Defense and Security Studies

Start-ups in camouflage: the convergence of MSMEs, innovation, and Indian defense needs

2025-05-21T19:17:16+02:00

The integration of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly start-ups, into India's defense sector is emerging as a transformative force in modernizing the country's military capabilities. As India pivots towards self-reliance through initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), start-ups are becoming critical innovation drivers in defense manufacturing, supply chains, and technological advancement. This paper investigates the current and potential convergence of start-ups and MSMEs with Indian defense needs, analyzing policy frameworks, innovation hubs, funding ecosystems, and dual-use technologies. A mixed-methods approach comprising policy analysis, case studies (e.g., Tonbo Imaging, IdeaForge), and primary interviews with defense ecosystem stakeholders is employed. The findings suggest a positive correlation between MSME innovation intensity and their integration into strategic defense functions. However, structural bottlenecks such as procurement delays, intellectual property risks, and lack of sustained funding restrict their scaling. The study proposes a techno-policy roadmap to deepen civil-military-industrial integration through innovation clusters, regulatory sandboxing, and joint development programs. The outcomes offer a blueprint for leveraging entrepreneurial vigor to meet national security imperatives while fostering indigenous defense technology capabilities.

Advancing sustainable development goals in aerospace industry through Industry 5.0

2025-09-11T17:36:51+02:00

The aerospace manufacturing industry is facing increasing pressure to align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, such as responsible production, climate action, and industry innovation. Industry 4.0 notwithstanding, most of these technologies are concerned with efficiency and automation while paying little heed to human-centric, sustainable goals that can be achieved in line with the SDGs. This would present a possibility to bridge this gap with Industry 5.0, which is on the way to collaborating with human-machine interaction and sustainability practices. This paper discusses the possibility of how this new paradigm, focused on collaborative work between advanced automation and human-centric, sustainable production, can help aerospace manufacturers achieve those key Sustainable Development Goals. Industry 5.0 will provide an opportunity for a symbiotic partnership between humans and machines with avenues that open opportunities to reduce environmental impacts, optimize the use of resources, and enhance innovation in aerospace manufacturing processes. The research illustrates the implementation strategy of Industry 5.0, smart factory, robotics, digital twin, and artificial intelligence towards the achievement of SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, and SDG 13.

Vulnerability analysis of critical infrastructures with the Event Tree Technique

2025-11-04T18:53:43+01:00

The vulnerability analysis of a critical infrastructure is certainly a complex and articulated study; therefore, it requires the use of reliable decision support tools. In this article, after a brief review of the state of the art on risk analysis studies for critical infrastructures, a vulnerability analysis will be performed on a railway infrastructure under the hypothesis of an intentional attack by a criminal group. Specifically, the aim of this paper is to show how the application of the event tree technique - derived from the more well-known fault tree analysis - can allow to define the different scenarios. For each one, a probabilistic assessment will be carried out through numerical simulations with the Monte Carlo method in order to calculate the security level of this infrastructure.

Recent developments in ballistics

2025-09-10T08:32:57+02:00

Ballistics, the science of projectile motion, encompasses the study of objects such as bullets, missiles, and rockets from launch to impact, divided into internal, external, terminal, and forensic ballistics. This paper explores recent advancements in ballistic materials, methods, and sustainability challenges. Traditional and self-healing materials, including microcapsule-based, bio-inspired, and metallic self-repairing systems, are examined for their applications in armor, projectiles, and thermal protection.

Experimental techniques like light gas guns and high-speed photography, alongside numerical simulations such as finite element analysis (FEA) and smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), are compared for their efficacy in ballistic research. High-velocity projectiles exceeding Mach 5, including hypersonic and kinetic energy penetrators, are analyzed for their aerodynamic and material challenges, with future directions pointing toward AI-guided systems and 3D-printed materials.

The study also highlights green ammunition innovations, such as lead-free bullets and biodegradable cartridges, to address environmental concerns like toxic propellants and heavy metal contamination. Sustainability efforts focus on resource efficiency, including recycled composites and additive manufacturing, while military and civilian applications explore hypersonic swarms and non-lethal munitions.

The paper concludes with future perspectives, emphasizing digital twins in forensics, space ballistics, and closed-loop ammunition recycling. By integrating experimental and computational approaches, this research aims to advance ballistic technologies while addressing ecological and ethical challenges in the field.

Detection of extrasolar planet WASP-10b by differential photometry using amateur optics

2025-11-27T10:18:41+01:00

This study presents the detection and characterization of the exoplanet WASP-10b using differential photometry performed with amateur astronomical equipment. An overview of exoplanet properties, detection techniques, and the transit method is provided, followed by a description of the observational setup, recording procedures, calibration, and data processing workflow. More than one hundred CCD images were acquired using an 8-inch Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope and a monochrome Atik 383L+ camera, with additional calibration frames to correct instrumental noise and vignetting. Differential photometry was carried out using AstroImageJ, enabling precise extraction of the stellar flux of WASP-10 relative to nearby reference stars. The transit light curve was modeled using the Mandel & Agol analytic formalism, from which key planetary parameters were estimated. Results yield a planetary radius of approximately 1.12 RJ and an orbital inclination of 89°, both in good agreement with published values. The study demonstrates that high-precision exoplanet transit measurements are achievable with advanced amateur-level equipment, offering valuable scientific and educational contributions to exoplanetary research.