Air Force Research Laboratory’s Post

Amanda Bullock Thank you for leading from the front. Properly implemented, Digital Engineering and cloud compute are demonstrating 2,000X+ analytical velocity boost. Together they make the very most of the available time. And they are also demonstrating the ability to inform larger factions of our services’ TOAs and accelerate tech adoption by the services. These approaches are also more complicated so teaming between government and industry is vital! We’re putting to work many of the lessons have boosted the bottom line of the numerous cloud service providers and commercial users the past 10-15 years. Faster, Better and Cheaper is possible with DE and cloud compute.

Weaponozing EMSO data with digital engineering, AI/ML and cloud to edge architectures is just one method of achieving overmatch. We need to shift from dog fighting to “data fighting” #L3Harris #EW #DiSCO #EMSO #AI #CognitiveEW

The USAF is at an inflection point, failing rapidly. It's a situation Eric and I have been writing about for years. Air Force leaders, from Secretary Kendall and Gen. Brown to predecessors including Gen. Goldfein have failed the service, prioritizing politics over warfighting acumen and readiness. Ask any Air Force pilot in almost any flight community. They do not fly enough to maintain currency let alone competency. None of this is unknown to Air Force and Pentagon leaders. Yet they do nothing about it, spending limited resources on research programs with no guarantee that they will ever come to fruition or produce aircraft or weapons in meaningful mass. The training pipeline for tactical pilots is hopelessly behind schedule and not improving despite money spent on programs to try to teach student pilots how to fly and fight aircraft in simulation. Meanwhile Air Force resources continue to be wasted on social engineering nonsense that is tearing the service apart and consuming part of its limited resources. But leadership presses on with this disgusting folly without being held accountable. A wholesale change in Pentagon leadership needs to happen very soon or our military will be nothing but a rapidly shrinking paper tiger. https://lnkd.in/e89cEEqs

Life Cycle Industry Days (LCID) is off to a great start! As an industry partner, our very own Kurt Grafton, MBA had the privilege of attending Day 1 of the 9th Annual LCID. Lieutenant General Donna D. Shipton, AFLCMC commander, opened the event with an inspiring address, emphasizing her vision for driving innovation and excellence through strong industry partnerships. She highlighted the importance of collaboration between the Dayton region, DC Jobs Ohio, and the Air Force to support the mission of acquiring and sustaining superior warfighting capabilities. Lieutenant General David A. Harris, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, followed with insights into the future direction of the Air Force. He highlighted the need for integration and interoperability, aligning forces, wings, and training to prepare for potential conflicts with great power competitors. His address focused on developing tools and training for airmen to ensure a competitive edge with agility, speed, and intelligence, while fostering a collaborative approach across all commands and services. General Duke Richardson, Commander of Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), introduced critical initiatives, underscoring the need for collaboration across the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). Key points included the creation of the Integrated Capabilities Command (ICC) and Integrated Development Office (IDO) to streamline technology transitions, and the establishment of three new system centers: Air Force Information Dominance System Center, Air Force Nuclear Systems Center, and Air Force Air Dominance System Center. These centers aim to enhance focus and integration across the Air Force. LSA Digital is excited and ready to engage with these transformative initiatives. Our team is equipped to support the Air Force in achieving these critical goals through our expertise in digital transformation, agile enterprise architecture, and integrated IT solutions. We are looking forward to the matchmaking events and the exciting speakers and topics over the next two days. #AFLCMC #AFRL #AFMC #ICC #LifeCycleIndustryDay #Innovation #Collaboration #AirForce #LSADigital

The U.S. Air Force in recent years placed a $20 billion bet on the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) “family of systems” to ensure control of the air in a future conflict—a core mission increasingly challenged by Chinese fifth-generation fighters and ground-based air defenses.

"When it comes to the technical muscle behind emerging Air Force technology, when Fookes speaks, people listen." Mr. Robert Fookes recently spoke at the grand opening of the University of Dayton's Digital Transformation Center (DTC) about the DAF's commitment to outpacing our adversaries through investment in digital tools and transformation. The state-of-the-art facility, designed to bring together #technology leaders across defense, government, academia, and industry, is a massive step towards a digital-first, agile, and accelerated Air Force. Thanks to leaders like Mr. Fookes and General Richardson, we are building positive momentum to dominate in the digital age. https://lnkd.in/gZBHzrrg

New case study reveals how the U.S. Army's 18th Airborne Corps developed the capability to increase targeting efficiency—rivaling the best in recent history—with 2,000 fewer soldiers. In "Building the Tech Coalition," Emelia Probasco examines lessons learned on how to integrate tech quickly and make it work for military needs. I really liked the discussion of the following points: 1. The critical role of "trilingual" leaders fluent in tech, operations, and acquisition 2. The game-changing value of embedding engineers with operators 3. The necessity of flexible contracting and rapid iteration The paper offers actionable recommendations for the DOD to foster similar innovations with real operational impact. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eXyqU4ds

Another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is significantly shaping the future of defense and technology. What other areas will be affected and how is your investment portfolio structured to benefit? Time to rebalance? DM to set a time to review goals and strategy. #artificialintelligence #AItechnology #AIstockgrowth

NRL has a long history of developing technology that provides situational awareness in any environment: from the seafloor to outer space! NRL’s ongoing research has unlocked the world’s best forecasting, sensing, and wayfinding technologies. These continuing breakthroughs profoundly shape U.S. military strategy as well as civilian life. Read more about NRL’s contributions in this edition of Future Force magazine! https://lnkd.in/e9RTHCp6

The outcomes have been fantastic...largely because of great leadership. This story would not have the same ending without that. It's worth noting, that the Maven Smart System and derivative capabilities were built under the auspices of USDI and JHU/APL years prior to their introduction to the 82d. This was not a new tech innovation... this was a proven system that was in 'limbo' until it was discovered by an operational cadre. I think this is important to note, for the most important artifact of successful tech implementation is IMAGINATION! When a warfighting community can 'see' their operations enhanced through tech...it works like a champ. This was the magic link in this case. The leaders/warfighters 'saw the light' for their warfighting challenges... and did something about it. If leaders/communities/units expect some 'dudes from Silicon Valley' to fix their warfighting challenges for them, they will be disappointed. While much is made of the acquisition challenges the DoD presents, the real missing link is the voice of functional warfighting experts who can describe process and outcomes...THEN bring in tech to make it happen. Sigh... imagine if we were already doing this at scale across all of our functional domains. Maven proves this is readily done if we pick up the baton. When we can say this...we will be (even more) unstoppable.