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Description
Register today for an AFWERX Challenge account to submit your solutions to solve complex security problems.
https://afwerxchallenge.com/register
View all AFWERX Challenges:
https://afwerxchallenge.com/project
Now Seeking Your Solutions:
CHALLENGE OVERVIEW
In partnership with United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the United States Air Force (USAF) is seeking state-of-the-art High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HSVTOL) concepts capable of supporting four critical mission profiles that demand agile mobility:
• Infiltration and Exfiltration of Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Equipment: Special Operations Forces desire the ability to operate from austere locations, independent of main operating bases and large logistics footprints, to enter contested environments and covertly deliver and retrieve their teams and equipment in short operational windows.
• Personnel Recovery (PR): Personnel Recovery forces desire the ability to operate from similar austere locations to enter contested environments with all types of terrain and water to rescue isolated personnel in short operational windows.
• Aeromedical Evacuation (AE): Aeromedical evacuation and mobility forces desire a configurable aircraft capable of operating from austere locations to ensure golden hour response times for critically wounded patients.
• Tactical Mobility (TM): USAF requires an agile, runway-independent tactical airlift capability that offers a higher payload capacity with potentially reduced hover capability to expedite the delivery of vital cargo to the point of need.
These missions are expected to be conducted across the entire spectrum of conflict and political scenarios, from peacetime crisis response to wartime military support.
In the near term, our goal is to produce an HSVTOL conceptual framework that effectively maximizes the trade space of speed, range, survivability, payload, size, and mission flexibility, while satisfying the previously stated objectives.
Example capabilities include, but are not limited to:
• Jet-like speeds and longer endurance in flight
• In-flight transition from low-speed/hover to high-speed/cruise and vice versa
• Increased range in low to medium flight elevations
• Air refueling and rapid refueling ability from all current and future fuel storage platforms
• Highly survivable for use in a wide range of mission environments with collision avoidance systems and the ability to identify potential dangers, e.g., active/passive threat detection and countermeasures during all phases of flight
• Handling of payload to accommodate mission-specific needs:
o Volumetrically compatible with a standardized pallet size
o Able to accommodate rapid on/offload of cargo or personnel in austere/non-prepared locations
o Modular cargo area to accommodate the breadth of equipment, personnel, and/or medical services
Based on internal knowledge and market research conducted with industry and academia, USAF and USSOCOM have assembled an initial set of Focus Areas to bring structure to the crowdsourcing process for this AFWERX Challenge. We’re looking for individuals and teams from business, academia, and government who have expertise in one or all of the following Focus Areas to participate.
• HSVTOL Integrated Solutions
o System Conceptualization, Design, and Architecture in a digital engineering environment to reduce development time, risk, and cost through extensive high-fidelity modeling and simulation.
• HSVTOL Subsystem Solutions: Leveraging enabling technologies and/or digital engineering principles that provide a path toward developing an overall HSVTOL solution capable of meeting future warfighter needs. Examples include, but are not limited to:
o Advanced Propulsion Technologies to power the HSVTOL concept, enabling vertical lift, agile mobility, and horizontal travel at jet-like speeds.
o Novel Technologies (Subsystems, Software, and Hardware) that enable operation of the HSVTOL concept, including materials that support manufacturing, construction, and/or survivability to ensure mission success.
FOCUS AREA CAPABILITIES & TECHNOLOGIES
Focus Area: HSVTOL Integrated Solutions
System Conceptualization, Design, and Architecture
Capabilities desired from this Focus Area include, but are not limited to:
• Aerodynamic efficiency to maximize range
• Functionality to allow desired internal and/or external cargo and capacity attributes to meeting mission objectives
• Integrated HSVTOL conceptual solution capable of meeting mission objectives
• Maximized survivability through thoughtful and intelligent design
• Resilience to enable sustainability and reliability
• Simplicity of design to maintain, service, and reduce overall operational costs
Technologies considered within this Focus Area include, but are not limited to:
• Advanced propulsion technologies
• Airframe architecture
• Airframe/chassis designs and structures to accommodate internal and/or payload and cargo capacity
• Air refueling technologies
• Alternative energy sources
• Digital engineering, digital twins, virtual testing environments, and high-fidelity simulation
• Hovering technologies with benign downwash
• Signature management technology
Focus Area: HSVTOL Subsystem Solutions
The technological solutions desired from this Focus Area could be integrated into a broader system. Though all enabling technology solutions will be considered, we’ll prioritize those that aid in furthering critical architecture and design considerations early in the development process.
Examples of enabling technologies include, but are not limited to:
Advanced Propulsion Technologies
Capabilities desired from this Focus Area include, but are not limited to:
• Horizontal high-speed flight
• Hovering and vertical take-off and landing with benign downwash
Technologies considered within this Focus Area include, but are not limited to:
• Alternative energy sources
• Anti-gravity
• Electric and battery technology
• Engines and turbines
• Rotors
• Thrusters
• Turbojets
Novel Technologies (Subsystems, Software, and Hardware)
Capabilities desired from this Focus Area include, but are not limited to:
• Active/passive threat detection
• Advanced manufacturing technologies capable of reducing cost, schedule, or both
• Advanced materials capable of supporting mission applications
• Airframe/chassis designs and structures to accommodate internal and/or payload and cargo capacity
• Articulating landing gear to accommodate all types of terrain
• Automation of air refueling, landing, VTOL transition, flight profiles, etc.
• Countermeasure systems
• Hardened software and hardware to prevent cyber hacking and enable resilience
• Modular systems capable of adapting to a variety of mission sets
• Signature management technologies
• Technologies capable of increasing survivability
Technologies considered within this Focus Area include, but are not limited to:
• Additive manufacturing
• Advanced coatings
• Advanced materials capable of supporting mission applications
• Aerospace materials/composites
• Cargo handling and organization
• Command and control communications
• Common cockpit
• Composite materials
• Computer vision
• Digital engineering, digital twins, virtual testing environments, and high-fidelity simulation
• GPS-denied/contested navigation/alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT)
• Human factors
• Noise and emissions mitigation
• On-board digital twin
• Passenger handling
• Rapid prototyping and manufacturing
• Redundant, fail-safe, and emergency systems
• Rotor technology
• Sensors: navigational, situational awareness, environmental, detect and avoid, etc.
• Simplified vehicle operations (SVO); non-pilot aircraft operation
• Stealth enabling technologies
• Terrain avoidance
• Vehicle health and status monitoring
• Wing technology
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
Participation in this AFWERX Challenge offers each solution provider the following:
• A chance to advance the state-of-the-art in HSVTOL concepts and solutions
• Opportunity to collaborate and work with industry and government to positively impact our Airmen, ultimately creating a more resilient and mission-ready military force
• Potential to receive funding for concept development and/or rapid prototyping and prospective further development of your solution within the USAF and USSOCOM
• Potential long-term contract or agreement and continuing business partnerships with the Air Force and other government agencies
• Official recognition for you and your company, if selected, through publication on internal and external USAF and USSOCOM communication channels
• Ability for you to network throughout the government and Department of Defense (DoD)
• Opportunity for teaming and technology development
• Potential invitation to attend the Challenge Showcase to network with other innovators, USAF, USSOCOM, DoD customers, and investors
BROADER IMPACT
USAF and USSOCOM will benefit from:
• Ability to become more agile and lethal by expanding the overall capabilities and modernization of the fleet
• Greater placement in contested and highly contested environments
• Increasing runway and large airfield independence
• Strengthened operational effectiveness against all threats
• Ability to deliver and recover personnel and cargo quickly, safely, and more efficiently
• Improvement in mission-readiness capabilities
• Increased survivability through speed and terminal area maneuverability
• Simplicity of ruggedized maintenance for ease and minimizing time to repair
• Fault avoidance through focus on anomaly detection and contingency handling
• Increased mission integration between mobility air forces, special forces, and combat air forces due to compatible cruise speeds
• Reduction of development time and risk through extensive, high-fidelity modeling and simulation
• Crowdsourcing to explore a large solution space not offered in traditional acquisition processes at a lower cost
Department of Defense agencies and our Allies will benefit from:
• Increased national security stemming from a more mission-ready and capable force
• Formation of solid cross-service collaborations
• Strengthened force as a result of time savings, agile transport, and equipment availability
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTION
Participation in this challenge requires a completed submission using the AFWERXchallenge.com web form linked below. The form includes the following fields:
• Solution Title: Provide the concise name of your solution.
• Executive Summary: Explain your solution or concept in 500 characters or less.
• Solution Description: Expand on how your solution addresses the challenge objectives and evaluation criteria.
• Value Proposition: Describe how your solution can benefit USAF and USSOCOM.
• Solution Level: State the Focus Area for your solution.
o System
§ Conceptualization, Design, and Architecture
o Subsystem
§ Advanced Propulsion Technologies
§ Novel Technologies (Subsystems, Software, and Hardware)
o Other
• Solution Maturity: Define the development stage of your solution.
o Ideation: A conceptual understanding that has not undergone prototyping
o Prototype/Experiment: A concept that extends beyond an idea and has undergone initial experiments and prototype buildout
o Complete Application: A prototyped solution that has been tested and is ready for launch
o Commercial Product: The solution is currently a commercial product
• Keywords: Specify any descriptive keywords that may be useful for a search related to your solution.
NOTE: Challenge participants may submit one or more solutions for each Focus Area. However, the same solution may not be submitted for multiple Focus Areas.
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