April 23, 2009

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State's ongoing research into sea-based missile defense interceptors is giving the Defense Department greater flexibility to deal with a variety of international threats.

That was the assessment of leading public and private sector experts gathering recently at the university to assess missile defense following eight years of unprecedented federal support.

MSU's computational simulation and design group at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (www.cavs.msstate.edu) uses their research expertise to assist the Northrop Grumman Corp. prepare future missile defense systems for deployment aboard ships and submarines. The campus conference, titled "Missile Defense Research and Development--Technology and Public Policy," sought to highlight advances in research focused on missile defense systems.

The conference was co-sponsored by the land-grant institution and the California-based aerospace and defense technology company.

"Our role is to provide simulation data and technology that will help Northrop Grumman design the most accurate and robust systems possible," said Dave Marcum, CAVS chief scientist.

The center's research on ship-based kinetic energy interceptors "will be crucial in determining next steps for more flexible and affordable missile defenses for deployed troops and allies," he added.

MSU researchers are using high-speed computer simulations to predict fluids flow, particularly related to such complications as simultaneous heat flow, combustion or other interactions.



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