Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) used research with neutron beams to foster cooperation with allies in extending warship service life. Western navies face similar challenges managing aging fleets, and decisions on repairing or replacing critical components like submarine hull plates and propellers affect costs greatly. Even greater impact is made by life extension decisions, as new warships may cost billions.
Neutron beam stress measurements helped DRDC validate models that inform decisions about extending warship component life through repair welds. These rare data were also in demand from our allies. In return, our allies provided Canada with valuable information on their research and innovations in warship repairs.
As Canada pivots its research enterprise for defence, existing areas of dual-use research using neutron beams lend themselves to defence innovations such as:
- more energy-dense batteries to increase power for mobile forces,
- radiation-hardened electronics for more reliable operation of aircraft near nuclear events or at high altitudes,
- better sensors for drones and monitoring devices to detect threats offshore or in the Arctic, and
- new technology to enable quantum cryptography, the ultimate in secure communications.
