Dirk Plante is the Deputy Director of the Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center. He retired from the United States Army in 2019 following a 30-year career as a basic branch Engineer officer and a functional area 52 (Nuclear and Counterproliferation) officer. From 2011 to 2014 he served on the Army Staff working treaty compliance matters for the Army, including New START Treaty compliance visits by the Russians. His final assignment in the Army was as Chief, Survivability & Effects Analysis Division at the U.S. Army Nuclear and Countering WMD Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA, overseeing the Army CBRN Survivability Program, and the Army Reactor Office. He holds a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH and a M.S. in Strategic Studies from the Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA.
HDIAC Reports
Alternative Energy: An Enabler of Military Capability
This State of the Art Report (SOAR) reviews the current state of a selection of novel, non-traditional, and/or emerging sources and technologies for harvesting, generating, and reusing energy. It offers synopses of new programs; summaries of significant technological breakthroughs and technology applications; highlights of outstanding developments; and impacts to the DoD.
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Critical Infrastructure Protection is one of the HDIAC’s eight technical focus areas. This SOAR reviews the current state of emerging technologies and methodologies relating to the protection of infrastructure and resources critical to national security. The report takes a look at the evolution of our critical infrastructure protective measures, the physical and cyber threats to our critical infrastructure, and the role government has in working with the owners of the largely privately-owned infrastructure assets.
Journal Articles
The New START Treaty’s Role in Arms Control and its Future
This is a pivotal year in the life of the New START Treaty, as 2020 marks the tenth and final year of the treaty, in which the United States and Russia may agree to extend the treaty for a period… Read More
Podcasts / Webinars
The HDIAC Podcast » Nuclear Arms Control Treaties – Part 1 of 2
This video podcast is part one of a two-part series on the topic of nuclear arms control treaties that the United States has entered in over the past 50+ years. In this podcast, Dirk Plante, Deputy Director of HDIAC, interviews Pranay Vaddi, a fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discussing early efforts by the United States and other nations to enter into multi-lateral arms control treaties, including the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, as well as bilateral treaties with the Soviet Union.
The HDIAC Podcast » Super Recognizers – Part 1 of 2
This video podcast is part one of a two-part series on the topic of super recognizers and facial recognition. In this podcast, Dirk Plante, Deputy Director of HDIAC, interviews two subject matter experts on facial recognition, discussing the definition of super recognizer and what makes a person more or less likely to possess the ability to be a super recognizer. This podcast also discusses methods that organizations can use to identify if they have personnel who are super recognizers. The next step of effectively utilizing this talent is also outlined.
The HDIAC Podcast » Nuclear Arms Control Treaties – Part 2 of 2
This video podcast is part two of a two-part series on the topic of nuclear arms control treaties that the United States has entered in over the past 50+ years. In this podcast, Dirk Plante, Deputy Director of HDIAC, interviews Pranay Vaddi, a fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, continue their discussion of bilateral treaties with the then Soviet Union, now Russia, to keep limits on their nuclear arsenals. They look at the current New START Treaty and the future of arms control treaty negotiations.
The HDIAC Podcast » Super Recognizers – Part 2 of 2
This video podcast is part two of a two-part series on the topic of super recognizers and facial recognition. In this podcast, Dirk Plante, Deputy Director of HDIAC, continues the interview of two subject matter experts on facial recognition, Dr. Josh Davis, Ph.D. and Dr. David Robertson, Ph.D. This podcast discusses the tasks that a human super recognizer is able to perform more effectively than artificial intelligence facial recognition software. The podcast also examines how a human super recognizer can be a more cost-effective tool compared to automated systems.
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