Explore
Abstract
Explore engages traditional & non-traditional industry, government labs and academia through competitive opportunity calls to incubate transformational Science and Technology (S&T). Its strategy-informed construct works to uncover game-changing and leap-ahead technologies that address DAF future force priorities. Explore's three-step process identifies, invests in, and matures these technologies through 12-24 month feasibility studies and proof of concept activities. The technology areas are identified through concept decomposition, horizon-scanning, and broad competitive calls to the nation's best and brightest innovators in industry, academia, government, non-profits, and other non-traditional partners. Promising technologies are accelerated through aggressive, short duration applied research and development efforts. These efforts assess operational viability and demonstrate feasibility of transformational warfighter capabilities, including their associated business and use cases. To do this, a variety of approaches are used including modeling and simulation, military utility experimentation, exercise participation, technical analysis, technology/concept maturation, risk reduction activities, and subject matter expertise input. Explore informs future areas of research and aids in identifying emerging technologies which could enable larger advanced technology development capability investments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 336fbe8ff4625c339693f14ae232cdf1