INSIDE AIR FORCE
INNOVATION

• The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program tests, develops and implements new autonomous teaming concepts to modernize the Air Force’s fleet. A single-manned fighter could control a large number of collaborative aircraft, or drones, as a way to optimize their capability and lethality. 

• Currently in development, the F-47 will be the Air Force’s most-advanced fighter jet and the world’s first sixth-generation crewed aircraft. With longer range, more advanced stealth and higher sustainability, these aircraft will change the future of combat.

• While new sixth-generation aircraft are in development, the Air Force is upgrading its fifth-generation F-35s and F-22s. Better sensors will allow more precise enemy detection from farther distances while stronger stealth technology will ensure our aircraft remains undetected. 

As technology continues to evolve, the landscape of combat will too. With expert partnerships and tenacious curiosity, the Air Force won’t react to change, it will charge ahead of it and remain air dominant.

• In partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) the U.S. Air Force successfully tested the first dogfight between an AI-controlled jet and a pilot-manned jet. While human pilots were on board the AI-powered jet, they didn’t need to intervene at any point. The learnings from this test will help influence how AI is used in the air.

   

• The Air Force is using a series of capstone events to test how AI can be implemented into future battle management operations. As modern battlefields become more complex, the ability to distill vast amounts of intelligence into actionable orders is critical. AI gives battle managers the insights they need to make those orders. 

   

• Airmen are utilizing AI to help them monitor and counter cyber threats. Security Operations Centers frequently experience data overload, including alerts that end up being false positives.

Utilizing and experimenting with AI in a secure environment will help the Air Force tailor its uses for specific roles across aviation, battle management, cybersecurity and more.

• The Air Force Test Pilot School based out of Edwards Air Force Base in California has partnered with Stanford University to prepare its future test leaders for the rapid advancement of AI, data-driven systems and autonomous technologies. The collaboration is in-part delivered by Stanford’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Stanford Engineering Center for Global and Online Education.  

   

• The Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and Purdue University are working together to expand educational opportunities for Airmen to pursue their Masters of Public Health degree online. This partnership gives residents the flexibility to travel for their clinical rotations and explore more opportunities while earning their degree online. 

   

• Together, the Air Force and Massachusetts Institute of Technology run an AI accelerator to make fundamental advances in artificial intelligence to improve operations while addressing societal needs.

The Air Force has always been committed to providing its Airmen with top training. By collaborating with trusted institutions, the Air Force continues to sharpen its capabilities.

• The Flashing Indicator of Swimmer’s Health (FISH) is an underwater blood-oxygen monitor created to prevent Special Warfare Airmen from blacking out underwater.

   

• The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) created a wearable, non-invasive, electrolyte-detecting patch for Airmen that helps researchers understand hydration levels.

   

• High-Altitude, Low-Opening (HALO) parachute jumpers from Air Force Special Operations Command wear advanced headbands that measure vital signs including body temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation to prevent hypothermia and hypoxia during their jumps.

The further wearable technology advances, the more it will be able to respond to users’ needs in real time, optimizing Airmen’s performance wherever their missions take them.

• The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. With the brainpower of over 12,500 people working across nine different technology areas and 40 operations across the world, AFRL consistently pushes the boundaries of innovation.

   

• AFWERX is a directorate within AFRL dedicated to bringing the ingenuity of small businesses and start-ups to address challenges within the Air Force. By integrating civilian technologies into the Air Force’s capabilities and encouraging Airmen ingenuity, AFWERX drives faster adaptation.

   

• AFWERX regularly supports Hackathons alongside other organizations to foster innovation between government and industry leaders. Using real DOD data, scientists, coders and developers from all over are invited to develop and validate groundbreaking concepts.

By partnering with the sharpest minds around the nation, the Air Force pushes technology forward, not just for its own missions, but for everyone.