Thursday, August 30, 2018 • APG News B3

WASHINGTON -- The Army's No. 1modernization priority -- long-range preci-sion fires -- is a collaborative science andtechnology effort between the Army and theother services, saidDr.ThomasRussell.

Russell, deputy assistant secretary of theArmy for research and technology, spoke at aNational Defense Industrial Association-sponsored science and technology forumhere,Aug. 22.

Already, a long-range precision fires cross-functional team is working on a number ofnear, intermediateandlong-rangetechnologydemonstrators,Russell said.

Those demonstrators include land-based,anti-ship missiles; single, multi-mission at-tackmissiles; multiple, simultaneous engage-ment technologies; extended-range cannonartillery; low-cost, tactical extended-rangemissiles; cluster munition replacement tech-nologies; and long-rangemaneuverable fires.

One promising area of long-range preci-sion fires that is still in the science andtechnology phase is hypersonics, he said.Hypersonicmissiles travel at speeds ofMach5 or greater and are adept at changing courseto evade interception.

TheArmy's interest inhypersonics is intheground-based version. The cross-functionalteam's efforts into hypersonics include re-search in propulsion, warheads, glide bodiesandother areas, he said.

MaryMiller, nowperforming theduties ofassistant secretary of Defense for researchand engineering, said the Department ofDefense's No. 1 priority is both offensive anddefensivehypersonics.

Hypersonics takes the top spot, she said,because competitors are already demon-strating their own hypersonic capabilities,andareexpectedtofieldhypersonicweaponsthat are land-, sea- and air-based by the early2020s. "The U.S. has been outpaced inhypersonicdevelopment," she added.

If those nations succeed -- and they areexpected to -- U.S. aircraft carriers might be

threatened, she said.The U.S. is also on track to get hypersonic

weapons fielded by the early 2020s, Millersaid, though there will be many challengesalong the way. "You need to be able to see atarget, track the threat, do intercept, andmany other aspects along the kill chain," shesaid.

Another challenge with hypersonics is

developing materials that can endure ex-tremely high temperatures. Hypersonic pro-jectiles travel at extremely high speeds, andthe friction they encounter while movingthrough theair creates incredibleheat.Milleralso said cost is a challenge.

Miller, whose previous assignment wasdeputy assistant secretary of the Army forresearch and technology, said the Army's six

modernization priorities -- long-range preci-sion fires, next generation combat vehicle,future vertical lift, network, air and missiledefense, and Soldier lethality -- nest nicelywith the National Defense Strategy and theDOD's own top modernization priorities,including hypersonics, directed energy, net-work, space, cyber, microelectronics, andartificial intelligence.

A Soldier with the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade loads a Stinger onto an Avenger Air Defense System during a live fire training exercise at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking

Sands, July 24, 2018.

U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY CAPT. RACHAEL JEFFCOAT

Long-range precision fires modernizationa joint effort, Army tech leader saysBy David VergunArmy News Service

The Army's No. 1 modernization priority is long-range precision fires.U.S. ARMY GRAPHIC

The high complexity clinical laboratoryrecently established at the U.S. ArmyMedical Research Institute of ChemicalDefense has received full accreditationafter a thorough quality and technicalaudit by an approved international accred-iting body, the American Association forLaboratory Accreditation (A2LA). As aresult, theMRICD becomes the first DODinstitute to achieve Clinical LaboratoryImprovement Plan (CLIP) accreditationthrough theA2LA.

According to Maj. Gen. Barbara Hol-comb, commanding general of the U.S.Army Medical Research and MaterielCommand, “This new capability at theUSAMRICD is a significant asset for theDepartment ofDefense in that it addressesa previously unmet need.”

“Given the recent world events involv-ing the use of chemicalwarfare agents, it ismore important than ever for rapid andsecure exposure-confirmation testing tosupport real-timemissions, and for testingresults to be included in their MilitaryService Member Health Records,” saidHolcomb.

The MRICD established its clinical

capability, received a Clinical LaboratoryImprovement Plan certificate of regis-tration, and its full accreditation withA2LA in a notably short period of sixmonths. Additionally, the MRICD had anunprecedented “zero deficiencies found”during the accreditation process.

MRICD’s Quality Management Officechief, Dr. Cheri Roseberry, outlined theaccreditation process.

“The institute had to demonstrate anability tomonitor all aspects of the clinicallaboratory to rigorous international stand-ards through a regimented quality man-agement program. All aspects of thequality and laboratory systems were scru-tinized: equipment, records, personnelfiles, standard operating procedures andlaboratory processes. In addition to all ofthe preparation and internal audits, theclinical laboratory and quality programwere inspected and evaluated by outsideagencies.”

Col. Denis Descarreaux assumed com-mand of the USAMRICD in late July, justprior to its receipt of full accreditationfromA2LA.

“Establishing this new capability is animpressive accomplishment for theMRICD,” said Descarreaux. “Its impor-tance to theDODcannot be overstated.”

MRICD clinical labreceives full accreditationBy Cindy KronmanMRICD