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AV’s UES Awarded $25M AFRL Contract to Mature Human Performance Technologies for Warfighter Readiness

Wednesday, April 8th, 2026

ARLINGTON, Va. — April 7, 2026 — The United States Air Force has awarded UES, a division of advanced research and development leader AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a three-year, $25M contract to transition innovative human health and performance technologies from research to field deployment.

Supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing Human Effectiveness Directorate (711 HPW), AV will mature mid-stage sensor, diagnostic and material technologies that have remained largely confined to Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3-5. Work completed under this contract will accelerate the delivery of deployable solutions to enhance warfighter readiness, resilience, and survivability.

“With stringent requirements, harsh operating environments, and limited access to specialized infrastructure, health-focused devices for our military service members have faced unique challenges in reaching operational use,” said Dr. Stephaney Shanks, Vice President of Health and Performance Technologies at AV. “AV has the tools, track record, and technical expertise to tackle these challenges with solutions that deliver real-world impact, using the power of science to protect and empower our warfighters.”

With in-house prototyping and AI-enhanced data analytics, AV will test at scale and advance health-focused technologies and devices. This work integrates disciplined research methods and structured decision criteria to identify viable solutions for transition. The scope of work will focus on four critical areas:

  1. Advanced sensor systems for airframe and pilot integration, improving in-field monitoring of physiological and environmental conditions. 
  2. Ruggedized wearable diagnostic tools for medical, chemical, and biological assessments in austere conditions 
  3. Powerful AI/ML-enabled databases and analytics to convert raw biosensor data into actionable insights and intelligence
  4. Emerging biotechnology platforms, including stress-mitigating probiotics and synbio-based sensors, to support and protect force health 

“By integrating biosensing and advanced materials with AI-enabled analytics and insights, we’re shaping the future of military readiness,” added Johnathan Jones, Senior Vice President of Cyber and Mission Solutions at AV. “Taking technology from the lab to the frontlines, we’re turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s capabilities.”

AV has collaborated with the 711 HPW on prior efforts, such as deploying onboard oxygen monitoring sensors to investigate unexplained physiological events (UPEs) in pilots. This contract builds upon these successes to address hardware ruggedization, faster data processing, and enhanced user interfaces, meeting the demands of the Air and Space Force.

Posted in Air Force, Contracts, Human Performance, Press Release | No Comments »

The First Line of Defense is Language, Regional Expertise and Culture: How AFCLC Helps Secure the Homeland

Sunday, March 29th, 2026

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. —  

Defending the U.S. homeland is a cornerstone and the ultimate deliverable of the latest National Defense Strategy. It is also a task deeply intertwined with the specialized work of the AFCLC.

The AFCLC delivers a contribution to homeland defense by strengthening security cooperation with partner nations on U.S. borders, a mission directly supported by LEAP Scholars and tailored curriculum. This partnership helps contain threats before they reach the homeland.

“LEAP arms our Airmen with the linguistic and cultural tools that are essential for working hand in hand with Latin American mission partners,” said Capt. Konrad Bennett, Chief Security Forces 704thMunitions Support Squadron, Ghedi Air Base, Italy. “While many LEAP scholars are native speakers with cultural and family ties across the border, LITEs and e-Mentors provide professional vocabulary and sharpen language skills, giving Airmen confidence to interact fluidly with international partners.”

In his work as a LEAP Scholar, Bennett has seen firsthand how the AFCLC contributes to defending the homeland.

“As a Flight Commander at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy (IAAFA), I worked with a number of Spanish LEAP scholars,” he said. “They were frequently called upon to translate and serve as Subject Matter Experts with Mexico as well as multiple Central and South American mission partners. AFNORTH consulted my team for the development of a Security Forces career field for the Mexican Air Force, calling on us to showcase Security Forces techniques and training to a delegation from Mexico. By building partner capacity, the US enables Mexico to do its part to reduce threats on its side of the border. Additionally, one of my Airmen was tasked to translate for the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), CBP (Customs and Border Protection), DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), ARNORTH (United States Army North) and Department of State for cross-border security discussions in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Coordination between US and Mexican law enforcement agencies is crucial to a secure border and to reducing threats from transnational criminal and terrorist organizations.”

LEAP Scholar Tech Sgt. Edgar Bravo, Section Chief, Combat Arms/SFCA, 31st Security Forces Squadron with the 31st Security Forces Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy has also participated in activities that have strengthened security cooperation with partner nations and defended the homeland.

“The linguistic and cultural proficiency I gained through the Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP) has been invaluable in strengthening security cooperation,” Bravo said. “I had the opportunity to put these skills to direct use during the ‘FUERZAS AMIGAS’ exercise preparation, a critical disaster-response drill in Juarez, Mexico. There, I served as the lead interpreter for the U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) Commander, facilitating vital communication with our Mexican counterparts. Separately, my expertise was tasked by Inter-American Air Forces Academy (IAAFA) and the Mexican Air Force (SEDENA), where I played a pivotal role in helping them pioneer a foundational plan to establish their own Security Forces career field. Both of these experiences underscore how LEAP equips us to build trust and interoperability with our partners, directly enhancing our collective ability to secure our shared borders and protect the homeland.”

Rather than a separate mission, the AFCLC’s mastery of language, regional expertise, and culture is the core of its contribution to defending the homeland.

“The NDS top priority is Defending the Homeland, which now includes the Western Hemisphere,” said Dr. Daniel Uribe, the Air Force Culture and Language Center’s U.S. Southern Command expert. “In addition to preparing to defend our region from kinetic attacks, the NDS recognizes that homeland defense also hinges on interagency coordination, allied integration and partnerships with Western Hemisphere nations. Our LEAP Scholars and the AFCLC are critical to these efforts. The LREC capabilities the AFCLC provides the Air Force and Space Force enable deeper connections with our friends and allies in the region through security cooperation efforts, multi-national exercises, and humanitarian relief efforts. These strong connections also serve to deter potential adversaries.   Our LEAP Airmen and Guardians are key enablers to the NDS LOE 1 Defending the Homeland.”

By James Brown, AFCLC Outreach Team

AFCLC

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post | Comments Off on The First Line of Defense is Language, Regional Expertise and Culture: How AFCLC Helps Secure the Homeland

Soldiers Assist Air Force Squadron With Drone Warfare Training

Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

More than 200 airmen training with the Air Force’s 368th Training Squadron spent Feb. 27 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, learning about unmanned aerial systems during an exercise designed to cultivate Air Force airmindedness and the warrior ethos.

The training squadron, based at Fort Leonard Wood, provides initial skills and advanced level training in the areas of ground transportation, engineering, emergency management and pavements and construction equipment.

According to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Moss, a specialty code instructor assigned to the training squadron, airmen at various specialty schools on base usually train separately, but this day was unique because it brought them all together.

“It allows them to integrate with our other schoolhouses, bringing them together as one force instead of each person learning just their craft,” Moss said. “Producing more well-rounded airmen for the force.”

Air Force Capt. Nathan Elking, 368th Training Squadron director of operations, said the unique training event is called Bracer Forge and is an operational readiness exercise.

“It is a continuation of the training airmen receive at basic training,” Elking said. “Both exercise initiatives are designed to instill airmindedness and warrior ethos in our airmen.”

The squadron’s exercise topics vary, but the current unmanned aerial system focus was driven by the unit’s specialty codes, which according to Elking play a key role in airfield damage assessment and rapid airfield damage recovery.

“Before each iteration of Bracer Forge, we provide the participating airmen with an operation order for the day and reporting instructions with a training scenario to recover a damaged airfield,” he said.

Squadron instructors prepared four stations for the airmen to rotate through.

At the airfield damage assessment challenge, Elking said teams conducted an assessment on a simulated airfield and relayed the information to their teammates in an emergency operations center.

“The airmen in the EOC were tasked with creating a map of the airfield using the details their counterparts called in over the radio,” he said.

While at the UAS reporting challenge, teams established defensive fighting positions and reported UAS activity to their teammates in the EOC by consolidating the information into a report to send up.

The other two stations were a high intensity physical fitness event and a UAS capabilities overview. Soldiers assigned to the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Combat Training Company gave the UAS portion of the training.

“We are not subject matter experts on counter-UAS and UAS employment. Being able to leverage our Army partners at [center of excellence] played a significant role in the exercise’s success,” Elking said.

According to Army Sgt. 1st Class Austin Priebe, Combat Training Company UAS chief, his mission was to introduce small UAS threats, and teach the basics of identifying, reacting to and reporting small UAS threats.

Priebe said most trainees he instructs have watched or controlled a simulated UAS in video games, but being able to experience a UAS in person, see and hear a drone up close, is “essential to prepare service members for what they will see in current and future conflicts.”

“We conducted practical exercises on scanning for [small] UAS, completing a report and showed the airmen what they look like from an elevated viewpoint,” Priebe said.

This was the training company’s first time facilitating interservice UAS training.

“I’ve largely been focused on enabling training and instruction to the Army units here on Fort Leonard Wood since the inception of our UAS program this past fall,” Priebe said.

As the battlefield changes rapidly, so does our training requirements. If our organization can provide more realistic and in-depth training to our brothers and sisters in other branches, we only stand to benefit as a military.”

Priebe said his team is looking forward to conducting more interservice training events in the future.

At the end of the day, the exercise was a catalyst for innovation, Elking said.

“By exposing airmen to the dual nature of UASs — both as a threat to counter and a tool to master — we challenge them to rethink their mission sets and pioneer new solutions for the modern battlefield,” he said.

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Army, Drone, Guest Post, Training | 1 Comment »

Modernizing Air Force TACP Ground Evaluations

Tuesday, March 17th, 2026

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Air Force tactical air control party (TACP) operators from the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron underwent a comprehensive mission evaluation in January, utilizing advanced electronic warfare and autonomous drone technology to validate new ground combat standards.

The evaluation, which became a requirement for Air Force Special Warfare TACP units roughly two years ago, ensures operators maintain combat mission readiness through a full mission profile. The rigorous assessment covers every phase of a deployment, including preparation, infiltration, action on objectives, exfiltration, and a final mission debrief. Special Operations Warfare Ground Evaluations are conducted every 24 months to validate the unit’s combat mission readiness and ability to operate in in contested environments.

The evaluation began in a classroom setting where the team received a warning order detailing the mission. Lt. Col. Craig Lowrey, the 19th ASOS director of operations, served as the team leader during the exercise. He said the initial phase required the team to analyze the overarching mission set and discuss the scheme of maneuver while identifying the expectations for both friendly and enemy forces.

Once the planning phase concluded and a written portion was completed, the team moved to the field for a target acquisition mission. Evaluators provided only a rough area of interest, forcing the team to rely on specialized equipment to pinpoint an enemy location on an airfield.

The insertion took place in total darkness, requiring every operator to utilize night vision goggles. 1st Lt. Michael Morin, a ground evaluator assigned to the 19th ASOS, said the lack of ambient light made the mission particularly difficult.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the objective rally point, the team secured the area. While the assistant team leader maintained security, the team launched a small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Skydio X2D drone. The sUAS was flown several hundred meters from the target area, obscured by the tree line, to get eyes on the objective.

The sUAS, which features 3D mapping and collision avoidance, allowed the team to navigate the forest and locate targets in a large open area. This provided the commander with a live video feed to refine the targeting data.

Simultaneously, the team utilized Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) using the Beast+ platform. This handheld device identifies and tracks adversary signals, such as radio or cellular communications.

“It can hear what kind of frequencies are being used,” Morin said. “It can help us pinpoint where radio traffic is coming from.”

By combining the signal data from the Beast+ with the visual data from the drone, the commander was able to determine the exact direction and location of the enemy.

Lowrey said the team made its way through multiple checkpoints before reaching the objective area. By using the technology to refine their targeting, they were able to send reconnaissance and surveillance teams forward to pinpoint high-priority targets. This allowed the team to successfully coordinate simulated airstrikes and artillery strikes.

The introduction of these ground evaluations reflects a shift in how the Air Force tests its special warfare operators. Morin noted that because these evaluations are relatively new, units are still refining the process to ensure operators are tested to the highest of their abilities.

The integration of low-profile, high-power technology like the Beast+ and Suas autonomous drones are essential for the TACP community as it prepares for near-peer conflicts where the electromagnetic spectrum is a primary battlefield.

By Jedhel Somera

Posted in AFSW, Air Force, EW, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

Air Force Modernizes Physical Fitness Program to Bolster Readiness, Long-Term Health

Sunday, March 8th, 2026

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Air Force announced an update to its Physical Fitness Readiness Program (PFRP) in a Directive Type Memorandum introducing new standards and scoring models designed to better align with the demands of modern warfare and promote the long-term health of every Airman.

The modernized program is anchored in scientifically grounded health measures and a more rigorous assessment model. The goal is to enhance warfighter readiness by encouraging Airmen to build durable fitness habits that support sustained, career-long performance.

“Our new standards are designed to help Airmen build fitness habits that will serve them throughout their careers and hopefully a long life,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach. “This update is not just about increasing the physical fitness test standards; it’s about ensuring our warfighters are fit, ready, and prioritizing their long-term health.”

In conjunction with the updated program, score charts have been updated with increased minimums for each scored component, as well as separate charts now available for Occupationally Specific Physical Fitness Assessments. These adjustments are intentional and directly align with the program’s renewed emphasis on long-term health, readiness, and overall warfighter effectiveness.

To ensure a smooth transition, the Air Force will implement a baseline window for Airmen to take diagnostic tests starting March 1, 2026. This period is designed to give Airmen time to understand the new standards, assess their current performance against the updated charts, and adjust their training focus before scoring becomes official on July 1, 2026. The baseline period will also provide the data required to assess and refine score charts in advance of full implementation of the new standards. Airmen who complete the Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment (PFRA) during the baseline period may elect to record their diagnostic test score as an official fitness test score. This may be especially beneficial for Airmen in cold-weather locations who wish to align their next due-date to a time when weather is more conducive to outdoor testing in their region.

Airmen may reference the PFRA Due Date Matrix on MyFSS in the Knowledge Base application to learn more about testing timelines.

Body composition will return as a scored component assessed in the PFRA. Airmen may elect to take this component of the test up to five duty days before assessing the remaining PFRA components.

Airmen and commanders are encouraged to make full use of diagnostic testing during this baseline period. This phase will provide valuable data to ensure the updated PFRP is implemented in a manner that is fair, accurate, and effective across the force. To support the force through this transition, a robust set of resources will be available:

  • Master Fitness Leaders: These trained experts will be available at installations to guide unit-level Peer Fitness Leaders and Airmen through safe and effective conditioning, reconditioning, and adaptive fitness programs.
  • The Warfighter Fitness Playbook: This guide offers detailed guidance on workouts, recovery strategies, sleep optimization, and nutrition—all interconnected elements essential for sustained performance.

The certification of the 2-mile run tracks to ensure all Air Force tracks meet official standards is in progress. Final guidance on measurement specifications (e.g. meters, feet, yards, etc.) will be published in AFMAN 36-2905.

“Airmen are the heart of the Air Force, and their readiness is essential to mission success,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe. “Our new standards are designed to prepare them for the demands of today and the future fight. They give every one of our Airmen an opportunity to grow in an important part of their lives.”

Additionally, as previously announced, PFRA scores will become part of an Airman’s annual evaluation to incorporate a full picture of an individual’s performance and contributions. Official guidance in AFI 36-2406 released this week for implementation.

This evolution of the fitness program represents a deliberate investment in the force, ensuring that Airmen are not only prepared for the challenges of today, but are also physically sustained for a long and healthy career.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Press Release, Profession of Arms | No Comments »

GA-ASI Achieves New Milestone With Semi-Autonomous CCA Flight

Sunday, February 15th, 2026

YFQ-42A Uncrewed Fighter Jet Executes Mission Autonomy Test

SAN DIEGO – 12 February 2026 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) passed a new milestone this month, successfully integrating 3rd-party mission autonomy into the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft to conduct its first semi-autonomous airborne mission.

            For this test, GA-ASI used mission autonomy software supplied by Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, to fly the new YFQ-42A CCA, designed and developed by GA-ASI for the U.S. Air Force. The Sidekick Collaborative Mission Autonomy software was seamlessly integrated with the YFQ-42A’s flight control system, utilizing the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA). The integration enabled robust and reliable data exchange between the autonomy software and the aircraft’s mission systems, ensuring precise execution of mission autonomy commands.

During the recent testing, autonomy mode was activated via the Ground Station Console (GSC). Once enabled, a human autonomy operator on the ground transmitted various commands directly to the YFQ-42A, which executed the instructions with high accuracy for more than four hours. This test highlights the effectiveness of Sidekick’s advanced mission autonomy capabilities and the flexibility of the A-GRA standard in supporting complex operational requirements.

“We are excited to collaborate with Collins to deliver enhanced autonomous mission solutions,” said David R. Alexander, president of GA-ASI. “The integration of Sidekick with our YFQ-42A demonstrates our commitment to innovation and operational excellence in unmanned aircraft technology.”

This achievement underscores GA-ASI’s dedication to advancing autonomous systems for defense applications. The combination of Sidekick autonomy software and YFQ-42A mission systems, connected through A-GRA, sets new benchmarks for combat autonomy, mission flexibility, operator control, and system reliability.

“The autonomy capabilities showcased in this flight highlight our dedicated investment to advance collaborative mission autonomy,” said Ryan Bunge, vice president and general manager for Strategic Defense Solutions, Collins Aerospace, an RTX business. “The rapid integration of Sidekick onto this General Atomics platform and its immediate ability to support a broad spectrum of combat-relevant behaviors underscores the strength and flexibility of our open systems approach.”

This first mission autonomy flight continues a robust YFQ-42A development schedule for GA-ASI that began in August 2025 with initial flights of YFQ-42A Tail One. In less than six months, GA-ASI has built and flown multiple YFQ-42A aircraft, including push-button autonomous takeoffs and landings.

GA-ASI has been building and flying uncrewed jets for nearly two decades, beginning with the company-funded, weaponized MQ-20Avenger® in 2008. Ongoing company investment in Avenger continues to yield results, as the aircraft routinely serves as a CCA surrogate for advanced autonomy development and testing in both government programs and company-funded research and development.

As a family-owned, privately held defense company for more than 30 years, GA-ASI is known as one of the original disruptors in the U.S defense industry, pioneering and inventing many of the technologies now considered ubiquitous in uncrewed aircraft operations around the world. The company re-invests more than 35 percent of annual revenue into internal research and design projects, building ahead of need and designing capabilities ahead of requirements.

In 2025, for example, an internally funded Avenger demo featured both GA-ASI’s TacACE autonomy software and Shield AI’s Hivemind software on the same flight, with the MQ-20seamlessly switching between AI pilots while still airborne. Later in the year, GA-ASI teamed with Lockheed Martin and L3 Harris for another Avenger flight demo, connecting the MQ-20 with an F-22 Raptor for an advanced manned-unmanned teaming mission that allowed the human fighter pilot to command the Avenger as an autonomous CCA surrogate via tablet control from the cockpit.

In 2024, GA-ASI first flew its XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) jet, developed in collaboration with Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). This early CCA prototype validated the “genus/species” concept pioneered with AFRL as part of the Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (LCAAPS) program, focused on building several aircraft variants from a common core chassis.

GA-ASI’s Gambit Series envisions multiple missionized variants from this common core concept, with XQ-67A already showcasing airborne sensing and YFQ-42A illustrating air-to-air combat. Using this novel manufacturing approach to drive overall customer value, GA-ASI can quickly pivot to diverse missions with less time and cost investment than building a clean-sheet aircraft.

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Press Release, UAS | No Comments »

Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management Takes Lead on Joint Fires Network

Saturday, February 14th, 2026

NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA, Calif. (AFNS) —

The Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management stood up an integrated program office to lead the Joint Fires Network.

The Joint Fires Network is a revolutionary warfighting network that enables the joint force to realize the advantages of speed and unity of command. By fusing high-quality targeting data with cutting-edge command and control applications, JFN delivers data to warfighters when and where they need it. This network outperforms legacy networks by aligning fires tasks into an object-based common data layer, providing a common operating picture for the Joint Force.

“Our mission is to take the JFN prototype and wrap a layer around it that allows us to manage and scale it as a robust capability that will have all the appropriate supportability aspects that a program of record should have,” said Col. Alex Constantine, Joint Fires Network senior materiel leader.

The newly created IPO is meant to provide the infrastructure and oversight to transform the JFN from a successful prototype into a long-term, reliable, and strategically important asset for the Joint Force, according to Constantine.   

“The establishment of the IPO allows us to create structured interfaces and venues with the services and Joint Force that ensure integration of fires at the combatant command-level and below,” Constantine said. “We will be able to look at economies of scale, supportability, and warfighting efficiency as we continue to increase the footprint and capabilities of JFN.”

The future architecture of JFN will focus on how it delivers decision advantage to the Joint Force as well as how it feeds into the DAF Battle Network, by working collaboratively across the Department of War.

“The actual system itself touches multiple parts of planning, fires control, and execution,” Constantine said. “So, it will touch various aspects of the DAF Battle Network, but it’s really a tier 1 combatant command-oriented system that the planners and below at the lower echelons will use to collaboratively plan and execute fires.”

Constantine said developing JFN in a joint environment contributes to its overall success as service members from each branch bring unique perspectives and expertise.

“We have a Navy deputy and teammates from across the services who bring technical interchanges together to ensure that we’re touching Army, Naval and Department of the Air Force equities holistically, as well as those of the relevant combat support agencies, to truly deploy a better system,” he said.

JFN’s development will utilize the DOW’s Software Acquisition Pathway 5,000.87 so servicemembers can develop and deliver the capability quickly.

“To ensure JFN remains adaptable and responsive to evolving threats, the program office is leveraging software acquisition pathway, an approach designed to streamline the capability delivery process,” he said. “Our approach balances agility with acquisition rigor to continue our rapid fielding efforts while we address supportability in manner tailored to the system’s needs as we move forward.” 

The DAF Battle Network is the integrated system-of-systems connecting sensor, effector, and logistics systems enabling better situational awareness, faster operational decisions, and decisive direction to the force. It integrates roughly 50 programs of record across the department, ensuring resilient decision advantage needed by the Air Force, Space Force, joint and coalition forces to win against the pacing challenge. 

By Richard Blumenstein

DAF PAE C3BM Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, C5ISR, Fires, Guest Post | No Comments »

From Backpacks to Bird’s-Eye: Drones Transforming EOD at Hurlburt Field

Wednesday, February 11th, 2026

Across a stretch of open terrain at Hurlburt Field, Florida, two 1st Special Operations Wing Airmen began a race between machines. One guided a ground robot toward a simulated casualty, its treads working across dirt and grass. The other launched a small unmanned aerial system, or drone, which reached the site within seconds. From above, the drone’s camera streamed a clear view of the scene before the robot made it halfway there.

It’s a new kind of flight reshaping how Explosive Ordnance Disposal Airmen execute their mission—and how the Air Force strengthens readiness through innovation. Before the adoption of modernized drones, EOD teams relied primarily on heavy robotic platforms to inspect potential explosive threats. The systems still provide valuable standoff capability but require vehicle transport and setup time, limiting their use during dismounted operations. In those scenarios, Airmen may have to approach hazards themselves.

Compact and portable drones can now be carried in a backpack and launched within minutes. Operated from a safe distance, they stream real-time imagery that helps Airmen assess hazards without approaching them. The drones give teams an unmatched view of any environment. They combine optical and thermal cameras for day or night operations with advanced 3D scanning that produces precise digital models in minutes, whether documenting blast sites or mapping entire airfields.

Drone imagery can be used to establish a visual reference of a runway and to collect updated imagery after an incident. The data helps civil engineers quickly identify changes or damage, supporting timely clearance actions and repair planning to resume air operations.

Built-in artificial intelligence also allows drones to operate with a high degree of autonomy. The system can identify and track targets, hold position, and navigate around obstacles with minimal operator input. These capabilities boost mission tempo and efficiency while augmenting the work of Airmen, keeping them out of harm’s way and allowing them to focus on critical decision-making.

Drones have not yet replaced every function of traditional robots, but the two technologies currently complement one another on the battlefield. “The big thing [a drone] doesn’t currently have is manipulation,” explained an 1 SOW Airman. “I can’t pull a battery off something or flip something over [with a drone], but a robot can.” Still, drones are increasingly assuming tasks once limited to ground platforms, expanding options for commanders and reinforcing the Air Force’s ability to adapt faster than its adversaries.

Introducing any new technology brings challenges, but EOD Airmen at Hurlburt Field have moved quickly to overcome them. Through local innovation projects, the team acquired and tested drones early, giving them a head start in integrating the capability into daily operations. “We’ve had the ability to work through a lot of the growing pains much faster,” said a 1 SOW Airman. “Now we’re able to disseminate those lessons throughout the career field.”

That progress continues as Airmen refine training and certification standards while identifying where drones provide the most operational value. “A lot of this is going to fluctuate based on use cases, because we all have a general idea of how we’d want to use this… but there’s still a lot to learn,” said an Airman.

1 SOW Airmen emphasized that the success of drone integration depends as much on institutional understanding as on technology itself. They said progress requires high-level advocacy to navigate the policies and risk assessments that come with operating in shared airspace, along with trust between ground units employing the systems and aviation communities managing them. As one Airman explained, the future fight will rely on an enterprise that adapts quickly and learns from those already proving what’s possible.

At Hurlburt Field, 1st SOW EOD Airmen are showing how small systems can yield big results. The shift from large ground robots to backpack-sized drones is transforming how they detect, respond, and recover—bringing speed, precision, and safety to every mission. “These are coming. This is the way of the future,” said a 1st SOW Airman. “If it’s not in your shop currently, it probably will be in the very near future. Get ready.”

Story by Alexandra Broughton 

Headquarters Air Force, Office of the Director of Civil Engineers

Posted in Air Force, Drone, EOD, Guest Post, SOF | No Comments »

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