Technology Horizons: Vision for Air Force 2010-2030 Capabilities - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Headquarters U.S. Air Force Technology Horizons: Vision for Air Force 2010-2030 Capabilities Enabled by Science & Technology Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm (Former) Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force AF/ST, Headquarters Air Force Air Force Pentagon (4E130) Washington, D.C. AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 1

The Air Force is Critically Dependent on Science & Technology Advances Stealth / LO Advent of manned flight Long-endurance ISR Global positioning Supersonic flow Communications Modeling & simulation Precision strike Gas turbine engine High-power lasers Night attack ICBMs Directed energy Aerial refueling Hypersonics High-speed flight Space launch Space ISR Blended wing-body Unmanned systems Rocket flight Cyber operations Long-range radar 5th-gen fighters 2

Ten Technical Directorates Comprise the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Materials & Energy Manufacturing AFOSR Munitions Space Vehicles Human Air Vehicles Sensors Effectiveness Information Propulsion AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 3

Total Annual Air Force S&T Enterprise Amounts to $4.5B/yr $1.9B Direct AFRL funds + $2.2B Customer funds + 324M Congress adds $4.5B total AFRL 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 Amounts shown are $2B/yr Air Force core funds; does not include $2B/yr customer funds AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 4

USAF S&T Core Investment Distribution Across Air, Space, and Cyber Domains Cyber Domain 24% $541M $862M (core) Air Domain (core) $566M 46% (core) Space Domain 30% Nearly one-quarter of all Air Force S&T investment now goes into the cyber domain AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 5

U.S. Air Force “Technology Horizons” SecAF / CSAF Tasking Letter Terms of Reference (TOR) 6

Overview of Air Force S&T Visions 7 1 3 6 Technology New World Toward New Project Vistas Horizons Horizons Forecast (1995) (1945) (1964) (2010) High-impact studies 2 4 5 Woods Hole New Project Summer Study Horizons II Forecast II (1958) (1975) (1986) Low-impact studies 2010+ 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 n “Technology Horizons” is the next in the succession of major S&T vision studies conducted at the Headquarters Air Force level that define key S&T investments over the next 10-20 years AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 7

10+10 Technology-to-Capability Process Cross-Domain Air STEP 1 1 STEP 2 2 Future U.S. Space 10-Years-Forward 10-Years-Forward Capabilities Science & Technology Capabilities Cyber Projection Projection S&T Resulting Potential Capabilities Advances Capabilities Adversary Today in 10 Years in 20 Years Capabilities (2010) (2020) (2030) Cyber 10-Years-Back 10-Years-Back U.S. Science & Technology Counter-Capability Counter- Space Investment Need Technology Need Capabilities STEP 4 4 STEP 3 3 Air Cross-Domain “10+10 Technology-to-Capability” process gives a deductive 20-year horizon view 8

Air Force S&T Vision for 2010-2030 from “Technology Horizons” AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 9

Dramatically Increased Use of Highly Adaptable Autonomous Systems n Capability increases, manpower efficiencies, and cost reductions are possible through far greater use of autonomous systems n Increase in degree of autonomy and range of systems and processes where autonomous reasoning and control can be applied n Adaptive autonomy can offer time-domain operational advantages over adversaries using human planning and decision loops n S&T to establish “certifiable” trust in highly adaptible autonomous systems is a key to enabling this transformation n Potential adversaries may gain benefits from fielding such systems without any burden of establishing certifiable “trust in autonomy” n As one of the greatest beneficiaries of such autonomous systems, the Air Force must lead in developing the underlying S&T basis AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 10

Emerging Roles and New Concepts for Large and Medium Size UAVs n UAS moving beyond traditional surveillance and kinetic strike roles n Longer-endurance missions require high-efficiency engine technologies n In-flight automated refueling will be key for expanding UAS capabilities n May include ISR functions beyond traditional electro-optic surveillance n LO may allow ops in contested or denied (non-permissive) areas n Electronic warfare (EW) by stand-in jamming is a possible future role n Wide-area airborne surveillance (WAAS) is increasingly important n Directed energy strike capability is likely to grow (laser and HPM) n Civil uses include border patrol and interdiction, and humanitarian relief AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 11

UAS Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) n Aerial refueling of UAVs from USAF tanker fleet is essential for increasing range and endurance n Requires location sensing and relative navigation to approach, hold, and move into fueling position n Precision GPS can be employed to obtain needed positional information n Once UAV has autonomously flown into contact position, boom operator engages as normal n Key issues include position-keeping with possible GPS obscuration by tanker and gust/wake stability AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 12

Flight Testing of UAS AAR Algorithms n August 2006 initial flight tests of AFRL-developed control algorithms for automated aerial refueling n KC-135 with Learjet-surrogate UAS platform gave first “hands-off” approach to contact position n Subsequent positions and pathways flight test and four-ship CONOPS simulations successful n 120 mins continuous “hands-off” station keeping in contact position; approach from ½ -mile away n 12 hrs of “hands-off” formation flight with tanker including autonomous position-holding in turns n Position-holding matched human-piloted flight AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 13

High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unconventional Air Vehicle Systems n New unmanned aircraft systems (VULTURE) and airships (ISIS) can remain aloft for years n Delicate lightweight structures can survive low-altitude winds if launch can be chosen n Enabled by solar cells powering lightweight batteries or regenerative fuel cell systems n Large airships containing football field size radars give extreme resolution/persistence DARPA VULTURE HALE Aircraft Concept DARPA VULTURE HALE Aircraft Concept AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 14

Human Performance Augmentation and Training to Match Users w/ Technology n Natural human capacities are becoming increasingly mismatched to data volumes, processing capabilities, and decision speeds that are offered or demanded by technology n S&T to augment human performance will be needed to gain benefits of new technologies n May come from increased use of autonomous systems, improved man-machine interfaces, or direct augmentation of humans AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 15

Technologies to Enable Freedom of Operations in Contested Environments n S&T advances are needed in three key areas to enable increased freedom of operations in contested or denied environments n Basic and early applied research are needed to support development of these capabilities n Technologies for increased cyber resilience n e.g., massive virtualization, highly polymorphic networks, agile hypervisors n Technologies to augment or supplant PNT in GPS-denied environments n e.g., cold-atom (Bose-Einstein condensate) INS systems, chip-scale atomic clocks n Technologies to support dominance in electromagnetic spectrum warfare n e.g., dynamic spectrum access, spectral mutability, advanced RF apertures AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 16

Other Top Potential Capability Areas PCA19: Next-Generation High-Efficiency Turbine Engines PCA24: Directed Energy for Tactical Strike/Defense PCA27: Rapidly Composable Small Satellites PCA30: Persistent Space Situational Awareness AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 17

Laser/HPM Directed Energy Systems for Low Collateral Damage Strike USAF Chief Scientist Conducting ELLA n Laser-based directed energy systems approaching Integration Assessment in B-1B operationally useful power, size, and beam quality n Distinction between tactical DE (e.g., ATL in C-130) vs. strategic DE (e.g., ABL in B747) n Tactical-scale systems enabled ultra-low collateral damage strike and airborne self-defense n Technology path from COIL lasers to bulk solid state (e.g., HELLADS) to fiber lasers to DPALs n Demonstration path leads to airborne test (ELLA) North Oscura Peak (NOP) ELLA Flight Demonstration General White Sands Missile Range Atomics Unit Cells Textron 2010 2012 2017 AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 18

Volume 1 of “Technology Horizons” is Public Releasable AFA Presentation Public Releasable 25 Jun 2011 19

Dr. ¡Werner ¡J.A. ¡Dahm ¡ Director, ¡Security ¡& ¡Defense ¡Systems ¡Ini5a5ve ¡ Arizona ¡State ¡University ¡ 20 ¡