Army, Coast Guard Researchers Poised for Greater Collaboration.

After entering into a memorandum of understanding, scientists and engineers from Coast Guard and Army research laboratories have been given the green light to collaborate on projects and share research assets and data.

The Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's corporate laboratory, the Army Research Laboratory, and the Coast Guard Research and Development Center entered into the agreement in January, giving them the authority to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects.

"The memorandum is pretty simple. The [Coast Guard] is willing to share information with us, and [the Army Research Laboratory] will share information with them, and work collaboratively where we can but all at our own cost," said Susan Toth, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology integration activity team lead at CCDC ARL.

The memorandum was signed by Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, commander of Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Philip Perconti, director of ARL and Capt. Gregory Rothrock, commanding officer of the Coast Guard's R&D center.

The concept for the partnership agreement started after the Coast Guard approached the Army about a potential research collaboration.

"It was really just serendipitous--out of this one day briefing came the MOU,"Toth said. "I really have to applaud the Coast Guard for going out and...