Mission Area
Precision Strike
Johns Hopkins APL’s Precision Strike Mission Area delivers critical precision strike contributions, addressing tactical aircraft, kinetic and non-kinetic weapon systems, and end-to-end capability development and demonstration. Our work spans research and development of technologies supporting emerging capabilities, technical support to major acquisition programs, and close interaction with the warfighters who use these capabilities. Our experts address integrated strike development of end-to-end solutions from detection through engagement, electronic attack development of non-kinetic capabilities, and advanced development aimed at experimentation and prototyping.
Leadership
Lisa Blodgett Sector Head, Force Projection
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Kirk Shawhan Mission Area Executive, Precision Strike
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AlphaDogfight Trials
APL served as a core member of the Air Combat Evolution program team created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the 2020 AlphaDogfight Trials, a showdown between eight AI research teams from across the United States.
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Deployed with the Fleet
In 2017, APL staff members deployed on U.S. Navy Commander, Task Force 70 (CTF-70) patrols aboard the carrier USS Ronald Reagan—an assignment that allowed our engineers to experience the fleet’s challenges and operational workflows, and gather important data to feed future analyses and technology demonstrations in operationally relevant environments.
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Golden Horde
Achieving networked, collaborative offensive weapons systems that will learn from their environment and autonomously work together to defeat integrated air and missile defenses.
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Recent News
News
Nov 21, 2023
A Career of Taking Risks Earns Johns Hopkins APL Researcher National Data Fusion Award
APL engineer Andy Newman was presented with the Joe Mignogna Data Fusion Award at the Military Sensing Symposia, National Security Sensor and Data Fusion conference.
News
Feb 17, 2022
Creating Coatings for Extreme Environments: From Solar Shields to Hypersonic Leading Edges
Johns Hopkins APL researchers are developing coatings that can stand up to the rigors of hypersonic flight in the upper atmosphere. The work leverages APL’s ability to produce custom materials solutions to solve hard problems that stand between success and failure on real missions.
News
Dec 8, 2021
In the Johns Hopkins APL-Built Colosseum, Competition Spurs AI Innovation
The first Operation Protovision competition features the debut of an APL-built simulation environment: the first prototype of the fully digital portion of a new live, virtual, constructive capability for weapon research and development dubbed “the Colosseum.”