Air Warfare Battlelab

Mission of the Air Warfare Battlelab

The Mission of the Air Warfare Battlelab (AWB) is to rapidly identify and prove the worth of innovative ideas for enhancing the deployability, sustainability, survivability and lethality of contingency Air Expeditionary Forces for Global Engagement. To complete this mission, the AWB focuses on ideas that:

* Reduce deployment response time

* Reduce deployment support structure

* Increase deployed combat capability and effectiveness

After demonstration of an initiative, the AWB makes a recommendation to senior Air Force leaders and the Air Force acquisition community. The recommendations help determine whether or not the Air Force should procure the items, move forward on an idea, or wait for future technology improvements.The AWB can accept ideas from any source. We accept ideas from an airman or sergeant on the flight line, from civilians, and from members of other military services. Contractors interested in gaining an entry point into the AF modernization process can present ideas thorough our Broad Agency Announcement in Fed Biz Ops. Once an idea passes our screening and initial research, we validate and outbrief the concept in about eighteen months. The advantages for both the military and industry are tremendous. For industry, we provide analysis of the idea based on the expertise of subject area specialists and identify potential customers while guaranteeing that all ideas selected for evaluation will be visible to senior Air Force leaders and the acquisition community. Any proprietary information provided to the AWB will be safeguarded. From the military standpoint, ideas worked by the AW Battlelab directly impact the Air Force and joint operations, improve efficiency and effectiveness for the warfighter, and introduce new technologies, tactics, procedures, architecture and/or doctrine into the Air Force.

Ideas submitted to the Air Warfare Battlelab should address improvements within any of the six phases of Aerospace Expeditionary Force operations: readiness, deployment, employment, sustainment, redeployment and/or reconstitution. Should an idea fit better in one of the other six Air Force Battlelabs, we will forward it to the appropriate location.

Air Warfare Battlelab

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Air Warfare Battlelab

AWB Initiatives

Current Initiatives are fully developed projects that have been approved for funding and execution.

Draft Initiatives are fully developed concepts that have been approved by the Air Warfare Battlelab internal review system and are preparing for approval and funding.

AWB has completed 45 initiatives since its activation in 1997. Completed initiatives have varied levels of "transition" - ranging from no transition to full fielding.

Air Warfare Battlelab

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Waterjet cutting for metals

Air Force Link - Photos

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Technology offers high-tech patient monitoring

Air Force Link - Story Media

Technology offers high-tech patient monitoring

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DOD Transformation

Workers don't need to wear a hazardous material suit to operate the blaster — the only extra equipment needed is aface shield, to protect against sealant residue particles, thick gloves for handling the dry ice and hearing protection.Not much larger than a grain of rice, the dry ice pellets are formed from frozen carbon dioxide. Frozen at minus 109.3 degrees, the dry ice causes material like the sealant to shrink and lose adhesion from the sub-surface, according to the Cold Jet Web site.At the same time, the temperature of the sub-surface causes the dry ice to convert back into carbon dioxide gas or "sublimate." As the dry ice pellets sublimate, only the removed material remains.With the blast pressure adjusted to 3.5 pounds per minute, the dry ice pellets remove only the sealant and don't affect the paint, Long said.

Ice Blaster Saves Time, Money, Manpower - U.S. Department of Defense Transformation News Story

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