Army arsenal launches innovation seminar with Rutgers University to tackle next-generation threats

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center launched a quarterly seminar series with Rutge… PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center launched a quarterly seminar series with Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, on July 22 where the visiting professors updated Army scientists, engineers and technical experts here on technologies relevant to ongoing and future conflicts. Leveraging a 2024 Educational Partnership Agreement between the Armaments Center and Rutgers University, the inaugural Rutgers Innovation Showcase drew about 30 attendees. They explored advances in autonomy, guidance, navigation and control — technologies critical to countering emerging threats from drone swarms and autonomous systems.

Future sessions will cover energetics, manufacturing technology, electronics and sensors. The exchange of ideas aims to accelerate the transition of these technologies from concept to battlefield capability. “This is about breaking down barriers and seeing what good work is being done in academia that can address the challenges we’re facing,” said Carlos Quispe, an Armaments Center engineer in the Innovation and Strategic Relationships office who organized the event. “We want fresh perspectives on how to integrate unmanned systems within our formations and extend their performance in austere environments.” The event showcased research with immediate battlefield applications. Laurent Burlion, a Rutgers mechanical and aerospace engineering associate