NOVEMBER 7, 2024 – A prototype F-16 Fighting Falcon cockpit collapsible ladder for agile combat employment and contingency operations emerged as the 2024 Spark Tank winner following presentation and judging at the Pentagon, Oct. 30.
Spark Tank is the flagship competition in which innovators from across the Department of the Air Force pitch their ideas to a panel of top leadership and industry experts in pursuit of sponsorship to realize their idea.
The Spark Tank judging panel included Under Secretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton; Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife; Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Mike Guetlein; Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Coleman with the Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Office Futures Task Force; and Chief Master Sgt. Courtney Freeman with the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
“What a tough set of decisions and just a remarkable opportunity today to be able to engage with our innovators in the Department of the Air Force,” Dalton said. “So inspirational. Please keep innovating, please keep leading yourselves and encouraging others to lead innovation.”
The program encourages both Airmen and Guardians to find ways to innovate and improve operations around the department.
“If you look at what our competitive advantage is going to be to get after the threat, it’s our allies, it’s our industry, and it’s our people – our people are the ones innovating and bringing forward smart ideas,” Guetlein said.
Maj. Nick Atkins, 31st Fighter Wing project lead, was the innovator of the winning idea – a collapsible ladder that can be stored inside an F-16’s map case – allowing commanders the flexibility to dynamically deploy and redeploy the jets to or from austere locations.
This simple solution to one specific task actually has broader benefit to solve “a logistical problem by enabling resilient basing requirements and equipping our F-16s with enhanced readiness to deploy and fight,” Atkins said.
Out of 138 entries, the six innovation proposals were selected to compete as 2024 finalists were:
- Flyways Defender: Integrates Flyways Defender’s Artificial Intelligence platform to streamline decisions to detect, assess, and alert threats faster.
- F-16 Collapsible ACE Ladder: A prototype collapsible ladder that can be stored inside the aircraft’s unused cockpit map case.
- LoadPlan+: An automated digital load plan app that streamlines mission prep and aircraft configuration processes to optimize existing aircrew tablets.
- Autonomous Flightline Resupply Vehicle: Aims to use commercial technologies and internal capabilities within Air Force Research Laboratory to build a cost-effective autonomous flightline resupply vehicle for maintainers.
- Project Lavoy: The Spark Tank 2024 Fan Favorite award winner pioneers a solution by equipping medics with comprehensive training, supplies and sustainment for field whole-blood transfusion during contingency operations.
- Cyber Assess: Simplifies complex gathering data for the authority to operate package using understandable workflows.
By Tech. Sgt. Nick Koetz
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs