Aerospace Vehicle Technologies

Mission — Aerospace Vehicle Technologies source

This program investigates, develops, and analyzes aerospace vehicle technologies in the primary areas of high speed systems, autonomy and flight control technologies, aeromechanics, structure systems and nuclear system technology. The effort has five current projects, each focusing on a technology area critical to the Department of the Air Force. The High Speed Systems Technology project develops component level vehicle technologies for expendable and reusable high speed/hypersonic aerospace systems. The Flight Controls and Pilot-Vehicle Interface project develops technologies that enable affordable mass and maximum capabilities for manned, remotely-piloted and autonomous aerospace vehicles. The Aeromechanics and Integration project designs advanced aerodynamic vehicle configurations that are developed and analyzed through simulations, experiments, and multi-disciplinary analyses. It also develops design techniques, incorporating vehicle, inter-vehicle, and intra-vehicle control systems. The Structures project develops and exploits new materials, and fabrication processes. The Nuclear System Technology project provides science and technology to preserve nuclear deterrence for future generations. In FY 2025, the RDT&E Budget Activity 02 (BA02) Aerospace Vehicles Technologies efforts and activities under PE 0602201F, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion for increased integration between airframe, flight control, propulsion, electrical, power and thermal management. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622401 Structures, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622401 Structures. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622403, Flight Controls and Pilot-Vehicle Interface, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622403 Flight Controls and Pilot-Vehicle Interface. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622404, Aeromechanics, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622401 Structures. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622405, High Speed Systems Technology, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622405 High Speed Systems Technology. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver science & technology capabilities. The use of program funds in this program element would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 0601102F, 0602020F, 0602102F, 0602203F,0602202F, 0602204F, 0602602F, 0602605F, 0602788F, 0602298F, and 1206601SF. This program element may include necessary expenses to support the operation and maintenance of facilities to manage, execute, and deliver science and technology capabilities. This program is in Budget Activity 2, Applied Research because this budget activity includes studies, investigations, and non-system specific technology efforts directed toward general military needs with a view toward developing and evaluating the feasibility and practicality of proposed solutions and determining their parameters.

Mission — Structures source

This project develops advanced structures concepts to exploit new materials and fabrication processes and investigates new concepts and design techniques. New structural concepts include low cost design and fabrication techniques, incorporating subsystem hardware items and adaptive mechanisms into the aerospace structures and/or skin of the platform. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622401 Structures, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622401 Structures for increased integration between airframe, flight control, propulsion, electrical, power and thermal management.

Mission — Flight Controls and Pilot-Vehicle Interface source

This project develops technologies that enable maximum affordable capability from manned, remotely-piloted, and autonomous aerospace vehicles. Advanced control, automation, and autonomy technologies are developed for maximum vehicle performance throughout the flight envelope and simulated in full-scale, surrogate, and virtual environments. Resulting technologies contribute significantly towards the development of reliable autonomous or remotely piloted air vehicles, hypersonic aircraft, and extended-life legacy aircraft. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622403 Flight Controls and Pilot-Vehicle Interface, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622403 Flight Controls and Pilot-Vehicle Interface for increased integration between airframe, flight control, propulsion, electrical, power and thermal management.

Mission — Aeromechanics source

This project develops aerodynamic configurations of a broad range of revolutionary, affordable aerospace vehicles. It matures and applies modeling and numerical simulation methods for fast and affordable aerodynamics prediction and integrates and demonstrates multi-disciplinary advances in airframe, propulsion, weapon, and air vehicle control integration. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622404 Aeromechanics, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622401 Structures for increased integration between airframe, flight control, propulsion, electrical, power and thermal management.

Mission — High Speed Systems Technology source

This effort investigates, analyzes, and develops high speed/hypersonic aerospace vehicle technologies. Advanced high temperature structures concepts are explored and developed to exploit new materials, fabrication processes, and design techniques. Advanced aerodynamic vehicle configurations are developed and analyzed through simulations, experiments, and multi-disciplinary analyses. Advanced subsystem, integration and analysis technologies are developed and simulated for hypersonic vehicles. These technologies will enable future high speed weapons and platforms; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; and space access vehicles. In FY 2025, the entirety of PE 0602201F, Aerospace Vehicle Technologies, Project 622405 High Speed Systems Technology, was transferred to PE 0602203F, Aerospace Propulsion, Project 622405 High Speed Systems Technology for increased integration between airframe, flight control, propulsion, electrical, power and thermal management.

Mission — NUCLEAR SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY source

This project provides sustaining science and technology to preserve nuclear deterrence for future generations, develops complimentary projects to inform future systems, establishing inter-agency partnerships for Modeling & Simulation and test platforms, and coordinates with existing programs for next generation strategic systems development and test platforms.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (11)