AFRL Digital Transformation Champion Urges People to Embrace, Not Fear AI

Home / News ORLANDO, Fla. – If Alexis Bonnell had her way, every person would embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) fearlessly as a tool that gives them back “minutes for their mission” and enables them to “tackle the toil” of mundane work tasks. The charismatic former Googler, now serving as chief information officer and director of Digital Capabilities Directorate for the Air Force Research Lab... Read more about AFRL Digital Transformation Champion Urges People to Embrace, Not Fear AI

Air Force to brief industry on projects for combat identification of ocean targets using machine learning

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – U.S. Air Force researchers will brief industry next month on two initiatives that seek to locate and identify ocean targets from satellites and aircraft imagery; and improve predictive air-to-air combat identification. Officials of the Sensors directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory will brief industry on the upcoming Maritime Automated Ingestion for Scene... Read more about Air Force to brief industry on projects for combat identification of ocean targets using machine learning

New engine for B-52J passes design review on time, but upgrade program still lags

The B-52’s new engine, the Rolls Royce F130, has cleared its critical design review, meaning it can enter final development, test, and production on time, the company announced Dec. 13. However, the overall B-52J upgrade, which is integrated by Boeing, continues to run about three years behind. The review of the F130 “is the culmination of over two years of detailed design work and close... Read more about New engine for B-52J passes design review on time, but upgrade program still lags

AFWERX Says Agility Prime eVTOLs Lack Range, Shifts To Hybrid

In a significant shift of its strategy, the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX Agility Prime program has acknowledged that the battery-powered electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft it has been funding and testing over the past four years lacks the range necessary to be useful over the vast reaches of its operational theaters, such as across the Pacific Ocean. “We’re always balancing... Read more about AFWERX Says Agility Prime eVTOLs Lack Range, Shifts To Hybrid

Allvin: USAF Force Design Maps Out Plan to Scale Up—or Down

Air Force Chief of Staff David W. Allvin said the principal aim of his much-advertised but still secret force design is to refine the service’s thinking and give it options to maneuver in the face of evolving threats—or different budgets. “The design is, it’s almost more conceptual, but we’re designing the force to be able to account for the environment. That environment is one that has varying... Read more about Allvin: USAF Force Design Maps Out Plan to Scale Up—or Down

U.S. Central Command Employs Large Language Model-based Artificial Intelligence

Amidst an intense geopolitical environment and active war in the Middle East region, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is pulling in certain artificial intelligence- (AI-) based tools, namely large language models, to gain efficiencies at the operational level. CENTCOM is already seeing value from large language model applications used for code augmentation, document disclosure processing and... Read more about U.S. Central Command Employs Large Language Model-based Artificial Intelligence

Seeking New Options for GPS, Space Force Eyes Multiple Orbits

The Space Force’s best-known mission is often spelled out with just three letters: GPS. The world relies on U.S. military satellites for precise navigation and timing, and the Space Force delivers with its Global Positioning Satellite constellation. But increasing use of jamming to block GPS signals and the risk that an adversary could seek to take out some or all of its 30 GPS satellites or... Read more about Seeking New Options for GPS, Space Force Eyes Multiple Orbits

Revolutionizing space-based thermal systems: AFRL’s SPIRRAL launch on SPX-31

KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Research Laboratory launched the Space Power InfraRed Regulation and Analysis of Lifetime experiment on Nov. 4. SPIRRAL, flown by AFRL through the DOD Space Test Program, will characterize the performance of Variable Emissivity Materials, an approach toward solving thermal challenges for space vehicles while on-orbit. VEMs are surface finishes that act... Read more about Revolutionizing space-based thermal systems: AFRL’s SPIRRAL launch on SPX-31

AFRL wants autonomy to help guide mission management of AI-enabled systems

The Air Force Research Laboratory is interested in developing autonomous capabilities for analyzing operations and directing courses of action to uncrewed aircraft, according to a request for information issued today. To ensure robotic platforms continue to adhere to mission commands and are able to independently make reasonable decisions in future battles, AFRL says it needs to develop autonomous... Read more about AFRL wants autonomy to help guide mission management of AI-enabled systems

U.S. Air Force to study use of Sierra Space ‘Ghost’ spacecraft to deliver cargo from orbit

WASHINGTON — The space infrastructure company Sierra Space announced Oct. 3 it has secured backing from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance its “Ghost” spacecraft, a system designed to deliver cargo from space to any location on Earth in under 90 minutes. Known for developing space habitats and vehicles like the Dream Chaser spaceplane, Sierra Space won a contract of... Read more about U.S. Air Force to study use of Sierra Space ‘Ghost’ spacecraft to deliver cargo from orbit