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Air Force Research Laboratory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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).
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]
The laboratory is divided into 10 Tech Directorates (TDs) based on different areas of research.
AFRL 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.
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
- Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
- The Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory (AMOS) is managed by the Directed Energy Directorate.[4]
- 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]
- Fact sheets regarding the Directed Energy Directorate are available at http://www.kirtland.af.mil/afrl_de/factsheets/index.asp.
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH / Brooks City-Base, San Antonio, TX / Mesa Research Site, Mesa, AZ
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.[6]
- Rome, New York
- Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
The AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RX) formerly (AFRL/ML) develops materials, processes, and advanced manufacturing technologies for aerospace systems and their components.[7]
AFRL's Munitions Directorate, located at Eglin Air Force Base on northwest Florida's emerald coast, 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.
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH / Edwards AFB, CA
- Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
- Rome, NY
- Hanscom AFB, MA
AFRL/RV formerly AFRL/VS is based at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM.
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.
- ^ Air Force Research Laboratory. USAF.
- ^ http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=148
- ^ http://www.afosr.af.mil/AboutAFOSR/about_mission.htm
- ^ About AMOS. AFRL.
- ^ Lasers, microwave technology among AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate's works. AFRL.
- ^ http://www.he.afrl.af.mil/
- ^ AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. USAF.
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