develops Ultra-Light Vehicle for Changing Battlefields

Aug. 18, 2026 | By Jacqueline Hames, Army Acquisition Support Center |

Getting troops and equipment across the battlefield is a vital part of every theater operation — soldiers and their kits, as well as spare ammunition and other supplies, all need to arrive quickly, with nothing left behind — or risk jeopardizing the mission. 

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and Humvee have done a great job at performing those tasks so far, but the battlefield is always changing. In some cases, those vehicles are too heavy and impractical for the task at hand. So, the Army chose to develop a new, ultra-light troop transport vehicle.

The Infantry Squad Vehicle is an ultra-light tactical vehicle that carries nine passengers and their equipment. Its evolution was informed by soldier touchpoint events.

"We are extremely proud of this program and what we've been able to achieve in a short period of time," said Susan Fung, Portfolio Acquisition Executive Maneuver Ground's mobile brigade combat team deputy project manager. "In this high-stakes environment of modern warfare, playing it completely safe is often the most dangerous thing a leader can do for decades."

Fung explained that the team is intentionally trading the illusion of a risk-free acquisition process for the ability to use commercial products and iterating with continuous soldier feedback through the Army's Transformation in Contact program.

"Traditional defense acquisition has prioritized its bureaucratic processes and zero-defect mentality over speed, and while well-intentioned, that approach often meant our soldiers had to wait quite a bit for critical capabilities to reach the field," she said.  

Exponential Growth

The Infantry Squad Vehicle program began in 2019, with a procurement objective of 649 vehicles. However, based on soldier feedback and TIC experimentation, Fung said soldiers told them what they truly needed. 

"This led to an explosive growth driven entirely by operational demand," she added.

The number of vehicles required increased to 900 in February 2021. It increased two more times and was set at 2,593. In April 2025, the service approved the ISV utility variant and increased the Army procurement objective, bringing the total to 5,733 vehicles across both variants, Fung explained.

"In February of 2026, the Army established the current position objective and procurement objective at 11,582 vehicles," she said. "That shows you the increased objective based on soldier demand, and that's really equivalent to about an 18-fold increase from the original requirement. Not because of requirements creep, but really because soldiers validated the capability in the combat training environments and demanded more."

John Hufstedler, the product director for ground mobility vehicles at PAE Maneuver Ground, said that connecting with the system's mission was critical during the development of the vehicle. 

"Early on, the ISV succeeded by staying locked-in. A few key requirements were transportability, [but] mobility and payload and resisting requirements creep," he said, adding Army senior leaders kept the vehicle's mission in focus. 

"Anytime somebody wanted to add a radio with encrypted keys or hang another piece of encrypted equipment off the platform, leadership just didn't buy into it. And that allowed the vehicle to stay focused and true to its mission, so we didn't have to leave a soldier back with the vehicle. All nine could go execute the mission and objective," Hufstedler said.

The traditional acquisition approach allows custom military specifications, extensive government testing and sequential milestone gates. Hufstedler explained that this process can take four to 10 years, often resulting in cost overruns and technological obsolescence.

Instead, he explained that the ISV took the rapid acquisition approach, using commercial off-the-shelf solutions and minimal military modifications. That approach resulted in the first unit being equipped within 24 months. 

Transparency Aids Progress

Taking a more risk-positive approach to developing the ISV required somewhat of a culture change within PAE Maneuver Ground. Specifically, it required more direct, transparent communication.

Hufstedler believes that leading by example, empathy, listening, incorporating team feedback into decisions and a willingness to stand by those decisions as leaders were key. He added that providing team autonomy, while clearly defining boundaries and success criteria and transparency at all levels of communication, also contributed to their success.

Next-Generation Variants

"With the ISV program, we prove[d] that calculated risk works," Hufstedler said. "We keep going back to commerciality — I think that has helped us a lot — trusting our soldiers' judgment and moving at the speed of relevance; I think we've delivered that capability."

The Army's willingness to accept commercial standards as a starting point and make the soldiers the primary evaluators of the equipment will be critical to the success of developing ISV variants, he noted.

Fung said the team is currently developing the ISV heavy variant. It will include enhanced onboard power generation and storage capability to support next-generation command and control equipment.

"Overall, the ISV program is a great example of our acquisition reform, which allows getting capabilities to the field faster, leveraging commercial technologies while staying agile and giving soldiers what they really want," she said.

Department of War, Boeing, and RTX Forge Agreements to Strengthen Production of Critical SM-3 Block IIA and SM-3 Block IB Munitions

Aug. 14, 2026 |

The Department of War (DoW), in cooperation with Boeing and RTX, today announced two major framework agreements to increase production of key components of Standard Missile-3 Block IB (SM-3 IB) and increase production of components for Standard Missile-3 Block IIA (SM-3 IIA).

Both agreements will strengthen production of the series of critical ship-fired surface-to-air interceptors that underpin the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and form the backbone of U.S. sea-based missile defense at home and abroad.

"These agreements ensure our Warfighters get the munitions they need to win," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. "We are stabilizing our supply chains, expanding munitions production and putting our entire defense industrial base on a wartime footing."

Production of the SM-3 Block IIA and Block IB, a backbone of U.S. missile defense, will accelerate under these new frameworks, with Boeing driving component manufacturing. This directly accelerates the pipeline from the factory floor to the fleet.

The DoW's Acquisition Transformation Strategy (ATS) enabled these agreements, removing red tape and allowing the Department to engage with suppliers at every level of the industrial base.

Azimuth Program Immerses Cadets in Space Force Missions

Aug. 13, 2026 | By Brandon Kalloo Sanes, Space Training and Readiness Command |

Approximately 300 cadets participated in the Space Force's Azimuth program throughout the summer at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they gained exposure to its missions, organizations and guardian culture.

The program serves cadets already selected to commission into the Space Force and those considering Space Force career opportunities. It also introduces future officers from other services and Canada to the role of space capabilities in joint and coalition operations.

Detachment 1, Space Delta 1, hosted three sessions of the three-week pre-commissioning program, with most of the cadets hailing from either the academy or an Air Force ROTC detachment.

"Through classroom instruction, operational visits, hands-on experiences and capstone exercises, cadets gain the knowledge and perspective to arrive at their first assignment better prepared to contribute," said Space Force Maj. Sarah Dawdy, the detachment's chief of staff. "More importantly, we want them to understand where they fit into the bigger picture and arrive at their first assignment ready to learn, contribute and lead."

The Azimuth program directly supports the Space Training and Readiness Command's mission to prepare combat-ready forces to fight and win in a contested, degraded and operationally limited space environment. By prioritizing the deliberate development and education of these cadets early in their careers, Starcom is actively shaping the next generation of space warfighters.

The curriculum progressed from foundational instruction to operational exposure, culminating in an exercise requiring cadets to apply what they had learned.

During the first week, cadets learned about the Space Force's organization, missions, threat environment, space weather, international partnerships and access to space.

They reinforced those lessons through hands-on electives involving cyber operations, imagery analysis and satellite operations. Other activities included neutral buoyancy training and high-powered rocketry.

The second week moved cadets from the classroom to operational units in Colorado at Schriever, Peterson and Buckley Space Force Bases as well as other mission locations.

"The operational visits are always a highlight because cadets get to see the mission firsthand and interact directly with guardians doing the job every day," Dawdy said. "Apollo Dagger, the space policy game and the hands-on electives also give them the opportunity to apply what they've learned and see how it all comes together."

Cadet Austin Smith, Michigan State University Air Force ROTC, said the program provided additional exposure to the space mission.

"For me, Azimuth has been absolutely wonderful," Smith said. "It's been the ability to actually see Space Force competencies, Space Force career fields and Space Force life in a way that I never would have been able to if I didn't have this opportunity."

During the final week, cadets participated in Apollo Dagger, a capstone exercise conducted alongside a special warfare orientation course.

Participants served as a space planning cell supporting special operations forces during scenarios focused on electromagnetic warfare, orbital warfare and missile warning. They developed mission products and space domain awareness information in support of operational planning.

This year's program placed greater emphasis on operational missions, mission planning and the Space Force's role within the joint force and the international community. It also covered the military, political and economic implications of decisions involving space operations.

While addressing cadets, Space Force Col. Krista St. Romain, Delta 1 commander, challenged them to embrace the responsibility of serving in the space domain.

"There are new opportunities for each one of you, should you choose to become a guardian," St. Romain said.

She went on to explain that space comes with its own unique set of challenges, requiring solution-oriented recruits with an eye for problem-solving.

"Don't just identify a problem," St. Romain said. "Who's going to solve it? We're moving fast and those are the individuals we're looking for in the Space Force."

Industry representatives also discussed how the commercial space sector contributes to national security and future capabilities.

"Azimuth wouldn't be possible without the tremendous support from across the Space Force and our partners," Dawdy said. "Operational units and organizations, academia and industry partners volunteer their time to mentor and educate."

The program concluded with a post-course assessment, end-of-course survey and closing ceremony for each group.

"Whether they commission into the Space Force or another service, we want them to understand how space capabilities support and enable the joint force," Dawdy said. "For those becoming guardians, we want them to have a solid foundation they can build on."

Army Corps of Engineers Rehabilitates 1942 Flood Mitigation Machinery

Aug. 12, 2026 | By Andrew Byrne, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District |

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is currently rehabilitating two cranes used for the past 84 years to position the steel gates that manage water output at the Loyalhanna Dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1942, as the United States was redirecting its steel, machinery, labor and federal resources toward World War II, some plans were put on hold, such as extending the Pennsylvania Turnpike. However, constructing the Loyalhanna Dam remained a priority. 
 
The project was already authorized and underway before the U.S. entered the war. As Pittsburgh factories downstream worked around the clock producing steel and other materiel, the dam went into operation as part of the region's growing flood-mitigation system. 
 
The nation was also investing in another piece of wartime infrastructure: pigeons. It's not as ridiculous as eight decades of hindsight makes it sound. During the war, the U.S. Army Signal Corps furnished approximately 54,000 pigeons to the armed services, relying on trained birds to carry messages when radios, telephone wires and other communications were unavailable or unreliable. 
 
Some pigeons became decorated heroes, such as G.I. Joe — the pigeon credited with carrying a message that prevented an Allied bombing and saved troops in Italy. 
 
The pigeons are no longer on the payroll, and soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District now manage the Loyalhanna Dam.  
 
Throughout the past 84 years, the dam has prevented more than $658 million in flood damage, partly because it uses five colossal steel gates to help manage output during high-water events. Two 64-ton bridge-shaped machines, called gantry cranes, use hoists and wire ropes to position the gates. 
 
The Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is currently rehabilitating the cranes, which have spent more than eight decades exposed to weather, corrosion and the gradual betrayal of obsolete parts. 
 
The cranes also attracted pigeons, many of which infiltrated the spaces through the machinery-room louvers and established a homestead around moving mechanical equipment.  
 
The contamination complicated access for crews and added an unscheduled layer of work to a project already contending with lead paint, asbestos flooring, aging electrical systems and machinery positioned roughly 65 feet above the dam. 
 
The cranes had become flood-control equipment, historic machinery and an avian HOA under one roof — until the local food chain intervened. 
 
"There was a hawk, and he scared away the pigeons for a while," said Wayne Carney, a civil engineer assigned to the district. "But now the hawk is gone, and the pigeons are back." 
 
However, responsible infrastructure strategy is not based on a single hawk's continued cooperation, so the district modified the rehabilitation contract to include barriers designed to keep pigeons away from the equipment. 

It is one part of a much larger effort to extend the service lives of two machines that are older than six constitutional amendments. The gates act as an additional contingency to help the district manage the reservoir during high-water events, making the cranes an important part of the region's flood-control system. 
 
In April, contractors began removing equipment from the operator cab, electrical components, mechanical systems, wire ropes and other interior hardware. 
 
Each crane has roughly 16,000 square feet of painted surface. After more than three decades since the previous paint restoration, much of the coating had corroded, rusted or begun flaking. The contractor removed the lead-based paint, stripped the steel to bare metal and applied a modern epoxy coating designed to resist corrosion. 
 
The coating work is not cosmetic; paint protects the steel beneath it, and neglected corrosion eventually causes section loss, holes and water infiltration. At that point, maintenance work becomes reconstruction work. 
 
"Catching this maintenance opportunity as early as possible and making sure there's no section loss in the steel is a big deal," Carney said. "We're avoiding other maintenance issues that come from letting the coatings decay." 
 
The project also replaces the cranes' aging wire ropes and brakes. As part of the project, electrical systems will receive an equally thorough overhaul. Crews will install new control panels, power distribution equipment, variable-frequency drives, lighting and operator consoles. 
 
The rebuilt cabs will receive steel flooring, insulated walls, new windows and doors, heating, and ventilation. A projecting window and closed-circuit television system will give operators better visibility during gate movements. 

"The controls were getting antiquated," Carney said. "New controls were definitely needed to bring them up to today's operational acceptance criteria." 
 
When the rehabilitation is finished, the cranes will retain their original purpose, but with modern controls, renewed mechanical systems, protected steel and considerably fewer pigeons. 
 
Crews expect to complete installation, testing and commissioning for the first crane by the end of 2026, and maintenance on the second crane is expected to begin next year.