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  • January

    CRREL’s Dr. Theodore Letcher demonstrates the Mud Threat Score software tool.

    New software helps military planners predict mud season

    A new software tool called the “Mud Threat Score” now provides military planners with real-time frozen ground and thaw predictions at 30-meter resolution, anytime, anywhere in the world. Developed by ERDC laboratories and their Hanover, New Hampshire-based industry partner Creare, the new tool combines existing weather forecasting data residing within the geospatial decision support tool GeoWATCH with newly developed frozen and thawing soil algorithm to highlight locations that are experiencing or will experience muddy conditions due to the spring thaw.

  • December

    U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade emplace a Patriot radar system under night conditions, July 19, 2025. The Janus Program, the Army’s next-generation nuclear power program, aims to deliver secure, resilient, and reliable energy to support national defense installations and critical missions.

    ERDC explores Nuclear Energy Systems to power future mission

    A strong, resilient energy supply is critical for military installations, and researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are evaluating domestically produced nuclear energy systems to provide critical research in support of the Army’s Janus Program.
  • Vicksburg’s fire, law enforcement and emergency management officials showed their appreciation to the ERDC Alumni Association for their donations. Pictured (left to right) are Vicksburg Fire Depart Chief Trey Martin and Associate Chief Courtney Reed; Vicksburg Police Department Officer Michael Battle, Deputy Chief Tommy Curtis and Chief Larry Burns; Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer; Warren County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Bobby Stewart; and ERDC Alumni Association member Ernie Smith.

    ERDC Alumni Association donates “comfort critters” to Vicksburg first responders

    Retirees from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) kicked off the holiday season by serving the community’s law enforcement and emergency agencies. As part of their annual Christmas party on Dec. 19, the ERDC Alumni Association hosted a luncheon, serving gumbo and presenting stuffed animals – known as “comfort critters”— to local agencies.
  • A multi-week food drive and gate collections at ERDC brought in a final total of more than 7,700 pounds of donated goods for the local food pantry.

    ERDC employees donate more than 7,700 pounds of food to local pantries

    Through their cutting-edge science, employees at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) work each day to deliver innovations that strengthen national security, support the military and improve the nation’s infrastructure and resilience. In recent weeks, that commitment has extended beyond the laboratory as ERDC personnel have taken on an added mission — giving back to the Vicksburg community.
  • The energy node, with photovoltaic (PV) panels fully deployed, at the ERDC Forward Operating Base Laboratory in Champaign, Illinois.

    ERDC advances Army readiness through resilient, off-grid power

    A small, self-contained electric power system unit called an “energy node” has been installed at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) to facilitate further research towards fulfilling the U.S. Army’s requirement for reliable and resilient energy to power the mission.
  • ERDC Researcher Dr. Andy Hur makes adjustments to the controls of the Heat Driven Atmospheric Water Generation (HeatDAWG) proof-of-concept experimentation apparatus located at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in Champaign, Illinois.

    ERDC partners with industry to advance fuel-efficient water-from-air capabilities

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) recently signed two Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with industry partners to accelerate the development of next-generation, fuel-efficient atmospheric water extraction systems.
  • A barge floating in the river.

    Autonomous barge kits improve logistical capabilities for joint forces

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has partnered with the U.S. Transportation Command to develop Scalable Autonomous Modular Propulsion kits for coastal and riverine Operational Logistics, or SAMPOL.
  • Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves cuts the ribbon officially opening the new I-ATLAS building at the Stennis Airport, Kiln, Mississippi, December 5, 2025. I-ATLAS held a ribbon-cutting and Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony to celebrate the standing up of the new joint endeavor. (U.S. Army photo by Keesha Robinson)

    USACE celebrates opening of new I-ATLAS facility

    In partnership with the Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) cut the ribbon on the new home for I-ATLAS — a collaborative coastal mapping effort that provides the data needed to prepare, respond and stay ahead of emerging challenges in both civil works and national defense operations.
  • Crews prep equipment to collect data during anchor penetration-depth field tests at Stapleton Anchorage in the New York Harbor.

    ERDC and USACE New York District partner on New York Harbor field testing

    Four U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) laboratories, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District (NAN), recently joined forces to conduct a series of anchor penetration-depth field tests at Stapleton Anchorage in the New York Harbor.
  • A group of research students construct model oyster shell reefs during the U.S. Coastal Research Program’s Sediment Transport Collaborative Laboratory Experiment, or SEDCOLAB, hosted by the U.S. Engineer Research and Development Center’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory in Vicksburg, Miss., June 6, 2025.

    ERDC hosts Sediment Transport Collaborative Laboratory Experiment

    This summer, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) hosted the U.S. Coastal Research Program’s (USCRP) Sediment Transport Collaborative Laboratory Experiment, or SEDCOLAB, to improve understanding of sediment transport processes by leveraging and coordinating scientific investigations from multiple research teams in a controlled, laboratory environment.
  • Crane carries generator

    Backup upgrade ensures uninterrupted service

    The addition of new generators will soon double the capacity of backup power available to ITL’s 10,000 sq. feet. Of raised supercomputing floor space and will also have the ability to support Vicksburg’s power needs during peak energy usage times. The low-cost upgrade is part of an innovative public/private partnership with Entergy of Mississippi, who will both install and maintain the capability.
  • Dr. Mohamed Elshaer inside the asphalt lab at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, New Hampshire.

    Cold-Weather Asphalt: Extending the Paving Season for Mission Readiness

    Paving is difficult in cold temperatures, which poses a significant problem for the many DoD installations located in colder climates across the globe. A research project led by the U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire, aims to compact asphalt in freezing conditions without compromising the quality.

  • November

    Photo of a winter road in Fairbanks, Alaska. ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) is providing crucial guidance on building and maintaining the vital, yet unpredictable, winter roads in challenging northern environments. (Image by, J. Williams, CRREL)

    Army Research Aims to Standardize Arctic Winter Road Construction

    A recent report from the U.S Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) is providing crucial guidance on building and maintaining the vital, yet unpredictable, winter roads in challenging northern environments.

  • September

    Dr. Michael Stephens’ was posthumously inducted into the WES (Waterways Experiment Station) Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees. The gallery honors the legacies of those who contributed to ERDC’s long-standing history of research, discovery, and innovation. Stephens is the gallery’s 118th inductee.

    ERDC inducts the late Dr. Michael Stephens into the WES Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees

    The late Dr. Michael Stephens’ legacy is cemented in the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) history, as he was posthumously inducted into the WES (Waterways Experiment Station) Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees.
  • This summer, ERDC's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) provided research internships to more than 45 high school, undergraduate, and graduate student STEM scholars. Designed to prepare the next generation of STEM professionals for careers in science and technology, the internships give scholars the opportunity to join a CRREL research team working on real projects with real-world implications while also exploring their own individualized research interests.

    CRREL's summer student program provides research opportunities to STEM scholars

    This summer, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) provided research internships to more than 45 high school, undergraduate, and graduate student STEM scholars from 20 schools.
  • CRREL’s Constantine Coclin (left) and Dr. Meghan Quinn prepare to deploy DAS-Ice on Storrs Pond in Hanover, New Hampshire.

    CRREL team pioneers fiber-optic technology to measure ice thickness

    A team of scientists at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire, is putting fiber-optic cable to a much more unconventional use: determining the thickness – and therefore safety – of freshwater ice.
  • Drs. Yoko Slowey and Mark Chappell, with ERDC's Environmental Lab, and USACE Europe District representatives pose with members of the Botswana Defense Force and the U.S. Embassy team.

    ERDC, USACE host workshop in Botswana to help mitigate lead contamination

    Subject-matter experts from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Europe District recently traveled to Gaborone, Botswana to conduct an Environmental Soil Screening Workshop with the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) at their shooting ranges.
  • Randy Hill poses next to the plaque honoring his induction into the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory’s Gallery of Distinguished Employees.

    CRREL’s Randy Hill Inducted into Gallery of Distinguished Employees

    Physical scientist Randy Hill was inducted into the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory’s (CRREL) Gallery of Distinguished Employees on Aug. 21.
  • Photo of a B-2 Spirit landing

    Vibration Proof: ERDC engineer helps protect B-2 bombers

    For nearly four decades, the B-2 Spirit, commonly referred to as the stealth bomber, has been the tip of the spear in the United States’ ability to project force on a global scale. The aircraft’s capabilities – developed in secret and once thought impossible – were on full display during the recent Operation Midnight Hammer, in which the aircraft was used to dismantle assets with Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

  • August

    Mini Dambot performs inspection

    DamBot Mini successfully tested at Alamo Dam

    The DamBot Mini, an unmanned robotic inspection platform developed by team members at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), was recently deployed at Alamo Dam in northwest Arizona for field testing in a relevant operational environment. This test was coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Los Angeles District to coincide with inspection work many years in the planning. The platform successfully collected imagery and a lidar point cloud of the lower conduit and delivered these data products to the district.