The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board this fiscal year will study how to transition technology development to operational systems as part of the service’s "Re-optimization for Great Power Competition" plan among other science and technology topics.
In the study, titled “Implementing Re-optimization for GPC; S&T and Capability Development,” the board will assess the parts of the plan that relate to developing capabilities. It will consider the organizational and policy hurdles to developing technologies, challenges with personnel recruitment and retention, relationships with the defense industrial base and other organizations as well as ways to support “national-level military capability competition with foreign air and space forces,” according to the draft terms of reference.
“Critical to the success of GPC is strong collaboration (extreme teaming) across all the stakeholder communities, specifically including operators, technologists and acquisition experts, informed by threat assessments and multi-attribute modeling,” the draft states. “This, in turn, requires bridging organizational seams that inhibit teaming while recruiting, training, and promoting a technically sophisticated workforce appropriate for this environment.”
The board expects to brief the Air Force secretary in April and publish the report in September.
The board will also conduct studies on space-based battle management, command, control and communications; autonomy for military systems; and quantum systems.
For BMC3, the board will survey current sensors, effectors and operational nodes; determine how to prioritize actions; identify technical needs and approaches to providing automation support; and assess needs and approaches for survivability and resilience of space-based BMC3 systems, according to the draft terms of reference.
The study on autonomy for military systems will include assessments on which Air Force applications could benefit from AI and autonomy capabilities, potential applications by near-peer nations and a survey of relevant and emerging technologies.
For quantum systems, the board will look into the promise and maturity of Air Force applications, existing military and commercial research into quantum technologies, opportunities for the service to close development gaps and how technologies can be transitioned into operational applications.
The board also expects to brief the secretary on these reports in April as well. The reports will be published in September.