JULY 26, 2024 – Air Force Research Laboratory technical directorates from AFWERX and Munitions teamed up to host a Collider event aimed at exploring commercial solutions for software-enabled weapons at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, July 17-18.
Colliders give Air Force leaders the opportunity to share the same room with industry to spark interaction and unleash American ingenuity to solve warfighter problems. More than 60 industry professionals attended to address the problem proposed by the Munitions Directorate located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, which involves the years-long process of improving weapon performance and the difficulty of analyzing and exploiting vast operational data.
“Today’s event is a learning opportunity for everyone involved,” said Dr. David Lambert, AFRL Munitions Directorate chief scientist. “We don’t have all the answers yet for software-enabled capabilities. We are here to collaborate and set the stage for future advancements while ensuring we meet acquisition timelines and usability standards.”
During the two-day event, participants explored ways to radically accelerate the weapon performance update cycle, delving into topics such as innovative modular software pipelines and AI-based decision-making. One of the primary issues addressed was the lengthy time frame required to improve weapon performance, posing a significant challenge in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
“The problem is the speed at which it takes or the time it takes to improve weapons,” said Dr. Will Curtis, AFRL Munitions Directorate science and technology adviser. “Typically, it’s measured in years. You might use a weapon and see a deficiency. And then the time it takes to improve that via some kind of change, whether that’s hardware or software, takes years. We’d like to reduce that time down to months, weeks or days.”
The event also provided an opportunity for industry representatives to present their ideas and solutions. The choice of Huntsville as the event location was strategic, the Munitions Directorate chose the city due to its significant defense industry presence and proximity to the Missile Defense Agency.
“We want to find new ideas and innovative ways to tackle software-enabled weapons,” Curtis added. “We’re also exploring the concept of an app store for weapons, where apps can be developed and integrated into weapon systems.”
As the event concluded, the focus shifted to future collaborations and continued learning. Attendees were informed that solicitations for AFWERX Specific Topics on software-enabled weapons will be posted later this year and small businesses will be able to propose solutions to specific Department of the Air Force needs.
“The idea is that there could be collaborative funding opportunities emerging from this event,” said James Foutz, AFWERX Collider lead. “Additionally, this can serve as a market research event to help the Munitions Directorate better refine Specific Topics or future requirements for other solicitations. That’s the thought process behind it.”
By Matthew Clouse
Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs