Head of Air Combat Command Tours AFRL

What kind of emerging, game-changing technologies are beingdeveloped at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) that are vital formeeting our warfighters’ needs?

Maj. Gen. William Cooley, AFRL commander (right), and Timothy Sakulich, AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Director (left), join other AFRL officials in welcoming Gen. James M. Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, during his recent visit to the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. U.S. Air Force photo/Spencer Deer.

That’s what Gen. James M. Holmes, head of Air CombatCommand, wanted to know during a recent visit. With AFRL Commander Maj. Gen.William Cooley as his guide, Holmes toured facilities at Wright-Patterson AirForce Base in three different areas: aerospace systems, materials and manufacturing,and the 711th Human Performance Wing. His three-day tour also included a tripto AFRL’s Information Directorate in Rome, New York.

Showcasing new technologies gave AFRL a chance todemonstrate how the lab is currently addressing some of the problems encounteredby warfighters in the field, as well as how it is implementing the Air ForceScience and Technology Strategy for 2030.

“To discuss our customers’ needs firsthand is a tremendousopportunity,” said Cooley. “We are very pleased to have this level of interaction.”Cooley explained further that collaboration with our operational counterpartsis critical to achieving AFRL’s mission. To develop and deliver technology thatmeets warfighters’ needs, “it’s very important for Air Force leaders tomaintain open lines of communication,” he said.

Meeting with researchers in the Aerospace SystemsDirectorate, Holmes was shown several technologies being developed, with muchof the work being done in partnership with private industry. For example,Holmes was briefed on the development of the XQ-58A Valkyrie, a multipurpose,low-cost drone that can be launched and recovered without a runway. The dronescan be launched in groups, and because they are relatively inexpensive, losingone would not adversely affect a mission.

As he visited the various Aerospace Systems Directoratelabs, Holmes had a chance to learn about several emerging technologies thatsupport the needs of warfighters, for example, using virtual reality to aid intraining aircraft maintenance crews. This is expected to result in a hugesavings in cost and time, as well as reduce the need for accessing the actualequipment that will eventually be serviced by the technician.

Perhaps one of the most imaginative technologies presentedto Holmes during his tour of the Aerospace Systems Directorate lab was “AgilityPrime,” a silent vertical lift capability that will be able to quietly andefficiently place troops and supplies in the field.

In Materials and Manufacturing, Holmes saw how additivemanufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, may soon become a mission-essentialtool, a critical response to an urgent need. Under development is the abilityto use additive manufacturing to “print” a replacement aircraft part in thefield. This ability will keep aircraft flying instead of on the ground waitingfor a part to arrive. Holmes was encouraged by the progress being made by thistechnology and expressed his desire to see the airworthiness certificationprocess for such parts move more quickly.

Arriving at the 711th Human Performance Wing, Holmes wasgreeted by wing commander Brig. Gen. Jim Dienst, who presented areas thatprovide medical education, training and research in support of Air Forceoperations. They visited the Ground Surgical Team Training Flight Line and theHigh Bay Trainers, both of which are key areas in the U.S. Air Force School ofAerospace Medicine. Holmes also learned about Operational Vision support to theKC-46, acoustics support to F-35 hardened aircraft shelters around the world,airman-machine teaming and more. “The work you are doing here is veryimportant,” Holmes said to the team after a discussion on personal recovery andsurvivability measures.

While at USAFSAM, Holmes also watched a live demonstrationof the human-rated centrifuge, which included real-time video of the fighterpilot inside experiencing nine Gs, or nine times the force of gravity. Thecentrifuge, which is the only one of its kind in the Department of Defense, isa safe environment for training aircrew members to withstand high G-forces,preventing vision loss and unconsciousness that can result from such forcesduring flight.

As he watched the live video stream, Holmes spoke about hisown experiences in the centrifuges. He mentioned that when instructors comparedhis videotaped trial to footage of his son’s, an F-16 pilot, they noted thatfather and son exhibited identical mannerisms and facial expressions.

As the commander of ACC, Holmes is in charge of keeping the entire U.S. Air Force combat-ready. This includes ensuring U.S. sovereignty during peacetime, as well as strategic air defense during war.

Source: US Air Force