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| Air Force Research Laboratory | |
|---|---|
 Air Force Research Laboratory – Emblem | |
| Active | October 1997–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force United States Space Force |
| Type | Research and development |
| Size | 4,200 civilian 1,200 military |
| Part of | Air Force Materiel Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base 39°49′23″N084°02′58″W / 39.82306°N 84.04944°W /39.82306; -84.04944 |
| Decorations | AFOEA |
| Website | www.afrl.af.mil |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Brig Gen Jason E. Bartolomei |
| Deputy Commander | Col Carl W. Seekamp |
| Command Chief | CCM Timothey C. Hodgin |
| Mobilization Assistant to the Commander | Col Joseph W. Tringe |
TheAir Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of theUnited States Air ForceMateriel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct-energy based aerospace warfighting technologies, planning and executing the Air Force science and technology program, and providing warfighting capabilities to United States air, space, and cyberspace forces.[1] It controls the entire Air Force science and technology research budget which was $2.4 billion in 2006.[2]
The Laboratory was formed atWright-Patterson Air Force Base nearDayton, Ohio, on 31 October 1997 as a consolidation of four Air Force laboratory facilities (Wright, Phillips, Rome, and Armstrong) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under a unified command. The Laboratory is composed of eight technical directorates, one wing, and the Office of Scientific Research. Each technical directorate emphasizes a particular area of research within the AFRL mission which it specializes in performing experiments in conjunction with universities and contractors.
Since the Laboratory's formation in 1997, it has conducted numerous experiments and technical demonstrations in conjunction withNASA,Department of Energy,National Laboratories,DARPA, and other research organizations within theDepartment of Defense. Notable projects include theX-37,X-40,X-53,HTV-3X,YAL-1A,Advanced Tactical Laser, and theTactical Satellite Program.
In 2009, it was reported that the Laboratory may face problems in the future as 40 percent of its workers are slated to retire over the next two decades, and since 1980, the United States has not produced enough science and engineering degrees to keep up with demand.[3]
In 1945, the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories were established. These laboratories were active from 1945 to 2011, following consolidation toWright-Patterson Air Force Base andKirtland Air Force Base under the2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.[4] The labs were founded as theAir Force Cambridge Research Center (AFCRC), aCold War systems development organization which developed telephonemodem communications for a Digital Radar Relay in 1949.[5] Created by GeneralHenry H. Arnold in 1945,[6] AFCRC participated inProject Space Track andSemi-Automatic Ground Environment development.
The path to a consolidated Air Force Research Laboratory began with the passage of theGoldwater–Nichols Act which was designed to streamline the use of resources by theDepartment of Defense.[7] In addition to this Act, the end of theCold War began a period of budgetary and personnel reductions within the armed forces in preparation for a "stand-down" transition out of readiness for a global war with theSoviet Union.[8] Prior to 1990, the Air Force laboratory system spread research out into 13 different laboratories and the Rome Air Development Center which each reported up two separate chains of command: a product center for personnel, and theAir Force Systems Command Director of Science & Technology for budgetary purposes.[9] Bowing to the constraints of a reduced budget and personnel, the Air Force merged the existing research laboratories into four "superlabs" in December 1990.[10] During this same time period, the Air Force Systems Command andAir Force Logistics Command merged to form Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) in July 1992.[11]
| Pre-Merger | Post-Merger |
|---|---|
| Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, NM | Phillips Laboratory Kirtland AFB |
| Geophysics Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, MA | |
| Astronautics Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA | |
| Avionics Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH | Wright Laboratory Wright-Patterson AFB |
| Electronics Technology Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH | |
| Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH | |
| Material Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH | |
| Aero Propulsion and Power Laboratory Wright-Patterson AFB, OH | |
| Armament Laboratory, Eglin AFB, FL | |
| Rome Air Development Center Griffiss AFB, NY | Rome Laboratory Griffiss AFB, NY |
| Human Resources Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX | Armstrong Laboratory Brooks AFB, TX |
| Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH | |
| Drug Testing Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX | |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX |
While the initial consolidation of Air Force laboratories reduced overhead and budgetary pressure, another push towards a unified laboratory structure came in the form of theNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, Section 277. This section instructed the Department of Defense to produce a five-year plan for consolidation and restructuring of all defense laboratories.[13] The currently existing laboratory structure was created in October 1997 through the consolidation of Phillips Laboratory headquartered inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, Wright Laboratory inDayton, Ohio, Rome Laboratory (formerly Rome Air Development Center) inRome, New York, and Armstrong Laboratory inSan Antonio, Texas and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).[14] The single laboratory concept was developed and championed by Maj Gen Richard Paul, who was Director of Science & Technology for AFMC and Gen Henry Viccellio Jr, and then became the firstCommander of AFRL.[15]
With the merger of the laboratories into a single entity, the history offices at each site ceased to maintain independent histories and all history functions were transferred to a central History Office located at AFRL HQ atWright-Patterson AFB.[16] In homage to the predecessor laboratories, the new organization named four of the research sites after the laboratories and assured that each laboratory's history would be preserved as inactivated units.[17]
In 2023, theNational Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence was completed to help the Laboratory, private companies, and local academics collaborate on the research ofeVTOL andUAS aircraft.[18][19]
The laboratory is divided into eight Technical Directorates, one wing, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) based on different areas of research. AFOSR is primarily a funding body for external research while the other directorates perform research in-house or under contract to external entities.[1]
A directorate is roughly equivalent to a militarywing. Each directorate is composed of a number ofdivisions and typically has at least three support divisions in addition to its research divisions.[20] The Operations and Integration Division provides the directorate with well-conceived and executed business computing, human resource management, and business development services while the Financial Management Division manages the financial resources and the Procurement Division provides an in-house contracting capability.[21] The support divisions at any given location frequently work together to minimize overhead at any given research site. Each division is then further broken down into branches, roughly equivalent to a militarysquadron.
Superimposed on the overall AFRL structure are the eight detachments. Eachdetachment is composed of the AFRL military personnel at any given geographical location.[22] For example, the personnel at Wright-Patterson AFB are all part of Detachment 1. Each detachment will typically also have a unit commander separate from the directorate and division structure.
Located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, AFRL Headquarters houses the commanders and staff for the laboratories (q.v.). Its primary responsibilities are leadership, policy and guidance; unifying the common objectives of the eight Technical Directorates, the 711th wing, and AFOSR. The staff functions include Public Relations, Strategic Communication, Business Outreach, Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE), Technology Transition, Transformation, Contracting and a High-Performance Computing Center. HQ also includes theCenter for Rapid Innovation, which handles urgent operational requests from commanders ofAir Force Space Command,Air Force Global Strike Command,Air Mobility Command, and others.[23]
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), located inArlington, Virginia, invests in basic research efforts for the Air Force by funding investigation in relevant scientific areas.[1] This work is performed in cooperation with private industry, academia, and other organizations in theDepartment of Defense and AFRL Directorates.
AFOSR's research is organized into four scientific directorates: the Engineering and Complex Systems Directorate; the Information and Networks Directorate; the Physical Sciences Directorate; and the Chemistry and Biological Sciences Directorate.[24] Each directorate funds research activities that it believes will enable the technological superiority of the Air Force.
AFOSR also maintains three foreign technology offices located in London, UK (the European Office of Aerospace Research & Development),Tokyo, Japan, andSantiago, Chile. These overseas offices coordinate with the international scientific and engineering community to allow for better collaboration between the community and Air Force personnel.[25]
AFOSR is one of the sponsors of theUniversity Nanosatellite Program.[26]
The Air Vehicles Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, has the mission of developing technologies that support cost-effective and survivable aerospace vehicles capable of accurate and quick delivery of a variety of future weapons or cargo anywhere.[1] The current director is Col Michael Hatfield.[27]
The Directorate has previously collaborated withNASA in theX-24 project to research concepts associated withlifting body type aircraft.[28] The X-24 was one of a series of experimental aircraft, including theM2-F1,M2-F2,HL-10, andHL-20, by NASA and Air Force programs to develop the lifting body concept into maturity. The tests conducted during these programs led to the choice of an unpowered landing for theSpace Shuttle program.[29]
In 2002, the Directorate initiated theX-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing program in cooperation with NASA'sDryden Flight Research Center andBoeing Phantom Works to research ways to make more efficient use of the wing surface during high-speed maneuvers.[30]
The Directorate is also a collaborator withDARPA, the U.S. Air ForceSpace and Missile Systems Center,Sandia National Laboratories and AFRL'sSpace Vehicles Directorate on theFALCON program, which includes theHTV-3X Blackswifthypersonic flight demonstration vehicle.[31] The Air Vehicles Directorate also collaborated with NASA andBoeing on the initial work for theX-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and the 80% scaled version,X-40A Space Maneuver Vehicle, prior to the classification of the program and its transfer from NASA to DARPA in late 2004.[32] The X-37 program is now managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
Another recent project managed by the Air Vehicles Directorate is theAdvanced Composite Cargo Aircraft program begun in 2007.[33] This is an experimental, composite aircraft program with a goal of demonstrating the feasibility of the development of a cargo airframe constructed primary of light-weight composite materials.[34] AFRL intends to gain X-plane designation for the program once flight tests begin.[35]
TheUS$250,000,000VTHLReusable Booster System program was initiated by theUSAF in 2010.[36][37]
In 2012, the Air Vehicles Directorate merged with the Propulsion Directorate to become Aerospace Systems Directorate.[38]
In addition to serving as the Air Force's Center of Excellence for high power microwave technology, the Directed Energy Directorate is also the Department of Defense's Center of Expertise for laser development of all types.[1] The current director is Susan Thornton.[39]
TheStarfire Optical Range atKirtland AFB,North Oscura Peak onWhite Sands Missile Range, and theAir Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory (AMOS) are also operated by divisions of the Directed Energy Directorate in addition to their facilities at the Directorate's headquarters at Kirtland AFB.[1] The Starfire Optical Range is used to research various topics of advanced tracking using lasers as well as studies of atmospheric physics which examines atmospheric effects which can distort laser beams.[40] North Oscura Peak is used to research the various technologies necessary to facilitate successful tracking and destruction of an incoming missile via a laser and is used frequently for laser-based missile defense tests.[41] AMOS provides space observation capabilities and computational resources to AFRL, the Department of Defense and other agencies of the US Government.[42]
Directed Energy projects typically fall into two categories:laser andmicrowave. Laser projects range from completely non-lethal targeting lasers todazzlers, such as the Saber 203 used by US forces during theSomali Civil War[citation needed], and the more recentPHaSR dazzler,[43] to powerful missile defense lasers such as thechemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) used in theYAL-1A project now led by theMissile Defense Agency.[44] A continuation of the Airborne Laser experiment is also being conducted in the form of theAdvanced Tactical Laser, which is aSpecial Forces demonstrator project to mount a COIL system in a tacticalAC-130 gunship.[45]
Microwave technologies are being advanced for use against both electronics and personnel. One example of an anti-personnel microwave project is the "less-than-lethal"Active Denial System, which uses high-powered microwaves to penetrate less than a millimeter into the target's skin, where the nerve endings are located.[46]
Going back as far as 1995, there were arguments that laser dazzlers could potentially cause permanent blindness in targets, and these same concerns were revived with the announcement of the PHaSR project, which is claimed to be a non-blinding laser weapon.[43] Due to concerns that even low-powered lasers could cause blindness, theHuman Rights Watch proposed that all tactical laser weapons should be scrapped and research stopped by all interested governments.[47] The Active Denial System has also been the target ofAmnesty International as well as, less directly, a United Nations special rapporteur as being a potential weapon of torture.[48]
In March 2008, AFRL's Human Effectiveness Directorate located at Wright-Patterson AFB was merged with the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the Human Performance Integration Directorate from the311th Human Systems Wing both located atBrooks City-Base, Texas to form the711th Human Performance Wing.[49] In its vision statement, the wing includes the goals of improving aerospace medicine, science and technology, and human systems integration.[1] The current Commander of the 711th is Brig. Gen. Timothy Jex.[50]
One practical application of its work is ensuring and advancing the safety of ejection systems for pilots.[51] With the increasing number of females in the Air Force ranks,anthropometry is of greater import now than ever, and 711th's WB4 'whole-body scanner' enables swift and accurate acquisition of anthropometric data which may be used to design pilot equipment with a better fit for comfort and safety.[52]
The mission of the Information Directorate, located at the Rome Research Site on the Griffiss Business and Technology Park inRome, New York, is to lead the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting information technologies for air, space, and cyberspace forces.[1] The current director of the Information Directorate is Colonel Timothy J. Lawrence.[53]
The Information Directorate has contributed research to a number of technologies which have been deployed in the field. These projects include collaboration with other agencies in the development ofARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet, as well as technologies used in theJoint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System which is a key aspect of theater command and control for combat commanders.[54] The Directorate also collaborated with theDepartment of Justice performing research onvoice stress analysis technologies.[55]
The Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB andTyndall AFB, develops materials, processes, and advanced manufacturing technologies foraerospace systems and their components to improve Air Force capabilities in these areas.[1] The current director is Mr. Darrell K. Phillipson.[56]
In 2003, the Directorate announced a new manufacturing method for use producing the turbine exhaust casing for theF119 jet engine used on theF-22 Raptor stealth fighter which will result in an estimated savings of 35% of the cost while also improving the durability.[57] In collaboration withLockheed Martin Aeronautics, the Directorate helped develop a new laser-based ultrasonic scanner to inspect composite parts also for use on the F-22.[58] The Directorate also developed an advancedthermoplastic composite material for use in thelanding gear doors on the F-22.[51] In 2008, the Air Force announced that the Directorate had developed a method of using fabric made of fiber optic material in afriend or foe identification system.[59]
The mission of the Munitions Directorate, located atEglin AFB, Florida, is to "develop, demonstrate and transition science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces."[1] The current director of the Munitions Directorate is Colonel Woodrow "Tony" Meeks.[56]
Notable projects which have been made public include theGBU-28 "bunker-buster" bomb which debuted during the 1991Persian Gulf War in Iraq and took only 17 days from concept to first deployment.[60] The Directorate also developed theGBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb which was deployed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq forOperation Iraqi Freedom and was the largest non-nuclear air-delivered munitions at that time.[61]
The mission of the Propulsion Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB andEdwards Air Force Base, is "to create and transition propulsion and power technology for military dominance of air and space."[1] The current director of the Propulsion Directorate is Douglas L. Bowers.[62]
Research areas range from experimental rocket propulsion to developing the first everlithium-ion main aircraft battery for use in theB-2stealth bomber. At Edwards AFB, theDirectorate's test area is located east of Rogers Lake.
The Propulsion Directorate was formed through the merger of the aerospace propulsion section at Wright Laboratory and the space propulsion section at Phillips Laboratory.[63] Each section, both before and after the merger, has played a significant role in past and present propulsion systems. Prior to the development ofProject Apollo by NASA, the Air Force worked on the development and testing of theF-1 rocket engine used to power theSaturn V rocket.[64] The facilities for testing rockets are frequently used for testing new rocket engines including theRS-68 rocket engine developed for use on theDelta IV launch vehicle.[65] The space propulsion area also develops technologies for use in satellites on-orbit to alter their orbits. An AFRL-developed experimentalElectric Propulsion Space Experiment (ESEX)arcjet was flown on theARGOS satellite in 1999 as part of the Air ForceSpace Test Program.[66]
The Directorate currently manages theX-51A program, which is developing ascramjet demonstration vehicle.[67] The X-51 program is working to develop a flight demonstrator for ahypersoniccruise missile which could reach anywhere on the globe in an hour.[68] In January 2008, the Directorate used a modifiedScaled CompositesLong-EZ aircraft to demonstrate that apulse detonation engine could successfully power flight.[69] That aircraft has now been transferred to theNational Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB for display.
The mission of the Sensors Directorate, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is to provide a full range of air and space sensors, networked to the warfighter, providing a complete and timely picture of the battlespace enabling precision targeting of the enemy and protection friendly air and space assets and its core technology areas include:radar, active and passive electro-optical targeting systems, navigation aids,automatic target recognition, sensor fusion, threat warning and threat countermeasures.[1] As of July 9, 2021, the current director is Amanda Gentry.[70][71]
The divisions formerly located at Hanscom AFB and Rome Research Site moved to Wright-Patterson AFB under the DefenseBase Realignment and Closure, 2005 Commission.[72]
The Directorate has contributed significantly to theIntegrated Sensor is Structure (ISIS) project managed by DARPA which is a project to develop a missile tracking airship.[73] In June 2008, the Air Force announced that scientists working for the Sensors Directorate had demonstrated transparenttransistors. These could eventually be used to develop technologies such as "video image displays and coatings for windows, visors and windshields; electrical interconnects for future integrated multi-mode,remote sensing, focal plane arrays; high-speed microwave devices and circuits for telecommunications and radar transceivers; and semi-transparent, touch-sensitive screens for emerging multi-touch interface technologies."[74]
The mission of the Space Vehicles Directorate is to develop and transition space technologies for more effective, more affordable warfighter missions.[1] In addition to the Directorate headquarters at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico and an additional research facility at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, theHigh Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) located nearGakona, Alaska is also jointly operated by the Space Vehicles Directorate as well as DARPA, theOffice of Naval Research (ONR), theNaval Research Laboratory (NRL) and universities to conductionospheric research.[75] The current director is Col David Goldstein.[76] The Battlespace Environment Division formerly located at Hanscom AFB moved to a new Research lab facility at Kirtland AFB in 2011–2012 as directed under the DefenseBase Realignment and Closure, 2005 Commission.[72]
TheIBM RAD6000radiation hardenedsingle board computer, now produced byBAE Systems, was initially developed in a collaboration with the Space Electronics and Protection Branch andIBM Federal Systems and is now used on nearly 200 satellites and robotic spacecraft, including on the twinMars Exploration Rovers—Spirit andOpportunity.[77] In November 2005, the AFRLXSS-11 satellite demonstrator receivedPopular Science's "Best of What's New" award in the Aviation and Space category.[78] The Space Vehicles Directorate is also a leading collaborator in the Department of DefenseOperationally Responsive Space Office'sTactical Satellite Program and served as program manager for the development ofTacSat-2,TacSat-3, and is current program manager for the development ofTacSat-5.[79] They also have contributed experimental sensors toTacSat-4 which is managed by the NRL's Center for Space Technology.[80]
TheUniversity Nanosatellite Program, a satellite design and fabrication competition for universities jointly administered by theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), AFOSR, AFRL, and theSpace Development and Test Wing, is also managed by the Space Vehicles Directorate's Spacecraft Technology division.[81] The fourth iteration of the competition was completed in March 2007 with the selection ofCornell University'sCUSat as the winner.[82] Previous winners of the competition wereUniversity of Texas at Austin'sFormation Autonomy Spacecraft with Thrust, Relnav, Attitude, and Crosslink (FASTRAC) for Nanosat-3[83] and the joint3 Corner Satellite (3CS) project by theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder,Arizona State University andNew Mexico State University for Nanosat-2.[84] As of July 2008[update], only the 3CS spacecraft has launched,[85] however FASTRAC has a launch tentatively scheduled for December 2009.[86]
The Directorate has indirectly faced significant controversy over the HAARP project.[87] While the project claims to be developed only for studying the effects of ionospheric disruption on communications, navigation, and power systems, many suspect it of being developed as a prototype for a"Star Wars" type of weapon system.[88] Still others are more concerned with the environmental impact to migratory birds of beaming thousands of watts of power into the atmosphere.[89]
In 2020, the Space Vehicles Directorate announced the creation of a new Deployable Structures Laboratory (DeSel) focused on developing high-strength materials and satellite structures at Kirtland Air Force Base.[90]
the Air Force Cambridge Research Center (AFCRC) [had] recently developed methods for digital transmission of data over telephone lines [with] Digital Radar Relay (DRR)55 The DRR research, begun just afterWorld War II, took four years to complete. Its availability solved one of the many analog-to-digital conversion problems faced by the eventualSAGE.(Edwards footnote 55 cites Harrington p. 370)
Officials anticipate awarding up to three contracts for the project, where winners would compete for individual tasks of experiments and demonstrations that address technology, processes and other attributes of a reusable booster system, or RBS. Air Force officials envision an RBS that includes a reusable rocket and an expendable upper stage rocket. The reusable rocket would be launched vertically and return, landing aircraft style on a runway, after carrying the space craft to a point where the expendable rocket could take over.
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