Aerospace Systems Directorate Dr. Doug Blake Director Aerospace Systems Directorate Air Force Research Laboratory
2
United States Air Force Mission The Mission of the United States Air Force is to Fly, Fight, and Win In Air, Space, and Cyberspace The first essential of air power is preeminence in Research. - General Henry Hap Arnold 3
Air Force Research Laboratory Employees Civilian Military Total 5,827 79% 21% S&Es 3,455 80% 20% Kirtland AFB, NM Space Vehicles Directed Energy Wright-Patterson AFB, OH AFRL HQ 711 Human Performance Wing Sensors Aerospace Vehicles Materials and Manufacturing Mission LEADING the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force. Rome Research Site, NY Information Arlington, VA Office of Scientific Research S&E Education 20% B.S. 33% Ph.D. Eglin AFB, FL Munitions 47% M.S. 4
AFRL: Fueling the World s Greatest Air Force Revolutionary Technology to make and keep the fight unfair Game Changing Technologies Relevant To near & mid-term AF needs Service Core Functions Providing technical solutions for critical capability gaps Responsive To the right-now Rapid Innovation The World s Greatest Air Force Powered by Airmen, Fueled by Innovation Air Force Vision 2013 5
AFRL Technical Directorates & Competencies AF Office of Scientific Research Aerospace, Chemical & Material Sciences Education & Outreach Mathematics, Information, & life sciences Physics & Electronics Aerospace Systems Air Vehicles Control, Power & Thermal Management High Speed Systems Space & Missile Propulsion Turbine Engines Directed Energy Directed Energy & EO for Space Superiority High Power Electromagnetics Laser Systems Weapons Modeling and Simulation Information Autonomy, C2, & Decision Support Connectivity & Dissemination Cyber Science & Technology Processing & Exploitation Human Performance Bio-effects Decision Making Human Centered ISR Training Munitions Fuze Technology Munitions AGN&C Munitions System Effects Science Ordinance Sciences Terminal Seeker Sciences Sensors Advanced Devices & Components Layered Sensing Exploitation Multi-Int Sensing (RF/EO) Spectrum Warfare Space Vehicles Space Electronics Space Environmental Impacts & Mitigation Space OE/IR Space Experiments Platforms & Operations Technologies Materials and Manufacturing Functional Materials & Applications Manufacturing & Industrial Technology Structural Materials & Applications Support for Operations 6
Aerospace Systems Directorate MISSION: to pioneer transformative aerospace technologies for our warfighters decisive advantage 7
Aerospace Systems Directorate Overview Established 1917 Wright-Patterson AFB, OH Established 1947 Established 2014 AEDC (RQHX), TN Edwards AFB, CA Technologies Liquid Rocket Engines Solid Rocket Motors Spacecraft Propulsion Technologies Aerodynamics & Structures Hypersonics Power & Thermal Control & Autonomy Turbine Engines/Novel Propulsion Fuels 8
Aerospace Systems Directorate Facilities RQ East Combined Environments Acoustic Chamber Vertical Wind Tunnel Small Engine Research Laboratory Thermal Mechanical Laboratory Trisonic Gasdynamics Facility Scramjet Combustor Research Integrated Energy and Power Management Lab Compressor Research Laboratory High Pressure Combustion Research Mach 6 Boundary Layer Dynamics Tunnel Aerospace Vehicles Technology Assessments & Simulation Laboratory (AVTAS) Power and Thermal Research Lab 9
Aerospace Systems Directorate Facilities RQ West Spacecraft Electric Propulsion Liquid Rocket Engine Solid Rocket Motors Washington D.C Size area. In-Space Chemical Propulsion Altitude Testing Capability 65 Square Miles at Edwards AFB 10
Game Changers Hypersonics Survivable, fast-flying Defeat deep-layered A2/AD strategies Directed Energy High Power Microwave alternative to kinetic weapons Lasers with air & ground selectable effects & reduced collateral damage Autonomy Decisions at speed of computing Self-awareness & troubleshooting intelligence Revolutionary technology to make and keep the fight unfair 11
Every game changer introduces increased complexity in software Staggering software complexity of autonomy Exponential LOC growth for aircraft Traditional test will require exorbitant time and money RAND: 11B miles, $6B, 500 yrs Why? Software failures are logical errors Simply increasing testing cannot address the full scope of V&V 12
Changing How We Fly and Fight Increasing Complexity of UAV and Autonomy Systems of air systems yield operational agility Unmanned Teaming Manned + Unmanned Teaming Now 0-5 Years Cooperative ISR Cooperative Strike Off-Board Sensing Next 5-15 Years Tactical Refueling Strategic Refueling Future 10-25 Years Distributed, Cooperative SEAD Def, Off Counter-Air Penetrating Strike Air-to- Ground Manned Platform Replacement Persistent ISR AirDrop AirLand DE Strike 13
We need Rapid, Verifiable, and Modular UAS and Autonomy Software Formal Methods are the First Principles of software Rigorous mathematical description Exhaustive test vs logical argument from facts Coupon test vs full-scale Not simple to retro-fit Complements and focuses testing Not a silver bullet DISTRIBUTION A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited (88ABW-2017-3661) Formal Methods can address many V&V challenges 14
Imagine a world Where software can be rapidly interchanged and reused without exhaustive testing Where the pedigree, trust, and assurance of sub-systems: Is leveraged from the beginning, even at basic research Where amazing algorithms that started as a concept; solving real operational problems in months not decades 15
Imagine a world Where code writes its own, reliable, cyber resilient code Where run time protections are baked in to every system, and autonomy is given the boundaries to expand capability without harming the very solders we protect Where heterogeneous fleets of low cost UAS driven by trusted autonomous software, saves billions by expanding the capability of our operational fleet 16
17
Questions 18