Air Force Research Laboratory
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| Established: | October, 1997 |
| Commander: | Maj Gen Curtis Bedke |
| Vice-Commander: | Col David Glade |
| US Military Budget: | $1.8 billion (2006) |
| Employees: | 4,200 civilian 1,200 military (2006) |
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force dedicated to the development of warfighting technologies.[1] The AFRL headquarters is at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The laboratory was created in October 1997 through the consolidation of four former Air Force laboratories and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
[edit] Mission Statement
AFRL's published mission statement is:
- AFRL's mission is leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for America's aerospace forces. It is a full-spectrum laboratory, responsible for planning and executing the Air Force' science and technology program. AFRL leads a worldwide government, industry and academia partnership in the discovery, development and delivery of a wide range of revolutionary technology. The laboratory provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping our air, space and cyberspace forces the world's best. [2]
[edit] Directorates
The laboratory is divided into 10 Tech Directorates (TDs) based on different areas of research.
[edit] Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Arlington, Virginia
- London, United Kingdom
- Tokyo, Japan
AFRL's contribution to research is "by investing in basic research efforts for the Air Force in relevant scientific areas."[3] This is done with private industry and academia, as well as with organizations in the United States Department of Defense and AFRL.
AFOSR's research is organized into three scientific directorates: the Aerospace, Chemical, and Material Sciences Directorate, the Mathematics, Information, and Life Sciences Directorate, and the Physics and Electronics Directorate.[4] Each directorate funds research activities which it believes will enable the technological superiority of the USAF.
AFOSR also maintains two foreign technology offices located in the UK and Japan. These overseas offices coordinate with the international scientific and engineering community to allow for better collaboration between the community and Air Force personnel.
[edit] Air Vehicles Directorate
[edit] Directed Energy Directorate
- Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
- Maui, Hawaii
- White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
The mission of the Directed Energy Directorate is to perform research in the areas of high-energy laser and high-power microwave technologies with a goal of developing new applications for use by the Air Force.
The Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland Air Force Base is operated by a division of the Directed Energy Directorate, as is North Oscura Peak on White Sands Missile Range.[5] The Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory (AMOS) is managed by the Directed Energy Directorate.[6]
Notable projects worked on by the Directed Energy Directorate include the Airborne Laser project, also known as the Boeing YAL-1, and the "less-than-lethal" Active Denial System.
[edit] 711th Human Performance Wing
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Brooks City-Base, San Antonio, Texas
- Mesa Research Site, Mesa, Arizona
In March 2008, the Human Effectiveness Directorate was merged with the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine and the Human Performance Integration Directorate to form the 711th Human Performance Wing.[7] In its vision statement, the RH formerly HE directorate of AFRL includes the goals of "integrating personnel with systems technology," and "protecting the force." Towards fulfilling those goals, RH performs research to "define human capabilities, vulnerabilities, and effectiveness." One practical application of RH's work is ensuring the safety of ejection systems for pilots. RH has been working to protect airmen since 1931. Advanced manikins equipped with numerous sensors are used to establish injury thresholds and stress tolerances necessary for the design and implementation of aircraft and their systems. With the increasing number of females in the Air Force ranks, anthropometry is of greater import now than ever, and RH's WB-4 '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.[8]
[edit] Information Directorate
- Rome Research Site, Rome, New York
The mission of the Information Directorate is "to lead the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting information technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force." [9]
[edit] Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
The AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RX) formerly (AFRL/ML) develops materials, processes, and advanced manufacturing technologies for aerospace systems and their components.[10]
[edit] Munitions Directorate
- Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
AFRL's Munitions Directorate develops conventional munition technologies to provide the Air Force with a strong technology base upon which future precision air-delivered conventional munitions are developed to neutralize potential threats to the United States. With these goals in mind, the directorate is divided into three technology product divisions.
The Assessment and Demonstrations Division researches new computer analysis capabilities, develops models, and subsequently utilizes them to perform effectiveness analyses on advanced weapons concepts to determine optimum technology options for further development. It also conducts weapon demonstration projects, which integrate guidance and ordnance technologies with new weapon airframe and aircraft carriage techniques, to prove that the technology is mature and ready for transition.
The Advanced Guidance Division directs and conducts basic, exploratory, and advanced development research in seekers, algorithms, processors, and control loops for affordable air-to-air and air-to-surface conventional munitions and submunitions as well as exoatmospheric interceptors. Much of the technology focuses on autonomous precision-guided air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, with decreased susceptibility to countermeasures, improved weather performance, enhanced utility, and decreased cost.
The Ordnance Division researches, develops, and transitions ordnance technologies for application to air-delivered ordnance systems. These efforts span the entire life cycle of the technology from conceptual design through proof-of-principle evaluation, breadboard and brass-board testing, subsystem development, and component demilitarization. The technology emphasis is the development of ordnance for defeating mobile and armored targets, deeply buried underground targets, and aerial targets.
The directorate also has three support divisions. The Operations and Integration Division provides the directorate with well-conceived and executed business computing, human resource management, and business development services. The Financial Management Division manages the financial resources and the Procurement Division provides an in-house contracting capability.
[edit] Propulsion Directorate
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Edwards Air Force Base, California
The mission of the Propulsion Directorate is "to create and transition propulsion and power technology for military dominance of air and space." [11] The Propulsion Directorate has historically been the largest directorate within AFRL. Research areas range from experimental rocket propulsion to developing technologies used in the engines of the F-22 Raptor fighter.
At Edwards, the AFRL test area is located east of Rogers Lake.
[edit] Sensors Directorate
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
- Rome Research Site, Rome, New York
- Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
[edit] Space Vehicles Directorate
- Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
- Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
- Gakona, Alaska
The Space Vehicles Directorate serves as the Air Force's "Center of Excellence" for space research and development. It 's mission is to "develop and transition high pay-off space technologies supporting the warfighter while leveraging commercial, civil and other government capabilities to ensure America's advantage." [12] The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program located near Gakona, Alaska is also jointly operated by the Space Vehicles Directorate as well as other military research organizations and universities to conduct ionospheric research.
The division currently located at Hanscom AFB is scheduled to move to Kirtland AFB under the Defense Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 Commission. The realignment is scheduled to be completed once facilities have been built at Kirtland to support the division.
Some notable projects developed within the Space Vehicles Directorate include the XSS 11 and the TacSat-2 and TacSat-3. The University Nanosatellite Program [13], a satellite design and fabrication competition for universities, is also managed by the Space Vehicles Directorate.
[edit] History Office
The History Office of the AFRL is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The History Directorate is under the jurisdiction of the AFRL HQ. It employs three full time historians, an archivist, and a number of interns. The archives contain lab histories as well as histories of Wright-Pat lab facilities.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Air Force Research Laboratory. USAF.
- ^ Factsheets : Air Force Research Laboratory : Air Force Research Laboratory
- ^ http://www.wpafb.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9492
- ^ AFOSR Fact Sheet. AFRL.
- ^ Lasers, microwave technology among AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate's works. AFRL.
- ^ About AMOS. AFRL.
- ^ 711th Human Performance Wing. AFRL.
- ^ Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - Human Effectiveness
- ^ AFRL Information Directorate Overview. AFRL.
- ^ AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. USAF.
- ^ Introduction to Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate. AFRL.
- ^ AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate Fact Sheet. AFRL.
- ^ University Nanosatellite Program. AFRL.
[edit] External links
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