25 Aug 2021

AFRL’s Entrepreneur Opportunity Program turns people, ideas into new private sector businesses

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Entrepreneurial Opportunities Program is turning scientists and engineers into business owners to speed emerging technology to warfighters.

10 Aug 2021

AFRL designated as Quantum Information Science Research Center for Air, Space Force

This designation, signed by then Acting Secretary of the Air Force John P. Roth in an April 23 memorandum, gives AFRL the authority to achieve faster military capability based on quantum information science.

2 Aug 2021

AFRL’s drone killer, THOR will welcome new drone “hammer”

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate is seeking partners to build a new counter electronics weapon system, to defend against the ever increasing threat of adversarial drone activity.

18 Jul 2021

AFRL invites new science, technology ideas through Air Force, Space Force Tech Connect

On behalf of the Department, as one laboratory supporting two services, the Air Force Research Laboratory has developed the Air and Space Forces Science & Technology (S&T) Front Door, to connect potential partners with S&T experts and opportunities.

16 Jun 2021

AFRL’s THOR hammers drones in new video animation

The Air Force Research Laboratory has created a new video animation that realistically depicts a Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR, destroying swarms of enemy drones in a base defense scenario.

8 Jun 2021

AFWERX Agility Prime partners with Kitty Hawk in first medevac exercise with electric aircraft

AFWERX Agility Prime and new partner Kitty Hawk reached a milestone in May with their first operational exercise.

4 Jun 2021

Department of the Air Force announces fourth Vanguard program

Under the Rocket Cargo Vanguard, the Air Force Research Laboratory will lead a science and technology effort to determine the viability and utility of using large commercial rockets for Department of Defense global logistics, potentially expanding the portfolio of capabilities the USSF presents to combatant commanders.

5 May 2021

Air Force awards first airworthiness approval for human flight in electric aircraft program

The U.S. Air Force has awarded the first airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft to BETA Technologies, a partner in the AFWERX Agility Prime program.

26 Apr 2021

BATMAN team’s support of SBIR project increases combat survival potential

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided Knowledge team, referred to as BATMAN, lent its effort to the Air and Space Forces’ Small Business Innovation Research program to make a few former Airmen’s dreams come true and potentially deliver a needed survival radio charger to the warfighter.

5 Apr 2021

AFRL successfully completes XQ-58A Valkyrie flight and payload release test

This test, conducted in partnership with Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Area-I, demonstrated the ability to launch an ALTIUS-600 small, unmanned aircraft system, or SUAS, from the internal weapons bay of the XQ-58A.

2 Apr 2021

MIT partnership helps acquisition officer expand toolkit

The Department of the Air Force-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Artificial Intelligence Accelerator is helping acquisition professionals better understand AI and how to incorporate it into Air Force programs.

24 Mar 2021

AFVentures releases annual report, details efforts to expand defense industrial base, fight COVID-19

AFVentures, the Department of the Air Force’s commercial investment group, has released its fiscal year 2020 annual report.

22 Mar 2021

AFWERX crowns 2021 Spark Tank winner

The Spark Tank event allows Airmen to offer improvements and solutions to the problems they face in everyday operations.

15 Mar 2021

AFRL exchange officer leads international space collaboration

Through the Department of Defense Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program, Capt. Jacob Singleton has been working with the Space Program at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, known as Dstl, for the U.K. Ministry of Defence since 2019.

11 Mar 2021

AFRL 'x-ray vision' tool to reduce costs, time for 3D part qualification

The Air Force Research Laboratory, in partnership with the Materials Solutions Network at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source of Cornell University, has developed a tool that can look directly inside of and instantaneously inspect the structure of composite components while they are being manufactured. This new technology uses a combination of phase contrast imaging and micro-beam scanning to produce real-time X-ray scattering images of the component during and post production. The process is expected to save the Air Force millions of dollars in qualification and certification of composite parts used in advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite systems.