Jose L. Mingote
Former National Armaments Director Representative in the NATO HQ, Spain
Advanced materials in future defense scenarios. A Military and Engineering Approach
Abstract:
The serious threats and risks faced throughout the 21st century associated with climate changes, massive urbanization, overpopulation, and competition from all types of natural resources (water, energy, minerals, agricultural products,..) probably will raise the number of conventional, irregular, asymmetric and hybrid conflicts with different level of intensity in different environments around the world. Checking future military capabilities and trends discussed in NATO, the European Union, US DoD, and other countries one can appreciate the extreme complexity of scenarios of future conflicts and theatres of operations in the short, medium, and long term.
In this sense and if we think about defense issues, can we ask ourselves, what could be the future defense and security requirements? And how will disruptive science, technology, and engineering meet those requirements? what materials could be used in the field of security and defense, for instance, in the year 2050? This is all a science fiction exercise? Some ideas arise taking into account these approaches.
Cutting-edge innovations in materials science, such as metamaterials with unprecedented properties, self-healing composites, and nanotechnology-infused armor, are poised to redefine the boundaries of military technology and associated capabilities. These materials offer enhanced protection and provide lightweight modular and scalable solutions, crucial for agility and maneuverability in future military scenarios. Smart textiles, embedded with sensors and communication devices, further amplify the capabilities of soldiers, enabling real-time data acquisition and improved situational awareness on the battlefield. Biomaterials and artificial intelligence will allow “humanoid soldiers” to carry out complex operations under the neural control of commanders. Advanced materials should be able to be 3D printed on board big naval platforms and in the logistic support chain on military theatre using advanced engineering techniques as digital twins. The convergence of artificial intelligence with advanced materials opens the door to autonomous systems, from unmanned vehicles to intelligent wearables, revolutionizing military operations in a future robotic environment. Integration of conventional and swarms of unmanned platforms well connected will strengthen military capabilities and performances. An intensely robotic era in the defense field is certainly on the short horizon. Hypersonics and powerful lasers will increase defense capabilities by increasing the range of action and reducing the effective time together with very high precision munitions and missiles and reducing storage and consumption of munitions. Stealth technology featuring adaptive camouflage, radar-absorbing, and invisibility materials, ensures a stealthy presence in ground, naval, and air domains, confounding adversaries in an era where electronic and cybersecurity warfare plays an increasingly pivotal role in any cross-domain. As we navigate the intricacies of future military landscapes, the research, development, design, and integration of these advanced defense materials with advanced industrial and engineering processes stands as a testament to the relentless pursuit of cutting-edge research, and innovation, ultimately shaping the defense strategies of tomorrow. New advanced materials and disruptive technologies will provide advantages and superiority in the field of defense and security of the future.
Biography:
Colonel J. Mingote was born in Zaragoza city (Spain ) in 1957. He got an MSc in Industrial Mechanic Engineering from the University of Zaragoza and an MSc in Armaments Engineering from the Higher Polytechnic School of the Army (ESPOL), and took doctoral courses at the aforementioned ESPOL.
Before joining the Spanish Army he worked for 2 years in the Engineering Department of the Trillo Nuclear Power Plant (Guadalajara, ESP). Along with his military career, he has been a teacher in several civilian and other pre-military technical schools for 14 years.
Col. Mingote worked in some Army units for 16 years on tasks related to engineering, support, and supply chain (logistics, ammunition, maintenance,) and in 2000 he was posted to the National Armaments Directorate being the Chief of the Spanish Ministry of Defense Standardization Unit. In 2012, he was nominated as the National Armaments Director Representative in the NATO HQ (Brussels).
After returning to Spain, Col. Mingote joined the multinational NATO Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Center of Excellence (C-IED COE) in 2017 as Engineering and Research Manager. He worked in three Research Task Groups (RTGs) created by the NATO Science and Technology Organization: RTG SET-238 “Side-Attack Threat Detection Strategies, Technologies and Techniques”, RTG SCI-298 “Analysis of Identification and Neutralization Methods and Technologies for Countering Improvised Explosive Devices” and RTG SCI-321 “UAVs Applications for Military Search”.
At the same time, he participated in the ENTRAP and EXERTER projects both funded by the European Union research and innovation program HORIZON 2020.
Regarding the NATO C-IED COE, Colonel Mingote led and managed the following R&D projects related to the C-IED discipline: (1) Improvised Explosive Devices Detection Systems Effectiveness assessment; (2) IEDs Explosively Formed Projectiles using Home Made Explosives; (3) Suicide Vests; (4) System to detect buried IEDs using a GPR mounted on UAVs; (5) Protection of Infrastructures and Systems Against Explosions – Advanced Protective Coatings and (6) Blast Protective Walls Optimization Design using Energy Absorbing Devices. These projects were carried out in cooperation with official institutions, industry, Academies, and testing centers from several European countries.
Currently, he is retired but he is collaborating with a company on a research project on light armor.