UPDATED Research Areas_12Nov2024.pdf

RESEARCH AREA 1 – MODELING, SIMULATION, & ANALYSIS (MS&A)

The objective of this work is to develop/modify and employ models used to analyze Air Superiority concepts and their related concepts of employment. The objective is to apply, modify and/or combine engineering, engagement (one-on-one), mission (few-on-few), systems-of-systems, campaign (many-on-many, military worth), level modeling techniques, tools, and analysis methods as well as virtual and constructive digital simulation which lend themselves to the quick and effective evaluation of air superiority concepts. Concepts include, but are not limited to, intercommunicative weapons, novel damage mechanisms, lethal and novel destruct mechanisms, multiple targeting, and time critical delivery. Detailed modeling includes, but is not limited to, sensors, aerodynamics, autopilots, navigation and guidance schemes, propulsion, warheads, fuzes, datalinks, fire control, launcher, suspension, carriage and release, error filters, environment (wind, fog, and dust), lethality, vulnerability, and threats.

Missile Performance MS&A may also include the following topics: dynamic and easy to render simulation output visualization with all entities playing, distributed interactive simulations, rapid pintle nozzle and aerospike modeling, rapid modeling of solid rocket motors quickly using scaling laws and rules of thumb for concept development and rapid trade studies, accurate hypersonic high-angle-of-attack aerodynamics coefficients, aerodynamic derivatives due to body motion, design and modeling of articulated nose, effects of plume on aerodynamic forces and moments, innovative and rapid approaches for wind tunnel aero data reduction and display, modelling of thermal stresses due to high temperature gradients between skin and inside structure, modelling of advanced control systems such as autopilot, modelling of unconventional control surfaces such as wraparound fins or grid fins, efficient lower-order emulations of complex control systems, modelling of products of inertia, modelling of continuous changes in mass and inertia properties.

Scenario development and visualization at each level of MS&A is also sought. Additionally, environmental factors that influence a weapons performance can be considered. This can include but not be limited to collaborative simulation environments and Anti-Access Area-Denial (A2AD) type environments, scenario generation and infrastructure simulation common to environments that weapons may operate in.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

DoD needs will also be considered.

Technical POC: Marshall Foley Technical POC: Sheli Plenge

AFRL/RWI AFRL/RWIA

(850) 882-5151 850-882-6577 marshall.foley@us.af.mil sheli.plenge@us.af.mil mailto:marshall.foley@us.af.mil mailto:sheli.plenge@us.af.mil

RESEARCH AREA 2 – INNOVATIVE AIRCRAFT INTEGRATION TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to design, develop, and demonstrate innovative aircraft integration technologies including but not limited to physical, electrical, and logical interfaces; and other aspects of aircraft integration that may be applicable.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

DoD needs will also be considered.

Technical POC: Marshall Foley Technical POC: Sheli Plenge

AFRL/RWI AFRL/RWIA

RESEARCH AREA 3 –FIND-FIX-TARGET-TRACK (F2T2) & DATALINK TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to design, develop, and demonstrate innovative Find, Fix, Target, and Track

(F2T2) technologies for the detection of threats to aircraft. These F2T2 technologies should provide threat warning, threat characteristics, You Are The One (YATO) or You Are Not The One (YANTO) discrimination, highly accurate threat cueing, range and range rate, and other pertinent information required to analyze and coordinate a response to a threat. Additional F2T2 technologies of interest include small data link terminals suitable for air-to-air missiles, conformal data link antennas, alternative waveforms, and applications of data links to support air-to-air missile swarming. Consider each topic from either the perspective of communication to/from a shooter platform, another missile, or other third party information source.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 4 – ENGAGEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to design, develop, and demonstrate an innovative Engagement Management system to maximize aircraft survivability in increasingly contested environments while mining false positives and engagement costs. These technologies should interface with aircraft and other Find-Fix-Target-Track

(F2T2) systems, determine the optimum counter measure response(s), respect keep-out or no-fire zones, and make other decisions required for aircraft survivability. These technologies may require limited aircrew supervision or may be autonomously operated.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 5 – HIGH VELOCITY FUZING

The objective of this work is to design, develop, and demonstrate high velocity fuzing, including Electronic

Safe and Arm (ESAF) technologies that can safely initiate a warhead, Target Detection Devices (TDDs) and Guidance Integrated Fuzing (GIF) devices that can provide miniaturized, fast-responding, highly accurate range, and location information for high closure velocity intercepts for both slow- and fast- moving

Targets of Interest (TOI).

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 6 – MISSILE ELECTRONICS

The objective of this work is to investigate all aspects of Missile Power & Electronics as it applies to air-to-air missiles. The following technologies and research areas are of particular interest: Power Conversion and Distribution, Power Generation and Storage Technologies (Advanced Missile Battery Technology and

Ultracapacitors), Guidance Electronics, and Thermal Management.

The challenge with state-of-the-art power management approaches is the large amount of volume required for missile power conversion electronics. RWIA is interested in technologies to enable miniaturization of missile power electronics components, topologies, and associated packaging methods. These technologies can improve performance and internal packaging efficiency for a compact Counter Air (CA) missile.

RWIA is interested in development of technologies to improve the energy density and power density of batteries to meet the challenges posed by the modernization of weapons and the increasing complexity of mission requirements. Increasing power requirements for evolving weapons and missile systems is driving the need for efficient energy storage systems with both high energy and power densities.

RWIA is additionally interested in high energy and power density ultracapacitor technologies for use in weapons and missile systems; affordable high performance missile guidance electronics technology designed to support small form factor medium-range A-A weapons; and active and passive thermal management technologies focused on high density electronic power dissipation with reduced volume and weight allowing increased time-of flight.

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RESEARCH AREA 7 – MISSILE GUIDANCE AND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to investigate Missile Guidance and Control Technologies to include the following: Robust guidance algorithms against maneuvering targets, real time optimal lofting/energy management techniques, integrated guidance and control, reduced latency between seeker measurements and final control fin commands, highly accurate seeker technologies and algorithms, robust and novel target state estimators, third party queuing, optimal body orientation at endgame encounter, (reinforcement learning-adaptive control) approach, simultaneous learning and control, Hybrid (switched) guidance law selection based on the red-target strategy/maneuver, many-on-many engagement guidance laws, optimal pulse delay and propellant allocation, rapid flexible autopilot design process, robust control in aerodynamic cross coupling environments for various airframe designs from canard to tail control, robust control at high angles of attack, innovative autopilot architectures, efficient verification of safe separation over all flight regimes, Non-linear/adaptive control for agile maneuver, and advanced airframe control techniques.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 8 – ADVANCED WARHEAD TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to investigate all aspects conventional and conceptual munitions warhead technology as it relates to the destruction, damage, defeat, or denial of function of Targets of Interest

(TOI). Technologies and concepts are sought for a robust and affordable capability of air-launched munitions with maximum performance characteristics while complying with insensitive munitions requirements. Advanced weapons systems require that warheads survive under severe mechanical loading conditions and reliable initiation during endgame engagements to achieve performance goals.

Additionally, there is interest in specialized Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes, diagnostics equipment, live fire testing techniques, and other experimental methods for the development and validation of munition warhead capabilities. Technical interests related to warhead effectiveness are blast

(internal and external) damage, combined damage (e.g. blast and fragment), human casualty, cumulative damage, debris damage, direct hit damage, fire (e.g. fuel, hydraulic fluid, component) damage, fragment

(including hypervelocity jets/particles) damage, and High-Density Reactive Material (HDRM) damage.

There is also interest in miniature and micro warheads, multifunctional energetic materials and damage mechanisms, directional control and focused effects, selectable effects, and collateral damage control.

Approaches in all these areas are not to be limited to traditional nor classical blast-fragmentation effects.

Novel concepts of target defeat are encouraged to augment or replace the more traditional kinetic energy methods. Research and development of energetic materials that could increase overall warhead performance. Including new or advanced explosive formulations and characterization, Additive

Manufacturing of energetic materials, and high energy-rate fabrication advancement. Miniaturized fuzing technology, Electronic Safe and Arm Devices (ESAD) and Target Detection Devices (TDD) are also of interest (See Research Area 5).

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 9 – ADVANCED MISSILE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to investigate Advanced Missile Propulsion Technologies such as the following topics: Propellant Formulations, Grain Structures, Case Technologies, Ignition Safety Devices (ISD)

Concepts, Nozzle Technologies (Non-eroding, Pintle and Aerospike) and Multi-Pulse Motor Barriers. As missile systems get smaller, fitting the same or more complex functionality into these airframes becomes a significant challenge. Existing ignition safety device (ISD) solutions are purpose-built to meet the unique functional and interface requirements for larger air-to-air missile systems. RWIA is interested in an open architecture ISD system designed (IAW MIL-STD-1901A) to support future compact air-to-air missile systems. RWIA is interested in scalable technology in both physical size and ignition power requirements.

Advancements in propellant formulations and grain structures are key to the amount of energy available and the efficient use of that energy. RWIA is interested in high performance propellant formulation that range from no-smoke to fully smoky propellants. To be included are not just the formulation, but also the processing of any advance formulations and grain structure designs. As an example, RWIA is interested in understanding the impacts to both formulation and grain design if traditional USAF standards were relaxed.

RWIA is interested in technologies that are able to maintain the operating pressures of a rocket motor while reducing mass to increase the performance, as well as non-eroding throat technology utilizing advanced material (metallic inserts, ceramics, etc.) able to perform in severe environments such as high stagnation temperatures and pressures, abrasive propellants (high aluminum content) and high stress/strain.

RWIA is additionally interested in pintle technology that would decrease the associated parasitic mass and improve motor performance; aerospike technology that can maximize CAS volume, increase performance and increase TRL; and scalable technology to reduce parasitic weight caused by multi-pulse thermal barriers and associated ignition systems.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 10 – CONTROL ACTUATION SYSTEMS

The objective of this work is to investigate advanced missile flight control systems. Efficient control of the missile flyout reduces the burden on other systems. Topics include miniaturized actuators, high speed actuation systems, low cost control actuation technologies, articulating missile radomes, folding fin concepts suitable for high speed missiles, and advanced airframe control technologies.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 11 – MISSILE CARRIAGE AND RELEASE TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to investigate high density carriage concepts for weapon bay applications to include the carriage and release of future lug-less munitions. Topics of interest include weapon racks that use innovative carriage and ejection technologies capable of carrying and releasing multiple small missiles, and mixed loads of air-to-air missiles. Technologies of interest also include high data rate aircraft to weapon communications, pod architecture, and aircraft to weapon power conversion and distribution systems. Other topics of interest include blind mate or recessed aircraft to weapon or rack to weapon connectors.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 12 – MISSILE TEST AND EVALUATION TECHNOLOGIES

The objective of this work is to investigate all technology aspects relevant to Air-to-Air missile test and evaluation (T&E). Interest in this research area ranges from miniaturizing existing technologies that could be used in testing of future generations of small missiles to exploring advanced, breakthrough technologies that could ease missile testing complexities or allow for better data collection. Examples of missile T&E technologies of interest include the following: approaches to encrypted telemetry that reduce the logistic burden of current encrypted telemetry systems; autonomous flight termination systems that eliminate the need for onboard flight termination receivers/antennas (while allowing range safety personnel flexibility regarding day-of-test limitations); miniaturized and/or higher power missile tracking beacons; miniaturized explosive initiation modules; dual missile tracking technologies capable of providing independent tracking sources to range safety personnel for air-to-air missiles; and warhead compatible, range safety compliant, telemetry/flight termination systems.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address

RESEARCH AREA 13 – Artificial Intelligence/Autonomy and Machine Learning

The objective of this work is to design, develop, and demonstrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine

Learning (ML) capability that will facilitate a swarm of Networked Collaborative and Autonomous weapon systems. Technology must demonstrate the ability to reconcile prescribed targets within a dynamic battlespace.

Artificial Intelligence is the field of developing computers and robots that are capable of behaving in ways that both mimic and go beyond human capabilities. AI-enabled programs can analyze and contextualize data to provide information or automatically trigger actions without human interference. Machine learning is a pathway to artificial intelligence. This subcategory of AI uses algorithms to automatically learn insights and recognize patterns from data, applying that learning to make increasingly better decisions.

Deep learning, an advanced method of machine learning, goes a step further. Deep learning models use large neural networks — networks that function like a human brain to logically analyze data — to learn complex patterns and make predictions independent of human input.

Utilization of the proposed technology for the development of an integrated weapon concept that address