Norwegian Defence Research Establishment

The dissemination of scientific knowledge has long been a driving force behind technological and societal progress, and remains central to the vision of open science. However, shifts in the geopolitical landscape are reshaping the narrative around the role of science. Rapid technological advancements have placed science and innovation at the heart of global competition, raising concerns about the sharing of critical technologies and sensitive knowledge. At the same time, science itself is increasingly being questioned. The inherent uncertainty in scientific findings is sometimes misused to dismiss even well-established results. Misinformation and disinformation undermine society’s ability to make evidence-based decisions and may also affect the reliability of outputs from large language models. These challenges are compounded by the rise of paper mills and a peer review system under pressure from the growing volume of publications. Together, these trends risk deepening the divide between science and society. In this context, key questions arise: How can science—and open science in particular—respond to these global developments? How can researchers navigate environments where governments may seek to restrict the sharing of knowledge or limit the scope of scientific inquiry? And how can open science help safeguard scientific integrity and contribute to sustainable development in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape?

Securing military communication networks against advanced persistent threats (APTs) is critical for mission success. We introduce CyberStack, a cyber-defense simulation that integrates deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and Stackelberg Markov Security Games (SMSG) to optimize adaptive defensive strategies. Leveraging real-world Suricata EVE JSON logs, CyberStack models a defender and a Bayesian attacker in a high-fidelity cyber range, enabling the selection of optimal Courses of Action (CoAs), such as IP blocking and server isolation. A deep RL agent, combining Actor-Critic and Deep Q-Network (DQN) models. This work advances AI-driven cybersecurity, offering a scalable defense mechanism for military networks and critical infrastructure.

ABSTRACTThis study examines how sustainability is incorporated into major defense projects in Norway—a sector that significantly contributes to public spending, resource use, and emissions. Stakeholder theory is applied to analyze sustainable project management (SPM) and its relationship to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Semi‐structured interviews with 24 key project personnel indicate that the sector is in the early stages of adopting sustainable practices. Although respondents expressed commitment to sustainability, few concrete practices were reported. Findings suggest that SPM can help project managers identify innovative ways to balance operational and environmental goals in the military context, benefiting internal and external stakeholders. This study contributes theoretically by highlighting the inadequate engagement of broader societal stakeholders in early SPM efforts within a rigid institutional setting. It also reveals potential trade‐offs around interactions with SDGs, especially between military operational capacity and biosphere‐related goals, underscoring the need for strong governance to address issues holistically.

Of the thousands of shipwrecks originating from WW2, many still contain munitions or chemical warfare agents that still pose a substantial risk to the environment and societal safety. Initially, it was believed that the ammunition would slowly become harmless over time, leading post-war governments to dispose of millions of tonnes of surplus ordnance by dumping it at sea or loaded onto derelict vessels and scuttled in designated areas. However, this assumption has long been disproven. As the wrecks and their cargo deteriorate, they release toxic substances into marine environments, being taken up by exposed organisms causing contamination of impacted sites. Some of the chemicals contained herein are carcinogenic and highly toxic, thus posing long-term risks to ecosystems and human health. Here, one of the biggest threats lies in the potential of a sudden release of harmful substances due to the collapse of corroding shipwrecks. The collapse rate, influenced by factors such as corrosion, natural forces, and human activities, is poorly understood, especially for deep-sea wrecks. To address these risks, this study evaluates decision-support tools developed for assessing the environmental impact of underwater munitions. It compares the VRAKA and AmuCad tools under varying conditions to prioritize wrecks that pose the greatest environmental threat and determine the urgency of remedial actions. This paper highlights the need for improved risk assessment tools to model wreck deterioration and the associated release of hazardous substances, ultimately contributing to informed decision-making for mitigating the ongoing impacts of wartime shipwrecks.

Understanding the main drivers of behavioural disturbance in deep-diving cetaceans would improve predictions of anthropogenic noise effects on individual animals, habitats and populations. To investigate the potential roles of received level and source distance on behavioural disturbance, we tagged 14 sperm whales in northern Norway with multi-sensor data loggers and conducted dose-escalation experiments. Each experiment included 1 to 4 tagged individuals and involved multiple vessel passes ('exposure sessions', n=25 total) by a navy frigate or research vessel towing a naval sonar, at different starting distances and maximum source levels. We analysed behaviour state series and proxies for locomotor activity and foraging success with generalized additive mixed models. The probability of occurrence of non-foraging active behaviour was affected by received level, source distance and session order, with decreased foraging effort at higher received levels and shorter distances, and during subsequent sessions (indicating short-term sensitisation). Prey capture attempts decreased with increasing received level when whales kept foraging. Similar to what has been suggested for some populations of blue whales and beaked whales regularly exposed to navy sonar, but unlike northern bottlenose whales in more pristine waters, source distance affected sperm whale behavioural responses on a high-latitude foraging ground.

We present the design and manufacturing of a deployable conical log spiral spring antenna for small spacecraft, along with a test campaign to evaluate its suitability for space applications. The conical spring was 45.7 cm in height, with base and apex diameters of 18.9 and 2.8 cm, respectively. The spring had a mass of 0.138 kg and was constructed from a carbon fiber-infused epoxy matrix with an embedded coaxial cable. We conducted dynamic and thermal mechanical analysis to determine the coefficient of thermal expansion and glass transition temperature. The initial 10 compressions of the spring shortened the structure’s overall height, but the change had a negligible effect on the antenna’s radio frequency (RF) performance. Thermal cycling between −70 °C and 80 °C did not cause any damage or deformation to the spring structure. Outgassing tests were conducted in a thermal vacuum chamber, and the total mass loss was 0.03%. We conducted vibration tests representative for a typical launch vehicle, and all natural frequencies remained stable above 250 Hz, while the antenna was stowed, satisfying launch vehicle requirements. Post-test functional checks confirmed that there was no change in antenna functionality. The environmental test results provide confidence that the antenna is suitable for spacecraft applications.

ABSTRACTAir pollution constitutes a major threat to public health. To meet increasingly strict air quality regulations, efficient air purification solutions are necessary. Non‐thermal plasma (NTP) offers an economic alternative to traditional methods such as incineration and filter adsorption as it can treat large emissions with minimal pressure drop and without the need to heat the emission. NTP is suitable for particle, VOC, and odour abatement in a variety of industries. The exact processes in an NTP discharge are only partially understood, and effective air purification requires tailoring the solution to the emission in question. This paper gives an introduction to the industrial implementation of NTP as either a standalone solution or as the basis for a multi‐step cleaning solution.