Human Effectiveness Advanced Technology Development

Mission — Biosciences Performance Demonstration source

Project objectives are: Develop, demonstrate, and transition products that provide Airman and Guardian-integrated capabilities to sustain, enhance, and augment airmen physical and cognitive performance under challenging and adverse operational and training mission environments. Integrate technical advances in molecular and synthetic biology, multi-omics, cognitive performance optimization, brain-machine interface, and application of non-invasive physiological and cognitive performance monitoring devices. Develop solutions to sense, assess, and mitigate impacts to airmen performance degradation including, but not limited to, unexplained physiological events, fatigue, injury, stressors (i.e. environmental, occupational, personal), and cognitive overload. Develop and demonstrate technologies to enhance and accelerate individual physical and cognitive ability to rapidly learn and acquire new mission skills and maintain proficiency of acquired skills. Mature technologies to provide commanders real time status monitoring and assessment of individual's mission ready status and intervention protocols to accelerate restoral to combat readiness. In FY 2025 this Project changed its name from "Human Dynamics and Terrain Demonstration" to "Biosciences Performance Demonstration".

Mission — Mission Effective Performance source

This project develops, demonstrates, and transitions advanced training, simulation, mission rehearsal, and other performance-aiding methods and technologies to enhance warfighter readiness. This project also develops advanced methods and technologies to enable interactive Live-Virtual-Constructive blended environments for performance-aiding methods and technologies. Focus areas include integrated high-fidelity weapon systems training technologies for air, space, and cyber missions; tailored immersive simulation environments for airmen at the tactical and operational levels; and incorporation of performance assessment and feedback tools. These methods and technologies facilitate the development of mission-essential competencies across the broad range of Air Force mission areas. Technology areas are focused on the Combat Air Force (CAF) with major benefits to Joint and coalition partner training needs.

Mission — Directed Energy Bioeffects Parameters source

This project develops, demonstrates, and transitions technologies to predict, evaluate, and mitigate the effects of novel weapon systems on personnel and mission performance, and exploits the offensive capabilities of directed energy systems. This project develops the human components of the guidelines for testing, deployment, and protection from high-power microwave and high-energy laser systems and uses this information to develop technology to protect warfighters from directed energy weapon systems use and effects. This project also develops tools and plug-ins that enhance mission and engagement models, provide predictive risk analysis for deployment of Directed Energy (DE) systems, and analyzes DE systems for military use. Additionally, this project develops tools and analysis techniques for counter directed energy weapon technologies. The effort also develops modeling and simulation tools to unite bioeffects and human performance models from across the Department of the Air Force in support of Digital Transformation initiatives.

Mission — Human Effectiveness Advanced Technology Development source

This program develops, demonstrates, and transitions technologies to enhance Airman performance and effectiveness. State-of-the-science advances are made in warfighter training, warfighter system interfaces, directed energy bioeffects, deployment and sustainment of warfighters in extreme environments, and understanding and shaping adversarial behavior. The Directed Energy Bioeffects Parameters project develops, demonstrates, and transitions technologies to predict, evaluate, and mitigate the effects of directed energy on personnel and mission performance, and exploits the offensive capabilities of directed energy systems. The Biosciences Performance Demonstration project develops, demonstrates, and transitions technologies to sustain airman performance in adverse operational and/or training environments, monitor and mitigate in-flight unexplained physiological events, and prevent human performance related mishaps through real-time monitoring and mitigation—particularly through highly automated or autonomous systems. The Mission Effective Performance project develops, demonstrates, and transitions advanced training, simulation, mission rehearsal, and other performance-aiding methods and technologies to enhance warfighter readiness. The Warfighter Interfaces project develops, demonstrates, and transitions technologies to revolutionize the way Airmen and Guardians synergistically use Department of the Air Force combat and combat support systems, including autonomous machines and adaptive teams of Airmen, Guardians, and machines. Efforts in this program have been coordinated through the Department of Defense (DoD) Science and Technology (S&T) Executive Committee process to harmonize efforts and eliminate duplication. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is focused on high-impact, multi-domain science & technology (S&T) solutions that drive innovation now while laying the groundwork for the Air and Space Force to win the future fight. AFRL effectively synchronizes the Department of the Air Force (DAF) S&T enterprise and workforce to align towards the most consequential DAF priorities and accelerate the delivery of game-changing S&T. 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 3, Advanced Technology Development because this budget activity includes development of subsystems and components and efforts to integrate subsystems and components into system prototypes for field experiments and/or tests in a simulated environment.

Mission — Warfighter Interfaces source

This project develops, demonstrates, and readies the transition of technologies to revolutionize the way airmen optimize multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (multi-UAV), Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2), Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (C3BM), and intel analysis capabilities of Air Force systems, including autonomous machines, and adaptive teams of Airmen, Guardians and machines. Improvements in the presentation of operational information to warfighters, from the system operator to the commander, must be developed in step with advancements in the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information. This project provides the advances in understanding of human cognitive abilities, as well as the utilization of human interfaces, multisensory fusion, high-resolution image displays, and three-dimensional audio to customize communications, enhance shared understanding, and provide maximum situational awareness across a diverse user community simultaneously executing air, space, and cyber missions from geographically separate command, control, and battle management locations.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (5)