Emerging Technologies at the Air Force

Technology leaders across the Department of Defense (DoD) are looking for new ways to support the DOD mission, improve enterprise business operations and reduce costs and burdens on IT personnel.

To these ends the Air Force is looking to develop, pilot and deploy several emerging technologies and approaches, including fog and edge computing, blockchain, quantum information sciences, and 5G and sensor-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) capabilities.

Here are just a handful of examples that are in-process or funded in the Air Force’s FY 2023 Research Development Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget.

Fog and Edge Computing

• The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is investigating solutions in Fog and Edge computing that focus on: Human Computer Interfaces; Energy Efficient Computing and Architectures for Data Collection/Processing; and Collaborative Computing, Fusion and Networking. AFRL’s Transformational Capabilities Office (TCO) will conduct a virtual Solutions Meeting in the fall of 2022.

Blockchain

• The USAF’s Digital Blockchain Budgeting Accountability and Tracking (DiBaT) project has enlisted SIMBA Chain to develop a blockchain-based system for tracking and monitoring the USAF supply chain budget and fund movements across billing centers, purchasing teams and suppliers.
• Air Force used a $1.5M Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract for a COVID-19 Blockchain Approach for Supply Chain Additive Manufacturing Parts (BASECAMP) prototype.

Quantum Information Science

• The Air Force has $8.4M in its FY 2023 R&D budget for the Quantum Information Science project researching processing on a single quantum photonics processor chip with photon sources.
• The Air Force plans $44M for FY 2023 for R&D on photonics, optoelectronics, new classes of high-temperature superconductors, and other technologies under the Complex Electronics and Fundamental Quantum Processes project.

Internet of Things (IoT)

• The AFRL is seeking to develop wearable devices that can continuously monitor individuals’ stress and fatigue in real-time—and wearables to counter those strains. AFRL intends to fund $23M for this initiative over the next 5 years, with its selected industry partner needing to match that amount.
• The Air Force seeks $30M in FY 2023 for research into systems to perform blind data discovery associated with the IoT Cyber Offense Technologies.
• Tyndall Air Force Base is the first base to utilize a Verizon’s 5G ultra wideband network, enabling potential future uses of augmented and virtual reality, autonomous vehicles and the ability to stream massive amounts of data to aircraft, utilizing data platforms, sensors and aircrafts’ onboard systems.

To achieve its varied operational objectives, the Air Force will continue to seek industry innovation and support. As these and other similar initiatives mature and produce favorable outcomes, expect the Air Force to build on them with additional research efforts and demonstration pilots.