• AFRL Completes Automated Aerial Refueling Station-Keeping Flight Test

    AFRL researchers completed a series of automated aerial refueling (AAR) station-keeping flight tests. The test series included the first autonomous flight of an aircraft in the refueling position behind a KC-135 tanker. The purpose of the AAR program is to develop and demonstrate operationally

  • Instruments Installed in Greenland Will Enhance Space Weather Forecasts

    Under an international cooperative research project between the US Air Force (AF), Denmark's Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Transport and Energy, and the Greenland Home Rule government, AFRL researchers deployed a suite of five ionospheric monitoring instruments at Station Nord, located in far

  • AFRL ENGINEERS COMPLETE ISSE V3.6 CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW

    AFRL engineers successfully completed a critical design review (CDR) of the Information Support Server Environment (ISSE) version 3.6. Upon completion of the CDR, AFRL received approval to proceed with implementation from major stakeholders, which include the Air Force Command and Control

  • AFRL Completes Dual-Use Initiative for Nonintrusive Stress Measurement

    AFRL, in partnership with Williams International and Hood Technology Corporation, managed a Dual-Use Science and Technology initiative to advance Nonintrusive Stress Measurement System (NSMS) technology for small turbine engines. Exploiting initial NSMS research conducted by the Arnold Engineering

  • AFRL Achieves Breakthrough in High-Speed Matching of Titanium

    AFRL and Third Wave Systems, Inc (Minneapolis, Minnesota), collaborated to cut the time and cost of titanium machining. Entering into a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) agreement, the team reduced titanium machining time by 30%. The use of titanium alloys in aircraft manufacturing continues

  • AFRL Continues to Find Ways to Decrease Air Vehicle Costs

    An AFRL-led team determined that an air vehicle's pressure gradient can mitigate the detrimental effect that small surface defects have on air vehicle performance. This finding may result in less restrictive manufacturing tolerances, reducing air vehicle manufacturing and maintenance expenses.

  • Manufacturing Technology Program Reduces

    The B-2 Systems Group initiated a major effort to improve the B-2 fleet mission capability (MC) rate. This effort involved the removal of the tape that covers access panel gaps and fasteners, followed by the replacement of the tape with a material known as alternate high-frequency material (AHFM).

  • AFRL Develops Hot Air Module

    AFRL and Karta Technologies, Inc., developed a hot air module (HAM) at the request of the B-2 Systems Group. The B-2 Systems Group requested a small, portable heat source with high-temperature capability to provide the heat and pressure needed to make high-quality composite repairs. The group wanted

  • New Triservice Collaboration Unites

    A unique triservice collaboration known as Propulsion - Safety, Affordability, and Readiness (P-SAR) is unifying the propulsion community to achieve common sustainment goals across the Army, Navy, and Air Force fleets. Originally conceived in 2005 as a follow-on effort to the highly successful