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Maker Hub, AFRL “Sprint” to Innovation 88th AIR BASE WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 4, 2018)John Harrington

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS)—To build strength and endurance, athletes perform “intervals” or short, intense periods of exertion designed for maximum benefit in the shortest time possible. Thanks to the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Maker Hub at the Wright Brothers In-stitute (WBI), that same kind of benefit is possible for some of the Air Force’s most leading-edge innovators.

It’s called a tech sprint and they happen fast—five days with scientists, engineers, researchers, and partners focused specifically on finding so-lutions to some of the Air Force’s most difficult problems. AFRL and WBI work together to de-construct the problem, organize the sprint pro-cess, and gather the right participants to tackle the problem in the most efficient way possible.

WBI is currently experimenting with a combina-tion of the Google Design Sprint methodology and their diverge/converge problem-solving approach, to create a tech sprint process that is customized to Air Force needs. Each day is meticulously planned to explore the problem, create competing solutions, design, produce functional prototypes, and then demonstrate that prototype to stakeholders with a focus on receiving feedback in order to refine solutions. At sprint participants’ disposal is a high-tech laboratory filled with a variety of industrial-grade 3D printers, electronics design and proto-typing equipment, design and testing software, and a machine shop including a CNC mill, router, and laser engraver.

“Whether you want to explore new applications or product ideas, learn a new skill in a hands-on way, or create a tangible design to demonstrate your research, tech sprints enable AFRL teams and partners to work on a short-term basis to explore high risk/payoff solutions to extremely challenging technology problems,” said Terry Cunningham, Maker Hub director.

Cunningham’s efforts echo the battle rhythm set forth by Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson.

“Prototyping, we think in many circumstances, is actually a much better way to do procure-

ment because you understand the limitations and the realm of the possible from the beginning,” said Wilson at a National Press Club event Sept. 26. “The Air Force is using prototyping and experimentation extensively when it makes sense to do so and will continue to do so.”

The tools of the tech sprint are many—the results, often im-mediate.

“Our first project actually started with a snow delay earlier this year,” said Kevin Yost, an AFRL Aerospace Systems director-

Joe Althaus, Wright Brothers Institute Rapid Innovation program manager, de-termines the power consumption of a piece of equipment as Isaac Weintraub, Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Systems Directorate electronics engineer, observes during a rapid innovation session at AFRL’s Maker Hub. Rapid prototyping such as this supports Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson’s focus on getting battlefield solutions to warfighters faster. U.S. Air Force photo by John Harrington

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ate engineer. A multi-day meeting at WBI’s Innovation and Collaboration Center, where Yost was to speak the following day, was delayed by two hours and the Maker Hub was open at their usual 7:30 a.m. time.

“We got to talking and determined the Maker Hub could provide 3D models to represent some of the concepts I was trying to present the following day. Responsively, the Maker Hub turned around four model prints in under 24 hours. The models were well received at the presentation and I’ve used them many other times since then to help deliver the mes-sage,” Yost said.

The AFRL and WBI Partnership Intermediary Agreement al-lows for and promotes innovative problem-solving like this, along with research and development collaborations—some-thing Tom Mitchell, Maker Hub manager, says is leading to some serious paradigm shifts.

“We ran a project with [the AFRL Aerospace Systems and Materials and Manufacturing directorates] on the possibility of using additive manufacturing for power generation,” Mitchell said. “We had such success with the outcome—a small-scale 3D printed motor/generator that ran at 10K RPM and pro-duced nearly 1 kilowatt of power—that we are continuing to expand on this research and testing, with the goal of going to full-scale in the future.”

And as the motor/generator’s progress is developing, so is the relationship fostered through the partnership.

“The sprint allowed us to connect better with AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing directorate,” Yost said. “We had intentions of connecting with them prior, and we did connect through email previously, but the tech sprint and WBI solidified the cross-directorate collaboration and it looks to be leading to a potential cooperative research and development agreement as part of the new tech area we are attempting to pioneer.”

For sure, tech sprints aren’t always successful. When it comes to rapid innovation, finding out what doesn’t work can be use-ful as well in finding the way forward.

“Rapid innovation is inherently risky and the use of the Maker Hub allows one to quickly iterate and test new solutions. We got exactly what we were looking for,” said Joe Althaus, WBI’s Rapid Innovation program manager and lead for the “Incen-tives for Innovation Pipeline” who has worked with the Maker Hub on six of nine AFRL sprints held so far, including one that led to the design of a new seat for C-5 Galaxy loadmasters. The prototype of that seat will be presented to loadmasters

of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, who will provide their inputs to further refine the design.

Cunningham said that as more people learn about the Maker Hub, the number of tech sprints is increasing as end users realize the advantages of rapid prototyping.

“I really didn’t know what a tech sprint was until WBI brought it to my attention,” said Yost. “I don’t think we would be pioneer-ing this new technical area between (AFRL Aerospace Systems and Materials and Manufacturing directorates) without both WBI’s facilitating and the AFRL tech sprint incentive. We just wouldn’t have the resources to even consider broadening our current efforts.”

Cunningham says success stories like these motivate him to provide even better service in the future, helping to lead the way in Air Force innovation.

“We are always striving to get more sprints that create more results for our scientists and engineers, but more impor-tantly—real world solutions for our warfighters at home and abroad.” Cunningham said.

Robotic System to be Competed at 2018 DoD Maintenance Innovation ChallengeROBINS AFB PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 11, 2018)Holly Logan-Arrington

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.—An electrical engineer in Warner Robins-Air Logistics Complex (ALC)’s 402nd Com-modities Maintenance Group recently learned that thinking outside the box pays off.

Shane Groves was named as one of six finalists to compete in the Department of Defense’s Maintenance Innovation Con-test (MIC) at the DoD’s Maintenance Symposium in Tampa, Florida, Dec. 17.

Groves, 402nd CMXG lead equipment engineer, will present his idea of using robotic automation for Environmental Safety Occupational Health risk reduction, throughput increase, and improved quality in the ALC’s various processes at the 2018 MIC.

Groves, who has been at the complex since June 2006, worked closely with a number of colleagues for the group’s idea that illustrates that properly specified and integrated, commercial-off-the-shelf, articulated arm, robotic systems can provide many benefits to depot operations.

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Groves said the competition gives Robins a way to show we are leverag-ing technology and utilizing innovative processes.

“It gives senior leadership a way to as-sess emerging technologies for use in other areas of the DoD,” he said. “It also provides a platform to form part-nerships and mature these technolo-gies to an acceptable level for distribu-tion throughout the DoD.”

The winner will be announced during the maintenance symposium plenary session and presented with the 2018 Maintenance Innovation Challenge trophy.

For more information on the MIC, visit https://www.ncms.org/2018-maintenance-innovation-challenge-competition-open/.

Army Secretary Approves New Intellectual Property Manage-ment PolicyARMY NEWS SERVICE (DEC. 11, 2018)WASHINGTON—Secretary of the Army Mark T. Esper approved the

new Intellectual Property Management Policy on Dec. 7, which provides the force with a “deliberate and balanced” strategy to sustain readiness, drive modernization, and foster private innovation.

“More than ever before, the Army faces unprecedented chal-lenges from emerging threats, proliferation of technology, and rapid innovation by our adversaries,” Esper wrote in the policy memorandum. “We recognize that we cannot overcome these challenges with outdated weapons, equipment, and policies.”

The Army, he wrote, has embarked on several modernization and acquisition reforms to more quickly develop and deliver new warfighting capabilities than ever before. “To help enable these reforms, we are now changing our approach to intellec-tual property management,” he wrote.

Intellectual property, or IP, is loosely defined as “the works of the mind,” which often result in the implementation of a copy-right, trademark, patent, or trade secret, according to Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Strategy and Acquisition Reform Alexis Ross.

“The challenge represents an opportunity to show the rest of the DoD how Robins is leading the way in utilizing technology and robotics to meet the needs of the warfighter,” he said.

The submissions for the MIC will be judged on their impact/relevance to the maintenance world, their originality, how mature or ready the technology is for use, its cross-service applicability, and the feasibility or practicality of the technol-ogy for the DoD.

The MIC’s intent is to raise awareness and encourage wide adoption of available technologies, best business practices, and innovative maintenance processes, while engaging senior maintenance leaders in assessing and prioritizing promising technology to deliver innovative, agile, and affordable main-tenance capabilities.

“The competition is a great way to acknowledge all the long hours and hard work put in by the all the process engineers, production personnel, and the Robin’s robotic team to make our robotics program a success,” Groves said.

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.—Shane Groves, 402nd Commodities Maintenance Group lead equipment engineer at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is one of six finalists to compete in the Department of Defense’s Maintenance Innovation Contest at the DoD’s Maintenance Symposium in Tampa, Florida, Dec. 17. He will present his idea of using ro-botic automation for Environmental Safety Occupational Health risk reduction, through-put increase and improved quality in the ALC’s various processes at the 2018 MIC. Courtesy graphic

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Previous examples of the acquisition process have shown that the Army’s way of securing IP has culminated in one of two scenarios: requesting too little or too much IP, Ross said.

During the first scenario—requesting not enough IP rights—the Army would fail to secure access to a system’s techni-cal data, or neglect to negotiate proper licensing options for future support. As a result, the Army would get locked into a lengthy agreement, obligating the force to the original equip-ment manufacturer for sustainment or spare parts, Ross said.

On the other hand, there are instances when the Army has tried to acquire too much IP or proprietary information. “The Army would seek the maximum amount of access to the tech-nical data … even if we didn’t have a plan to use it or keep it up to date,” Ross said. “This kind of approach would drive away industry.”

The Army, for instance, considers IP to be the manufacturing and hardening process used to create an alternative metal alloy to help reinforce and lighten a vehicle’s armor. Likewise, IP is the technical data—like blueprints or drawings—used to build a specific system, or specialized computer software used in a weapon system, Ross said.

“Intellectual property is critically important—not just to the Army, but to industry,” she said. “As such, it should be pro-tected and fairly compensated.”

A Necessary Change Prior to the new policy, she added, the Army lacked a coordi-nated strategy to secure IP rights and fulfill its long-term sus-tainment goals. “Without a consistent Army-wide approach to intellectual property, you are left with this inconsistent, kind of ad-hoc methodology,” Ross said.

Future battlefield shows autonomous vehicles with equipment in this artist’s rendering of a network-connected environment. The Army has published a new Intellectual Property Management Policy, which provides the force with a “deliberate and balanced” strategy to sustain readiness, drive modernization, and foster private innovation. U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center photo

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The policy attempts to kick off a cultural change within the Army, she added, while steering toward the sweet spot in the middle.

“It is critically important that we strike a balance. We must identify and address our long-term IP needs without disin-centivizing industry innovation or partnership,” said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology Bruce D. Jette.

“If we don’t consider our IP needs upfront, we will no longer be in control of our own destiny,” Jette said.

Ultimately, the need to create a ready and modern force con-tinues to be the catalyst for acquisition reform, Ross said.

“Regarding readiness, if we think of a weapons system as being a long-term prospect, we need to be able to maintain that weapon system,” she said. “If we have access to the technical data or understand the manufacturing process, the Army is able to maintain and sustain that weapons system 30 years from now, especially if the manufacturing company goes out of business or it stops producing that line of product.”

With the implementation of the Army’s six modernization pri-orities and creation of Army Futures Command, the force is also driving necessary change to achieve technological over-match against peer or near-peer adversaries.

“The Army is focusing on what the defense industry can do to support, but we are also eager to work more with non-tra-ditional defense companies in the innovative entrepreneurial sector of U.S. business,” Ross said.

Historically, non-traditional defense companies have avoided working with the Department of Defense due to its compli-cated contracting process tied to federal acquisition regula-tions.

“The acquisition process is not for the faint of heart,” Ross said. “It makes the DoD a bit unapproachable. “This IP management policy is taking a different approach. We can attract more busi-ness to achieve our modernization goals.”

Core Tenets of IP PolicyWith the implementation of a new policy, the Army will now be able to maintain a proactive approach to IP management and acquisition, Ross said.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach. We must consider the unique needs of each weapon system and its components,” Ross said. “Then we need to start thinking: ‘What’s our plan?

What data do we want for which part? What do we plan on using that technical data for?’

“When you start answering those types of questions, then you start developing this skeleton of a tailored IP strategy for an acquisition program,” Ross said.

The strategy can be divided into four core tenets that pro-vide the Army with a deliberate and balanced IP management policy approach. It also focuses on long-term sustainment of weapon systems.

Ross said the four tenets are: • Plan early and develop long-term IP requirements that ad-

dress the life cycle.• Negotiate with industry for custom IP rights, and seek only

what is necessary to meet the Army’s needs. • Negotiate prices for licensing rights early in the process,

while competition still exists. • Communicate with industry early and often to meet the

Army’s needs.

Additionally, the Army can make changes to its IP manage-ment policy as IP laws and regulations continue to evolve, Ross said.

“This is the beginning of a cultural change, so it’s going to take time,” she said. “We think we’ve got the steps in place to be able to achieve it, so now it’s just a matter of enforcing it … and being patient to ensure that we see the change as it takes hold.”

New Materials Architectures Sought to Cool Hypersonic VehiclesDEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY NEWS RELEASE (DEC. 17, 2018)

Hypersonic vehicles fly through the atmosphere at incredibly high speeds, creating intense friction with the surrounding air as they travel at Mach 5 or above—five times faster than sound travels. Developing structures that can withstand furnace-like temperatures at such high speeds is a technical challenge, especially for leading edges that bear the brunt of the heat.

To address this thermal challenge, DARPA recently announced its Materials Architectures and Characterization for Hyperson-ics (MACH) program. The MACH program seeks to develop and demonstrate new design and material solutions for sharp, shape-stable, cooled leading edges for hypersonic vehicles.

“For decades people have studied cooling the hot leading edges of hypersonic vehicles, but haven’t been able to dem-onstrate practical concepts in flight,” said Bill Carter, program

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net shape fabrication of high temperature metals, ceramics and their composites), hypersonic leading-edge design and performance, and advanced thermal protection systems.

Pence: Space Command Will Integrate Military Space Capabilities DOD NEWS RELEASE (DEC. 18, 2018)David Vergun

U.S. Space Command will be the U.S. military’s 11th unified combatant command, Vice President Mike Pence announced at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“It will serve alongside other functional commands like Stra-tegic Command and Special Operations Command, and it will be led by a four-star flag officer,” Pence said. “It will establish unified control over all our military space operations.”

U.S. Space Command will integrate space capabilities across all branches of the military, the vice president said. “It will de-velop the space doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures that will enable our warfighters to defend our nation in this new era,” he added.

In the future, the U.S. Space Command will become the sixth branch of the armed forces, he said, noting that the adminis-

manager in DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office. “The key is de-veloping scalable materials architectures that enable mass transport to spread and reject heat. In recent years we’ve seen advances in thermal engineering and manufacturing that could enable the design and fabrication of very complex architec-tures not possible in the past. If successful, we could see a breakthrough in mitigating aerothermal effects at the leading edge that would enhance hypersonic performance.”

The MACH program will comprise two technical areas. The first area aims to develop and mature a fully integrated passive thermal management system to cool leading edges based on scalable net-shape manufacturing and advanced thermal de-sign. The second technical area will focus on next-generation hypersonic materials research, applying modern high-fidelity computation capabilities to develop new passive and active thermal management concepts, coatings, and materials for future cooled hypersonic leading edge applications. Both tech-nical areas will be described in a Broad Agency Announce-ment solicitation expected in mid-January 2019 on DARPA’s FedBizOpps page: http://go.usa.gov/Dom.

The MACH program seeks expertise in thermal engineering and design, advanced computational materials development, architected materials design, fabrication and testing (including

DARPA’s Materials Architectures and Characterization for Hypersonics (MACH) program seeks new materials and designs for cooling the hot leading edges of hypersonic vehicles traveling more than five times the speed of sound.DARPA image

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tration is working with Congress to stand up the U.S. Space Force before the end of 2020.

Pence was joined by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, who announced the upcoming launch of the Global Positioning Sys-tem III Space Vehicle 1, the “Vespucci,” a communications sat-ellite designed to deliver GPS to the military.

In the audience were airmen of the 45th Space Wing who were involved in the lead-up to the launch of the “Vespucci.”

“We’ve forged new partnerships with pioneering companies like those involved in the rocket that sits on the launch pad today,” Pence said. “We’re investing in tools and capabilities that our armed forces need to protect our nation from the commanding heights of space. And that, of course, is what the 45th Space Wing has always done. … And we’re going to

continue to provide the 45th with the resources to accomplish your mission in the days ahead.

“The progress that we’ve made and the leadership America has provided in space is a result of careful, methodical, cutting-edge work of the people that are gathered here and the deci-sions that were even made here today,” the vice president said, looking out at the assembled airmen.

Soldier Center Tests New Army Combat Boot PrototypesU.S. ARMY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING COMMAND SOLDIER CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 9, 2019)

NATICK, Mass.—The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Soldier Center at Natick is testing new Army Combat Boot (ACB) prototypes at three different basic training and active duty installations over the next four months. The effort will gather Soldier feedback to-

U.S. Space Command will be the U.S. military’s 11th unified combatant command, Vice President Mike Pence announced at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo by NASA Twitter

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The Soldier Center’s Footwear Performance team believes new technologies can bridge the gap between the lightweight, comfortable COTS boots and the durable, protective Army boots. Recent advancements in synthetic materials and rapid prototyping can produce a boot with potentially the same pro-tection, support, and durability of current Army boots, but lighter and more comfortable out of the box. To reach this goal, the Soldier Center is evaluating new types of leather and even some man-made materials which are much more flexible than the heavy-duty, cattle hide leather used in the current boots.

“Also included in the prototypes we are testing are new types of rubber and outsole designs, which are more than 30% lighter than the outsoles on the current boots,” said Al Adams, team leader for the Soldier Clothing and Configuration Man-agement Team at the Soldier Center.

When working with industry to develop the prototype boots for this effort, Adams and Perkins put an emphasis on cutting

ward development of improved footwear.

The Army’s current inventory of boots includes seven differ-ent styles designed for different environments and climates. The boots issued initially to recruits are the Hot Weather and Tem-perate Weather Army Combat Boots. Requirements for these are managed by the Army Uni-form Board as part of the recruit “Clothing Bag.” The Program Ex-ecutive Office Soldier’s Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment maintains and updates the specifications for both boots.

The current generation of Army Combat Boots (ACB) has not undergone substantial technical or material changes since 2010. New material and technologies now exist that may improve physical performance and in-crease Soldier comfort.

“Great strides have been made recently in the Army’s environ-ment-specific footwear, for jun-gle, mountain, or cold weather locations, but there is substan-tial room for improvement in the general purpose boots which are issued to new recruits,” explains Anita Perkins, RDECOM Soldier Center footwear research engineer and technical lead for the Army Combat Boot Improvement effort.

Surveys conducted by the Soldier Center report Soldier sat-isfaction with ACBs is lower than that with commercial-off-the-shelf, or COTS, boots, leading many Soldiers to purchase and wear COTS boots.

“The survey of over 14,000 Soldiers worldwide discovered that almost 50% choose to wear COTS combat boots instead of Army-issued boots,” Perkins said. “Many Soldiers reported choosing combat boots from the commercial market because the COTS boots are lighter, more flexible, require less break-in time, and feel more like athletic shoes than traditional combat boots or work boots. Unfortunately, these characteristics often come at the cost of durability and protection.”

The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Soldier Center at Natick is testing new Army Combat Boot (ACB) prototypes at three different basic training and active duty installations over the next four months. The effort will gather Soldier feedback toward development of improved footwear. Pictured is a U.S. Army Soldier from the 1-114th Infantry Regiment standing in the mud holding 7.62mm ammunition during M240 machine gun weap-ons training on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Nov. 6, 2018. Photo by Army Master Sgt. Matt Hecht

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weight. The boots being tested are up to 1.5 pounds lighter per pair than the ACBs currently being issued.

“In terms of energy expenditure or calories burned, 1 pound of weight at the feet is equivalent to 4 pounds in your rucksack,” Adams said.

The test boots will be fitted and fielded to 800 basic train-ees at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Fort Jackson, South Carolina, followed by 800 pairs going to infantry Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas. The Soldier Center team will be hand-fitting each pair of prototype boots throughout the month of Janu-ary and then return in March and April to collect surveys and conduct focus groups to gather specific feedback.

“Soldiers live in their boots and many will tell you that there is no piece of equipment more important to their lethality and readiness,” said Adams. “A bad pair of boots will ruin a Sol-dier’s day and possibly result in injuries, so we really believe that each of these prototype boots have the potential to im-prove the lives of Soldiers.”

Simultaneous to the field testing, lab testing will be conducted on the boots at the Soldier Center to quantify characteristics like flexibility, cushioning, cut/abrasion resistance, and breath-ability. The combination of lab testing and Soldier recommen-dations will identify Soldier-desired improvements to the boot prototypes and rank the state-of-the-art materials and designs for Soldier acceptance, durability, and safety. The Soldier Cen-ter will then provide recommendations to Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment (PM SPIE) and the Army Uniform Board to drive the next generation of Army Combat Boots.

“The development of new boots take advantage of the latest materials technology, and are functional and comfortable, is critical to ensuring that our Soldiers are ready to fight and win in any environment,” said Doug Tamilio, director of the RDECOM Soldier Center. “Soldiers are the Army’s greatest asset, and we owe it to them to make them more lethal to win our nation’s wars.”

Virtual Battlefield Represents Future of TrainingARMY N EWS SERVICE (JAN. 14, 2019)FORT BELVOIR, Va.—A four-man team of Soldiers sits in a nondescript building on Fort Belvoir, Va., each at his own desk, surrounded by three monitors that provide them individual, 3D views of an abandoned city.

On screen, they gather at the corner of a crumbling building to meet another team—represented by avatars—who are ac-tually on the ground in a live-training area, a mock-up of the

abandoned city. They’re all training together, in real time, to prepare for battles in dense urban terrain.

That’s the central goal of the Synthetic Training Environment (STE)—immersive, integrated virtual training—presented dur-ing a Warriors Corner session at the 2018 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington. The Army has been working toward this kind of fully immersive training experience for decades, and leader-ship hopes to have it operational as early as 2025.

In May 1993, Army RD&A Bulletin dedicated several articles to the concept and execution of distributed interactive simulation (DIS), “a time and space coherent representation of a virtual battlefield environment” that allowed warfighters across the globe to interact with one other as well as computer-generated forces, according to John S. Yuhas, author of the article “Dis-tributed Interactive Simulation.”

Better, Faster, StrongerWhile the name of the program seems to emphasize individual simulation units, its overarching purpose was to bring together thousands of individuals and teams virtually in real time. Cen-tral to DIS was the idea of interoperable standards and pro-tocol, allowing each community—”trainer, tester, developer, and acquisitioner”—to use the others’ concepts and products, Maj. David W. Vaden wrote in “Vision for the Next Decade.”

The article explained that “distributed” referred to geographi-cally separated simulations networked together to create a synthetic environment; “interactive” to different simulations linked electronically to act together and upon each other; and “simulation” to three categories—live, virtual and constructive. Live simulations involved real people and equipment; virtual referred to manned simulators; and constructive referred to war games and models, with or without human interaction.

Sound familiar?

DIS has much in common with STE. Both provide training and mission rehearsal capability to the operational and institutional sides of the Army (i.e., Soldiers and civilians). They even share the same training philosophy: to reduce support requirements, increase realism, and help deliver capabilities to the warfighter faster.

Users of STE will train with live participants and computer simulations, with some units training remotely. However, STE takes virtual reality training to a new level altogether by incor-porating advances in artificial intelligence, big data analysis, and three-dimensional terrain representation.

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Gervais presented a promotional video during “Warriors Cor-ner #13: Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team Update,” which said the STE will provide intuitive and immersive capabilities to keep pace with the changing opera-tional environment. The STE is a Soldier lethality moderniza-tion priority of the U.S. Army Futures Command.

“With the STE, commanders will conduct tough, realistic training at home stations, the combat training centers, and at deployed locations. The STE will increase readiness through repetition, multi-echelon, multi-domain, combined arms ma-neuver and mission command training. And most importantly, the STE will train Soldiers for where they will fight,” said Gen. Robert B. Abrams, then-commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, in the same video. Abrams is now com-mander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Com-mand, U.S. Forces Korea.

Today, simulations in the integrated training environment do not provide the realism, interoperability, affordability, and availability necessary for the breadth of training that the Army

Current training simulations are based on technologies from the 1980s and ‘90s that can’t replicate the complex opera-tional environment Soldiers will fight in. They operate on closed, restrictive networks, are facilities-based, and have high overhead costs for personnel, Maj. Gen. Maria R. Gervais, commanding general for the U.S. Army Combined Arms Train-ing Center and director of the STE Cross-Functional Team, said in an August 2018 article, “The Synthetic Training Environment Revolutionizes Sustainment Training.”

Those older technologies also can’t support electronic war-fare, cyberspace, and megacities, the article explained. For example, Soldiers in the 1990s could conduct training using computers and physical simulators-like the ones showcased in Charles Burdick, Jorge Cadiz and Gordon Sayre’s 1993 “Indus-try Applications of Distributed Interactive Simulation” article in the Army RD&A Bulletin—but the training was limited to a single facility and only a few networked groups; the technology wasn’t yet able to support worldwide training with multiple groups of users in real time, like the Army proposes to do with the STE.

Soldiers prepare to operate training technologies during the STE User Assessment in Orlando, Fla., in March 2018. The assessment was part of an approach implemented by Maj. Gen. Maria R. Gervais to put industry prototypes in Soldiers’ hands at the beginning of the capability development process. Photo by Bob Potter

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think, in doing this under the cross-functional teams and the leadership of the Army Futures Command.”

Many organizations are involved with STE’s development. The U.S. Army Combined Arms Center - Training and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command capability managers are working requirements and represent users. PEO STRI is the materiel developer. The U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence is responsible for the infantry, armor, and combined arms requirement. And finally, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, ASA(ALT), serves as the approval authority for long-range investing and requirements.

With the Futures Command and ASA(ALT) collaborating throughout the development of STE, Sloane believes the Army will be able to reduce and streamline acquisition documenta-tion, leverage rapid prototyping, deliver capabilities and get it all right the first time.

Gervais reminded the AUSA audience in October that she had spoken about STE at the annual meeting two years ago, explaining that the Army intends to use the commercial gam-ing industry to accelerate the development of STE. “I did not believe that it couldn’t be delivered until 2030. I absolutely refused to believe that,” she said. In 2017, the chief of staff designated STE as one of the eight cross-functional teams for Army modernization, aligning it with Soldier lethality.

Since then, STE has made quite a bit of progress, Gervais said. The initial capability document for the Army collective training environment—which lays the foundation for STE—was ap-proved in 2018. The Army increased its industry engagement to accelerate the development of STE, according to Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley’s direction, which led to the awarding of seven other transaction authority agree-ments for One World Terrain, followed by a user assessment in March 2018. In June, Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper and Milley codified STE in their vision statement. “We’re postured to execute quickly,” Gervais said.

In the meantime, she said, there has been a focused effort to increase lethality with a squad marksmanship trainer in the field to allow close combat Soldiers to train immediately. The Army also developed a squad immersive virtual trainer. “We believe we can deliver that [squad immersive trainer] much quicker than the 2025 timeframe,” she said.

ConclusionSTE is focused on establishing common data, standards, and terrain to maximize interoperability, ease of integration, and cost savings, Gervais said. With the right team effort and co-

envisions for the future. The STE will be able to do all that—it will be flexible, affordable, and available at the point of need.

“This video helps us get to shared understanding, and also awareness of what we’re trying to achieve with the synthetic training environment,” Gervais said during the AUSA presen-tation. “But it also allows us to understand the challenges that we’re going to face as we try to deliver this.”

Challenges Ahead“We don’t have the right training capability to set the exer-cises up,” said Mike Enloe, chief engineer for the STE Cross-Functional Team, during the presentation. “What I mean by that is that it takes more time to set up the systems that are disparate to talk to each other, to get the terrains together, than it does to actually have the exercise go.”

The Army’s One World Terrain, a 3D database launched in 2013 that collects, processes, stores, and executes global terrain simulations, has been the “Achilles’ heel” of STE from the start, Enloe said. The Army lacks well-formed 3D terrain data and therefore the ability to run different echelons of training to respond to the threat. The database is still being developed as part of the STE, and what the Army needs most “right now from industry is content ... we need a lot of 3D content and rapid ways to get them built,” Enloe said. That means the capability to process terrain on 3D engines so that it can move across platforms, he said, and steering clear of proprietary technologies. The STE is based on modules that can be changed to keep up with emerging technologies.

The Army also needs the ability to write the code to develop the artificial intelligence that will meet STE’s needs that can, to some extent, learn and challenge the weaknesses of par-ticipants, he said.

Retired Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, 32nd vice chief of staff of the Army, emphasized during the presentation that the Army needs to move away from the materiel development of the STE and focus on training as a Service. “I believe that a training environment should have two critical aspects to it,” he said, “It should be a maneuver trainer, and it should be a gunnery trainer.”

Changing the CultureBrig. Gen. Michael E. Sloane, program executive officer for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), said the leadership philosophy of STE’s development is about fos-tering culture change and getting Soldiers capabilities faster. “We have to be proactive; the [cross-functional teams] have to work together with the PEOs, and we’re doing that,” he said. “Collectively, we’re going to deliver real value to the Soldier, I

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significant hurdles to transitions while Phase III denotes funding from outside the Air Force SBIR/STTR program and is a critical commercialization benchmark.

According to Lumpkin, the STTR topic development process has already been streamlined and she is focused on applying some non-traditional approaches as enablers to future STTR topics.

“We see a big opportunity to mature critical technologies through STTR,” Lumpkin said.

The program and its small business partners strive for ad-vancements that support Air Force major commands. Sys-tem program offices and many others meet near-term critical needs while filling the pipeline with potential game-changing technologies. In stressing innovation over invention, the pro-gram works to drive down costs, get the best new technology to the warfighter, and boost the economy through small busi-ness growth.

AFLCMC Team Working to Acquire Next Generation Fixed-Wing HelmetAIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 17, 2019Brian Brackens

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Human Systems Division, working with members of the Advanced Tactical Acquisition Corps or ATAC, one of the center’s premier leadership devel-opment programs, are in the early stages of acquiring the next generation helmet for aircrews in fixed-wing aircraft with the exception of the F-35.

Recently, with recommendations from ATAC, the Human Systems Division awarded $600,000 in grants via AFWERX Vegas to three companies to develop and present prototypes for the helmet by the end of May 2019.

The team worked closely with AFWERX Vegas, an Air Force innovation hub specializing in engaging entrepreneurs and private sector vendors, to identify the pool of companies that could potentially develop the new helmet faster, more effi-ciently, and with cutting-edge technology.

Replacing legacy helmets on fixed-wing aircraft has become a priority, in part, because over time new requirements have added sub-systems and devices that the helmets were not originally designed for.

“It [legacy helmet] is a 1980’s-designed helmet that was not made to withstand and balance everything—technology—that

ordination, she believes STE can be delivered quickly. Perhaps in a few short years, STE can achieve the lofty goal that DIS had for itself, according to Yuhas: Revolutionize the Training and Acquisition Process for New Weapon Systems.

Air Force Boosts Cooperative Technology Development to Solve Warfighter ChallengesAIR FORCE NEWS SERVICE (JAN. 16, 2019)Joe Cogliano

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technol-ogy Transfer Program is in the midst of a major transformation to accelerate critical new technologies to the warfighter, which includes a renewed emphasis on STTR projects.

Major highlights of the new effort include an upcoming work-shop and expanded outreach.

STTR topics, which require a small business to partner with a research institution, typically account for fewer than 25 per-cent of the total Air Force SBIR/STTR topics offered during a Broad Agency Announcement. As a result, they are often overlooked as a commercial opportunity and have a relatively low commercialization rate. Commercialization encompasses the transition of technology to Air Force use as well as com-mercial sales.

“The Air Force is committed to fully realizing a return on in-vestment from STTR and increasing technology transitions,” said Air Force Research Laboratory SBIR/STTR Program Lead Anissa Lumpkin. In her role, Lumpkin oversees the STTR port-folio of topics. “While less than 25 percent of the overall pro-gram, STTR still accounts for a $70 million annual investment in small businesses and research institutions. We have a mas-sive opportunity to positively impact the Air Force mission.”

The new initiatives include:• An STTR Workshop on March 14 in Dayton, Ohio. Repre-

sentatives from all Air Force Research Laboratory technol-ogy directorates will be available for individual meetings and workshops will be held on a variety of topics, such as STTR basics and Phase III contracts. Some industry representa-tives will also be attending. The Air Force SBIR/STTR social media channels will offer additional registration details be-ginning late January/early February.

• Increased outreach to universities that traditionally have not participated in STTR, such as historically African-American colleges and universities.

• Raising awareness that many of the same resources ap-plicable to SBIR topics are also available to support STTR topics, including the Commercialization Readiness Program and Phase III contracts. CRP support often helps overcome

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we are putting on them,” said 1st Lt. Naomi Harper, a program manager with the Human Systems Division. “If the weight is off, the center of gravity is completely off, which can cause neck issues and pain. Our goal is to find a helmet that is lighter, has more stability, and is compatible [with] fixed-winged air-craft and equipment.”

Michael DeRespinis, program manager with the Human Sys-tems Division, said that working with AFWERX has been ben-eficial in that it has helped increase competition to replace the helmet and is facilitating the rapid delivery of prototypes.

DeRespinis also said that the division would like to select one of the prototypes and put that company on contract by September 2019 for further development activity and future production.

Because of AFWERX Vegas, a process that in the past would have taken years to complete, will now only take months,

which in turn will allow the Human Systems Division to field the helmets to aircrews faster.

The ATAC team, comprised of a group of competitively se-lected mid-level military and civilian acquisition professionals from across AFLCMC, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Space and Missile Systems Center, are focused not only on supporting the Human Systems Division during this process, but also on figuring out the best way to transition technology.

“Innovation hubs like AFWERX are starting to spin up around the Air Force,” said Adam Vencill, a member of ATAC and a program manager by trade. “A challenge the Air Force has is getting products on contract that comes out of these hubs. We [ATAC members] were tasked to create a business model that helps that transition process.”

Nicole Barnes, ATAC contract specialist and member said that working with AFWERX, the Human Systems Division and

An illuminated helmet featured at a booth during AFWERX Helmet Challenge at the Enclave Las Vegas, Nev., Nov.14, 2018. The purpose of AFWERX Las Vegas is to solve problems for the Air Force by getting entrepreneurs and innovators to come together to brain storm ideas. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryan T. Guthrie

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Jette said response times against enemy fire could be a crucial element in determining the outcome of a battle, and AI could definitely assist with that.

“AI is critically important,” he said. “You’ll hear a theme inside of ASA(ALT), ‘time is a weapon.’ That’s one of the aspects that we’re looking at with respect to AI.”

Army Under Secretary Ryan McCarthy has been very active in positioning the Army so that it can pick up such critical new technology, Jette said.

Artificial intelligence technology will play a crucial role in the Service’s modernization efforts, Jette said, and should incre-mentally increase response times. “Let’s say you fire a bunch of artillery at me and I can shoot those rounds down and you require a man in the loop for every one of the shots,” Jette said. “There’s not enough men to put in the loop to get them done fast enough,” but he added AI could be the answer.

being part of a rapid acquisition process has been rewarding. She added that the ATAC program is an example of leader-ship’s commitment to the workforce and to positive change.

AI Could Be Game-Changer for Combat, Says Acquisition ChiefARMY NEWS SERVICE (JAN. 17, 2019)Joe Lacdan

WASHINGTON—The Army is looking at artificial intelligence (AI) to increase lethality, and a senior Army official said the key to AI is keeping a proper level of decision making in the hands of Soldiers.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Dr. Bruce Jette spoke about artificial intelligence, modernization, and acquisition reform Jan. 10 at a Defense Writers Group breakfast.

Army Lt. Col. Joseph Novak, left, listens to a question from Assistant Secretary of the Army Bruce Jette, center, during his tour of Watervliet Arsenal, May 8, 2018. Photo by John Snyder

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a holistic approach in order to develop the diverse range of capabilities necessary to maintain overmatch against peer ad-versaries, Jette said. One result is, the Army will deliver new air defense systems by next December, he said.

“I don’t deliver you a Patriot battery anymore,” Jette said. “I deliver you missile systems. I deliver you radars. I deliver you a command and control architecture.”

Now, any of the command and control components will be able to fire missiles against peer adversaries and can also leverage any of the sensor systems to employ an effector against a threat, he said.

“We’re looking at the overall threat environment,” Jette said. “Threats have become much more complicated. It’s not just tactical ballistic missiles, or jets or helicopters. Now we’ve got UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], I’ve got swarms. I’ve got cruise missiles, rockets, artillery, and mortars. I’ve got to find a way to integrate all this.”

A retired Army colonel, reporting directly to Esper, Jette pro-vides oversight for the development and acquisition of Army weapons systems. He said that his role in the modernization efforts is to find a way to align procurement with improved requirements development processes.

He said the Service must weigh how to create a command and control system that will judiciously take advantage of the crucial speed that technology provides.

AI research and development is being boosted by creation of the Army Futures Command, Jette said.

Smoother ProcessOne year after the Army revamped itself under the guidance of Secretary Mark T. Espe and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Service has seen significant improvements in the acquisition process, Jette said.

The Army identified six modernization priorities and created new cross-functional teams under Futures Command to help speed acquisition of critical systems. One change involves se-nior leaders meeting each Monday afternoon to assess and evaluate a different modernization priority. Jette said those meetings have resulted in a singular focus on modernization programs.

“There’s much more of an integrated, collegial, cooperative approach to things,” Jette said.

The Service took a hard look at the requirements process for the Army’s integrated systems. This enabled the Army to apply