William Cooper’s Post

#ICYMI, AFRL's own AI Lead Dr. Amanda Bullock took part in a conversation with The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies discussing all things Digital Engineering! Learn more about this are of expertise and what it means for legacy and future systems alike by listening in. #AFResearchLab | #MitchelInstitute | #Collaboration | #DigitalEngineering

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

In a an increasingly complex age, the future of military operations lies in the seamless collaboration between humans and machines. At the Air Force Research Laboratory, we're pushing the boundaries of human-machine teaming, developing technologies that empower Airmen and Guardians to make faster, better, and more accurate decisions. #AFResearchLab | #HumanMachineTeaming | #AFRLTech |

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

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

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.

My favorite robot is getting an upgrade! The X-62 is a remarkable aircraft that can be flown by AI under human supervision. It’s about to become even more impressive with the addition of new sensors turning it into a testbed for autonomous systems designed to tackle the unpredictable messiness of the real world. Why is this so important? Sensing and understanding the world is a major challenge in robotics. AI that powers autonomous systems often struggles with unexpected situations—things designers can’t always foresee or plan for. Think about how many times you’ve approached a construction zone and found yourself not quite sure of what to do? We need autonomy that can adapt to unexpected situations. Equipping the X-62 with sensors opens the door to research and experimentation in AI’s ability to perceive and act in complex, safety-critical aviation environments. Closer to my research, this makes X-62 a prime testbed to explore how autonomous systems can best team with people in uncertain and complex environments. What should you do if both you and your robot teammate are inevitably uncertain about the environment? This is an excellent step forward for research and experimentation of AI in aviation! Now is the time to plan for collaborations with industry and academia to best leverage this incredible platform.

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