AFWERX

US Air Force Awards Skyloom $18M to Develop Hybrid Space Optical Satellite Communications to Support Assured C3ISR

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 8, 2024
Knowledge, Transfer, LEO, Element, Associate professor, Altitude, Skybridge, Government, Environment, Partnership, SBIR, STTR, Policy, Small business, SKY PerfecTV!, Commercial, Small Business Innovation Research, AFWERX, USAF, KBI, Air force, Allied forces, NTT, Air Force Research Laboratory, DAF

The contract will allow Skyloom to develop network infrastructure elements of Space Optical Satellite Communications for a Hybrid Space Architecture to augment assured communications in a contested environment.

Key Points: 
  • The contract will allow Skyloom to develop network infrastructure elements of Space Optical Satellite Communications for a Hybrid Space Architecture to augment assured communications in a contested environment.
  • Skyloom and SkyBridge, a subsidiary of Knowledge Bridge International, Inc. (KBI) will collaborate to bring the solutions to use.
  • Each of these elements are fundamental building blocks for the future of U.S. and Allied assured communications that are already evolving through free-space optical technology.
  • “STRATFI accelerates the production and operational readiness of Space Optical Satellite Communications for Government and Commercial End-Users.

TrustPoint Announces AFWERX Phase II Contract Award

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Telecommunications, Other Defense, General Automotive, Contracts, Hardware, Semiconductor, Government Technology, Security, Technology, Satellite, Military, Professional Services, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Drones, Mobile, Wireless, Defense, IOT (Internet of Things), Small Business, Homeland Security, Aerospace, Other Transport, Manufacturing, Public Policy, Government, Maritime, Air, Automotive, Transport, Autonomous Driving, Vehicles, Transfer, Unitary state, PNT, SBIR, STTR, Policy, GPS, Small business, Small Business Innovation Research, AFWERX, Air force, Air Force Research Laboratory, DAF, Management

TrustPoint announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase II in the amount of $1.6M focused on advanced resilient navigation applications to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

Key Points: 
  • TrustPoint announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase II in the amount of $1.6M focused on advanced resilient navigation applications to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
  • The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
  • "This program marks the next phase of investment by the U.S. Government into TrustPoint's suite of advanced PNT applications, which go well beyond the historic purpose of simply deriving a position from GPS signals," said TrustPoint CEO and Founder, Patrick Shannon.
  • "We are excited by the DoD's support and shared vision for the future of commercial space-based PNT."

HiddenLayer Awarded AFWERX STTR Phase II Contract to Accelerate USA Department of Defense Security Adoption

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Transfer, Entrepreneurship, SBIR, Research, STTR, Artificial intelligence, Policy, AI, University, Small business, Private sector, Small Business Innovation Research, AFWERX, Buffalo, Air force, Air Force Research Laboratory, Government, DAF

AUSTIN, Texas, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HiddenLayer, the leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.8MM focused on AI Detection & Response to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded, and as of February 9, 2024, HiddenLayer began its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

Key Points: 
  • AUSTIN, Texas, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HiddenLayer , the leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.8MM focused on AI Detection & Response to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
  • "The opportunity to extend the use of our AISec Platform to secure the US Department of Defense's most critical models, while also accelerating commercialization in the private sector, is a significant milestone for HiddenLayer," said Chris "Tito" Sestito, Co-Founder and CEO of HiddenLayer.
  • "We are honored to collaborate with AFWERX and researchers at the University at Buffalo to advance research on adversarial AI attack methods, further driving our mission to help enterprises protect their most valuable technology."
  • The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

RocketStar Announces Successful Demonstration of Fusion-Enhanced Pulsed Plasma Electric Propulsion

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Nuclear fusion, Radiation, USSF, Plasma, Georgia Tech, Boron, Proton, SBIR, University, Spacecraft, OTV, Carbon, AFWERX, Nuclear engineering, Alpha, Firestar, Gamma, SpaceX, ION Satellite Carrier, Lithium

NEW YORK, March 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RocketStar Inc. has successfully demonstrated the FireStar Drive, a groundbreaking electric propulsion unit for spacecraft that uses nuclear fusion-enhanced pulsed plasma.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, March 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RocketStar Inc. has successfully demonstrated the FireStar Drive, a groundbreaking electric propulsion unit for spacecraft that uses nuclear fusion-enhanced pulsed plasma.
  • This innovative device significantly boosts the performance of RocketStar's base water-fueled pulsed plasma thruster by utilizing a unique form of aneutronic nuclear fusion.
  • The fusion discovery was first made during an SBIR Phase 1 for AFWERX where boronated water was introduced into the pulsed plasma thruster’s exhaust plume.
  • “We are very excited to test FireStar for RocketStar,” said Brent Abbott, CRO at Rogue Space Systems.

Reliable Robotics Selected for U.S. Air Force Funding Program

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Technology, Robotics, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Military, Automotive, Autonomous Driving, Vehicles, Drones, Air, Defense, Transport, Other Defense, Hardware, Government Technology, Certification, AGILE, RET, Exercise, Acceleration, SBIR, Aviation, AFRL, Caravan, Senior, United States Air Force, AFWERX, USAF, The, Air force, Safety, Multimedia, Air Force Research Laboratory, Small Business Innovation Research

Reliable Robotics , a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced it was approved to participate in the 2024 AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program for the United States Department of the Air Force (USAF).

Key Points: 
  • Reliable Robotics , a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced it was approved to participate in the 2024 AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program for the United States Department of the Air Force (USAF).
  • TACFI is designed to “bridge the capability gap” between current Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts to facilitate the delivery of strategic capabilities for the Department of the Air Force.
  • Reliable was competitively chosen for award from a large list of providers during the funding evaluation.
  • With FAA approval, Reliable Robotics demonstrated operation of two different aircraft types in civilian airspace with no pilot onboard in 2019 and 2023 .

Solstar Space Awarded $1.25 Million U.S. Space Force AFWERX/AFVENTURES Phase II SBIR Contract for the Slayton Wideband Space Communicator

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
LEO, MEO, USSF, Communication, Solstar, Policy, AFWERX, USAF, Air force, Government, DAF, Communications satellite

SANTA FE, N.M., April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Solstar Space (Solstar), the company making space Wi-Fi available, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase II contract in the amount of $1,248,735 to address pressing challenges for the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The contract supports development of Solstar's Continuous Spacecraft System Communications Wideband (CSSC-WB) unit, known as the Slayton Space Communicator (Slayton). Slayton provides high-speed downlink and uplink communication capabilities designed to significantly increase connectivity with people and spacecraft operating in low earth orbit (LEO) while minimizing communications blackout periods caused by limited ground station links.

Key Points: 
  • The contract supports development of Solstar's Continuous Spacecraft System Communications Wideband (CSSC-WB) unit, known as the Slayton Space Communicator (Slayton).
  • "As LEO becomes increasingly congested, it is imperative that the U.S. Space Force has complete situational awareness.
  • As LEO becomes increasingly congested, it is imperative that the U.S. Space Force (USSF) has complete situational awareness," says Brian Barnett, CEO, Solstar Space.
  • "Slayton revolutionizes in-orbit communications by offering commercial wideband satellite services in space leveraging operational and emerging wideband commercial satellite networks in MEO and LEO.

Delta Development Team Receives SBIR Phase Two Enhancement for Innovations in Battlefield Blood Storage

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Temperature, APRU, DHA, SBIR, Trauma, App Store (iOS/iPadOS), DDT, Freezing, AFWERX, Resuscitation, TBS, EMS, Multimedia, Blood, FDA, Defense, Small Business Innovation Research, Medical device

For the past five years, DDT has been diligently working on this system, marking it as their third FDA-listed medical device for blood delivery.

Key Points: 
  • For the past five years, DDT has been diligently working on this system, marking it as their third FDA-listed medical device for blood delivery.
  • In Ukraine, the APRU is employed for stabilization during damage control resuscitation, while the Delta Ice is used for drone blood resupply.
  • Furthermore, DDT has developed the Transportable Blood Storage (TBS), a 10-day powered refrigerator designed to increase blood supply capacity on the battlefield.
  • They are proud to have achieved another SBIR (previously awarded the AFWERX Phase I and II) to continue to develop life-saving technology that they are passionate about.

Vibronyx Awarded SBIR Phase II Contract by AFWERX to Enhance U.S. Air Force Operations with Digital Supply Chain Twin

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
AFWERX, SBIR, DSCT, Small business, Air force, DAF, C-130, The, AFSOC, Telescopic sight

Nashville, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2024) - Vibronyx, Inc., a minority- and veteran-owned analytics technology and services company, has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II contract by AFWERX worth $1.25 million to enhance the company's AI-powered Digital Supply Chain Twin (DSCT) to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

Key Points: 
  • Nashville, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2024) - Vibronyx, Inc., a minority- and veteran-owned analytics technology and services company, has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II contract by AFWERX worth $1.25 million to enhance the company's AI-powered Digital Supply Chain Twin (DSCT) to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
  • The contract specifically develops a digital supply chain twin of the C-130 platform, enabling more resilient capabilities for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
  • Vibronyx has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research Phase II contract by AFWERX worth $1.25 million to enhance the company's AI-powered Digital Supply Chain Twin to support the Department of the Air Force.
  • Vibronyx's DSCT technology will provide a comprehensive view of the C-130 supply chain, leveraging modern technologies like GenAI and simulation analysis to improve contingency planning and predictive maintenance.

Mattermost Completes Contract with U.S. Air Force 618th Air Operations Center to Deliver Real Time, Mission Critical Communications

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
AFWERX, SBIR, Air force, Eighteenth Air Force, Intelligence, Mattermost, Air Operations Center, AFRL, Air Mobility Command, AOC, Partnership, Telescopic sight

Developed for the 618th Air Operations Center (AOC) of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command, the four new features address C2 challenges with response time to mission-critical requests for information.

Key Points: 
  • Developed for the 618th Air Operations Center (AOC) of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command, the four new features address C2 challenges with response time to mission-critical requests for information.
  • Air Force operators of any kind using Mattermost can leverage the features developed under this AFWERX Phase II to enhance mission intelligence shareability in real-time.
  • Message Acknowledgement - Improves situational awareness and synchronization on mission intelligence through enhanced visibility of message receipt across the chain of command.
  • User Group Management - Drives alignment across groups of rotating personnel during a mission, including operators and aircrews at the tactical edge.

Pivotal Delivers Four BlackFly light eVTOLs for U.S. Air Force evaluation; Contracted for Eight Aircraft

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
AFWERX, PALO, Aircraft, Architecture, Air force, The Air Force (album), New Braunfels National Airport, DSD, Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport, Opener BlackFly, Agility, Pivotal, The, Management

The Air Force is evaluating Pivotal aircraft performance by assessing a host of benefits across diverse applications for the company’s proven tilt-eVTOL architecture, and testing a range of remotely piloted missions.

Key Points: 
  • The Air Force is evaluating Pivotal aircraft performance by assessing a host of benefits across diverse applications for the company’s proven tilt-eVTOL architecture, and testing a range of remotely piloted missions.
  • Selected by AFWERX and Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) to participate in the Agility Prime initiative, Pivotal is providing the Air Force with pilot training and support services in addition to the aircraft and flight simulators.
  • The program will operate out of New Braunfels National Airport, Texas, and from the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, Ohio.
  • “AFWERX’s and MTSI’s decision to partner with Pivotal is a strong endorsement of our platform’s maturity and a milestone on our journey to mission relevance,” said Ken Karklin, CEO, Pivotal.