Operational Resilience
Adapting to a Climate-Changed World
APL is delivering bold innovations to help maintain a climate-ready force that can meet the coming demand and scope for military operations with resilient bases, infrastructure, and materiel.
Mission
Operate Seamlessly in Extreme Environments
Ensure our forces can perform effectively across all missions and environments, whether in the Arctic, under extreme heat, or during disaster response operations
Prevent and Respond to Future Disasters
Enhance the resilience of built and natural infrastructure
Re-Envision Supply Chains
Provide resources on demand and novel logistics solutions
Featured Work
Advancing Biomanufacturing for National Security
Advancing Materials for Thermal Management
Reversing the Loss of Coral Reefs
Senior Scientist, Research and Exploratory DevelopmentIncompressible, flexible insulation opens the door to a number of technology needs for Arctic operations. Beyond divers, we can see it being utilized to improve sleeping systems or battery and window insulation—anywhere pressure is applied and loss of thermal insulation is an issue.
Watch
The Emerging Arctic
The Arctic, once known for its extreme cold and ice, is undergoing rapid changes due to climate change. APL’s team aboard the RV Sikuliaq, a 261-foot ice-capable vessel owned by the National Science Foundation, is studying how radio waves travel through the Arctic atmosphere. This research is crucial for improving communication and navigation in harsh, freezing conditions.
Into Vanishing Ice: Boots on the Ground
Effectively equipping people for the Arctic has created an urgency for new technological advances. APL is working to understand and predict the unique challenges of the region.
Into Vanishing Ice: Sea Surveillance
APL is advancing our understanding of the Arctic Ocean as it is, and as it will be in the near future. Commercial vessels will benefit from APL's comprehensive understanding of this rapidly changing biome.
Space Weather: The Potential Impacts of a Solar Storm
Space Weather affects all of us. Behind the beauty and wonder of our Sun lies powerful forces to create giant eruptions, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), that blast energy, light, and particles into space, creating so-called geospace storms. These storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations, while triggering spectacular displays of aurora on Earth. This video represents a hypothetical scenario for a space weather event.
Game Changers — Operational Resilience
At the 2023 Research Frontiers Forum, APL assembled diverse thought leaders to discuss Climate Change and National Security: Goals. Gaps. Game Changers.
Meet Our Experts
Sarah Herman Program Manager, Biological and Chemical Sciences
Learn more about Sarah E. M. Herman
Marisa Hughes Assistant Program Manager, Human and Machine Intelligence
Learn more about Marisa Hughes
Bobby Armiger Branch Supervisor, Exploratory Science
Learn more about Bobby ArmigerImpact
Climate Security
APL is bringing all of its core competencies to bear on this critical challenge area, assembling top experts from a variety of scientific fields and partners from across the Johns Hopkins enterprise, industry, and government to explore strategic opportunities to make the greatest impact on climate change.