In 1995, the Department of Defense began implementing a new methodology to create and field defense technologies. The concept, described in the Vision 21 concept white paper, was to use commercial program like infrastructure and where possible even use commercial off-the-shelf gear to prototype and demonstrate new technologies for any sort of systems the DoD needed to improve the military machine.
The implementation, a somewhat complex bureaucracy, has never-the-less been quite successful in both lowering costs and the rapid development and deployment of military systems ranging from logistics to actual weapons systems or add-ons to existing systems.
The original Defense Techonology Area Programs were described in various Appendices of the Defense Technologies Objectives (DTO) documents. These programs have been added to each year, producing a long line of successes several having been developed and deployed in actual combat conditions in Bosnia.
Key to the new technology development and deployment process is the determination of ATD (Advanced Technology Demonstrations) and ACTD (Advanced Concept & Technology Demonstrations) which are requested to be funded by the DoD annually. MILNET is in the process of updating information on the ACTDs all the way through CY2000 and has mirrored the 1997 DTO document online as well as linked to appropriate mirrored status documents for key ATDs and ATCDs.