Prototyping

Abstract

The Prototyping project enables demonstration of emerging technologies in an operational environment to determine and evaluate the completive advantage against our adversaries and how the technology is integrated into the future fight. Lifecycle Prototyping investments focus on three major thrusts (1) advancing capabilities of legacy weapon systems, (2) militarizing novel mature commercial technologies, and (3) exploring partnerships with Department of the Air Force Program Executive Officers to rapidly transition technologies that are being developed as part of the Department of Air Force Vanguard programs. Prototype project investments that advance capabilities of legacy weapon systems focus on kinetic energy effectors for base defense and expeditionary employment operations, a multi-source resilient Position Navigation and Timing pod, and software defined electronic warfare and communication capabilities. Prototype projects that seek to militarize novel mature commercial technologies will focus on artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber warfare capabilities, digital engineering, and novel weapon and aircraft technologies. Finally, prototype projects that explore partnerships will invest in risk reduction activities in partnership with the Department of the Air Force Program Executive Officers assigned to each of the Department of the Air Force Vanguard Programs to ensure rapid and seamless transition of Science and Technology into warfighting capabilities. The NC3 Commercial Development/Prototyping project advances and extends the tech transitions from a previous and successful prototyping effort called Global Lightning. Under NC3 Commercial Development/Prototyping communication terminals will be prototyped with full multi-vendor, multi-orbit, multi-band capability, achieve the ability to switch between constellations seamlessly, and extend this capability to a new class of Department of Defense and Department of the Air Force missions specified by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The effort will also Prototype a capability that allows dynamic switching between these paths, and/or sharing of the data stream across multiple paths to create a highly-resilient communication architecture against all major adversary threats. Under this effort, terminals will be prototyped and tested on eight types of AF air platforms and additional platforms across the other domains. The effort will then work with the Program Executive Offices to achieve tech transition of the terminals across the full fleet, and to secure commercial agreements to tech transition the operational services through the United States Space Force Program Executive Offices. (Additional details available through proper channels). the Operational Energy thrust seeks to improve operational efficiency for aircraft and logistics systems through focused prototyping. These efforts include drag reduction improvements to legacy aircraft and advancement of planning and scheduling tools. Operational energy software development, test, and deployment includes feature improvement operational tools, enablement of data analytics for decision advantage, and prototyping of new applications to improve mission effectiveness and energy intensity of operations. Operational energy efforts support technology development that aims to optimize Mobility Air Forces allocation and long range planning, unit readiness, and tactical and operational cargo planning processes. Operational energy efforts allow modeling and simulation to help DOD members understand the energy effects of decisions and the impacts on the total force, enabling better decision making and a more proactive energy posture

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Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2023
Source ID
645351_0604858F_4_3600_PB_2023

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Military Science and Technology Research and Modernization.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy
  • Cyber
  • Microelectronics
  • Space

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