Category: Defense Intelligence

Source: United States Air Force

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) —  

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force’s Hispanic Empowerment and Action Team hosted its annual Hispanic Heritage Month conference Oct. 13 at the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, D.C.

This year’s theme, “Amplifying the Voices and Journeys of Hispanic and Latino Leaders across our Armed Forces,” aimed to empower Airmen and Guardians and showcased the spectrum of talent, experience and dedication within the DAF’s ranks.

From active duty enlisted to officer, civilian to senior executive service, and Guard to Reserve, the event drew more than 160 members from across the DAF and even saw participation from members of sister services.

The conference underscored key HEAT messages — including the opportunity for success within the DAF, the possibility for everyone to reach their highest potential, and an open acknowledgment of existing challenges — all while emphasizing the resilience of the DAF Hispanic and Latino community and their collective drive to surpass any challenges.

“While it’s true that the U.S. Air Force and Space Force have been immensely successful, that very success has inadvertently led many in the Hispanic and Latino community to perceive a career with the DAF as out of reach,” said Col. Angel Santiago, HEAT co-lead. “It’s essential to shatter such misconceptions. A fulfilling career in the DAF isn’t just attainable, it’s waiting for those who seek it. I urge our Hispanic and Latino Airmen and Guardians to continue to explore the myriad of opportunities that are available and embark on a journey defined by renewed purpose and vision.”

The conference also highlighted the achievements and initiatives of the HEAT. The team turned over all HEAT co-leads and over 80% of their line-of-effort leads by June 2023, and networking efforts saw the HEAT co-leads meet with national institutions and organizations such as Excelencia in Education, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Members also participated in events like the League of United American Citizens annual conference and briefed Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference.

Santiago said the HEAT’s outreach has been exemplary, and Facebook engagement showed significant growth, with a notable increase in membership and chapters being established across the DAF.

The HEAT’s FY 24 plans include the development of standard operating procedures, a transition plan, and the establishment of a HEAT website, among other objectives. The team’s emphasis is on fostering community and ensuring that Hispanic and Latino voices are represented, and their concerns addressed.

Santiago said overcoming language barriers is one of the group’s major initiatives. Efforts are in place to provide time extensions for English as a second Language test-takers, establish English language training solutions, and foster collaboration with the Pacific Islander/Asian American Community Team on related topics.

Furthermore, the HEAT has been fervently working on education, awareness and recruitment. Successful recruiting events were held in diverse regions such as Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C. and New York. In tandem with the Recruiting Squadron and Squadron Officer School, plans are afoot to roll out a targeted recruitment program.

Lastly, HEAT has placed great emphasis on mentorship, professional development and retention, including initiatives to amend the race and ethnicity identification process and expand mentorship opportunities for Reserve Officer Training Corps and U.S. Air Force Academy cadets.

This year’s conference not only celebrated the rich heritage and contributions of Hispanic and Latino members, but also laid down a robust roadmap for the future, promising more inclusivity, empowerment and representation.

Marianne Malizia, SAF Diversity and Inclusion director, spoke at the event and emphasized the group’s broader vision.

“Today’s conference is more than just a celebration of heritage,” she said. “It’s a testament to the limitless potential of our Hispanic and Latino members. In the Department of the Air Force, we’re not just looking at today, but setting the stage for a more inclusive and brighter tomorrow. I see a future where every voice and all backgrounds contribute uniquely to our mission. Let this event remind us all: Together, we fly higher.”

Source: United States Air Force

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) —  

AFWERX Airmen and several local media outlets gathered at Duke Field on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to witness one of the quietest Air Force aircraft flyovers ever. BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company and AFWERX Prime division partner, made several low passes in its ALIA electric aircraft as the audience celebrated its delivery to the Air Force Oct. 26, 2023. 

AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the Air Force. This includes partnering with BETA and other electric aircraft companies to bring zero-emission aviation to the military along with other benefits, including a quiet noise profile and the cost savings to operate and maintain its fleet without dependency on traditional fossil fuels.

“We are really excited about companies like BETA when they invent things like this,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force. “It is going to transform the way we see air travel in the world, but it is also going to transform the way we have air power in the Air Force. We’re going to learn what we can do with vehicles like this and we’re going to take it to our warfighters.”

BETA’s ALIA electric aircraft has a 50-foot wingspan, a range of 250 miles with a top speed of 138 mph and is 90% quieter than a helicopter. While ALIA has the capability to transport five passengers, the Air Force test objective is to demonstrate its potential to support agile combat employment logistics with its payload capacity of 1,000 pounds.

Located 10 miles north of Eglin Air Force Base, Duke Field was strategically selected as the test field for ALIA. The field is home to the Air Force’s rotary wing test squadron, the 413th Flight Test Squadron.

“All of the testing will be contractor owned and operated, but the 413th FLTS wrote the test and safety plan,” said Maj. Riley Livermore, 413th Flight Test Squadron flight commander. “We are responsible for coordinating daily flight operations to include range scheduling and logistics support. Then we’ll write a report following the conclusion of the test deployment to report our findings.”

AFWERX first partnered with BETA in December 2019 and has since awarded the company several contracts. Over the years, BETA has provided AFWERX with three simulators, including a mobile simulator that has conducted pilot training and demonstrations and two Level-3 electric chargers. The charger at Duke Field was completed Oct. 16 and is the first charging station on a military installation.

“Part of the testing process was to install an aircraft charger on a military installation to capture lessons learned and hopefully inform and accelerate future projects at different bases,” Livermore said. “The fixed charging station will also help us write procedures and safety requirements for the Air Force. They’re currently not defined because the technology is new.”

The first ALIA flight test is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 7, 2023.

About AFRL 

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development.

About AFWERX

As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,697 contracts worth more than $2.6 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability.

Source: United States Air Force

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) —  

Source: United States Air Force

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) —  

In this week’s look around the Air Force, units are starting to deploy under the new Air Force Force Generation model, MQ-9 Reapers relocate to Kadena Air Base, Japan, and recruits can now ask questions of Military Training Instructors online before they get to basic training. (Hosted by Tech. Sgt. Brittan Crolley)

Watch on DVIDS | Watch on YouTube
For previous episodes, click here for the Air Force TV page.

Source: United States Air Force

DUKE FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) —  

AFWERX Prime and the Federal Aviation Administration announced they have agreed to share flight-test data to accelerate the safe integration of Advanced Aircraft Mobility platforms into the National Airspace System Oct. 25.

The memorandum of understanding will also support AFWERX Prime’s efforts to advance the integration and maturation of AAM, including the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and autonomous systems industries. Prime, a division within AFWERX, aims to accelerate emerging commercial markets by leveraging government resources for rapid and affordable fielding, benefiting both the commercial industrial base and U.S. military capabilities.

The agreement was signed by Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force, and John Maffei, the FAA’s acting director of Portfolio Management and Technology Development, during an event at Duke Field, Florida.

Leigh noted that, during the past three years, AFWERX has awarded more than $345 million in contracts to 36 developers of electric aircraft and related technologies as part of the national AAM strategy. With the DAF investments, certifications, limited partnership agreements and testing, this effort has generated more than $11 billion in commercial investment in the AAM sector.

According to Leigh, now is the time to redouble these efforts not only with the FAA but also with other federal partners in this space.

“With this MOU and the ongoing AAM Interagency Working Group, we are accelerating a breakthrough in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft,” Leigh said. “We are driving progress in propulsion technology, in manufacturing and materials, and in test and safety for a novel class of air vehicles. Keeping this effort rooted in the United States, building our national security and accelerating innovation for our Airmen and Guardians are all crucial for the Air Force, and we are humbled to be a part of this historic effort. I am excited about this industry’s direction and the Air Force’s role in shaping it.”

The MOU will enable the DAF, AFWERX and the FAA to exchange data and share capabilities and expertise needed to test these technologies. The data will inform FAA certification efforts, policy, standards and future airspace integration requirements.

“A new era of aviation is taking off and safe and efficient operations require collaboration,” Maffei said. “This data will help inform FAA certification efforts, policies, standards and future airspace integration requirements.”

The new agreement showed the continued commitment by the Defense Department and the FAA to ensure all aviation conducted in the NAS meets the highest levels of safety and security, said Darshan Divakaran, AFWERX head of Airspace Innovation and Prime Partnerships. The NAS is a complex system composed of aircraft, airports, airspace, communication, individual pilots, policies, navigation and regulations working in these areas.

Divakaran added that the agreement establishes a unique approach to integrated testing and data sharing that will not only ensure airspace safety, but also help accelerate development of U.S.-built aircraft, supporting infrastructure and regulatory policy needed for successful integration of AAM.

“This MOU is a big step for the future of AAM and provides industry and investors the confidence needed to accelerate forward,” Divakaran said. “This partnership validates why the DoD created the AFWERX Agility Prime program to focus on AAM and dual-use technology.”

In July, the FAA released an implementation plan detailing the steps it and others will need to take to safely enable advanced air mobility operations in the near term. The “Innovate28”, or I28, plan includes various components and the sequence they will follow for operations to reach scale at one or more sites by 2028.

FAA officials added the partnership with AFWERX and the MOU supports the I28 initial entry into service objectives and future phases as defined in the FAA Urban Air Mobility Concept of Operations.