Joint DoD-DoE Munitions Technology Development

Joint DOD DOE Munitions Technology Development under the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE), aims to drive cutting-edge capability-driven munitions science and technology (S&T) to equip the Joint Force for future combat. The program focuses on advancing non-nuclear munitions technology in decision tools, delivery, munition controls, lethal effects, and readiness. It leverages a cooperative effort between DoD and DOE, with DOE matching DoD's investment at a 1:1 ratio, to utilize DOE's intellectual capital, specialized skills, advanced scientific equipment, and computational tools. The program is monitored by a panel of Tri-Service subject matter experts who conduct rigorous technical and programmatic reviews to prioritize essential investments. The estimated return on investment for DoD in this program is two to three times its initial investment.

The Joint DOD DOE Munitions Technology Development Program portfolio enables capability advancements in higher speed and hypersonic delivery, counter unmanned aerial systems, microelectronics, longer-range precision effects, networked and collaborative systems of systems, agility at the engagement level, logistics in contested environments, increased capacity/affordable mass, survivability during deployment and target engagement, rapid technology refreshes/adaptation to changing threats, post-launch re-programming, open systems architectures, and weapon cyber-resiliency. The program focuses on developing in silico decision tools for munition design and in-theater function; innovating munitions delivery technology including weapon bodies, propulsion systems, propellants, and environment/target hardening; developing state-of-the-art munition controls for fuzing, microelectronics, power, sensors, kill chains, and survivable components; designing lethal effects through explosive formulation, warhead innovations; and developing decisive readiness technology for munitions through the full munitions lifecycle. The program's planned programs include developing weaponeering and decision tools for assessment of target interaction effects to enhance lethality modeling codes; novel imaging methods and models of high explosive fracture behavior; reactive flow models for warhead geometries necessary for miniature swarming munitions; and demonstrating a numerical integration methodology for hydrocodes to reduce computational cost.