The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory recently held two separate events in New Mexico to advance directed energy and kinetic energy capabilities and space domain awareness.
Pilots and officers virtually tested DE and KE systems during the Directed Energy and Kinetic Energy Directed Energy Utility Concept Experiment while defense leaders and researchers talked about SDA-related challenges and technologies during the 9th Annual Space Domain Awareness Leadership Workshop, AFRL said.
Darl Lewis, DEKE DEUCE lead and wargaming principal investigator, explained that the wargame event helped determine capabilities and joint integration gaps that can be solved by next-generation energy weapons and gather warfighter feedback from pilots that tested energy weapon concepts.
Meanwhile, the SDA Leadership Workshop facilitated conversations revolving around situational awareness outside Earth between defense decision-makers, space operators and researchers.
“Since the first workshop in 2013, AFRL has strived to facilitate cross organization sharing from each agency’s expertise, and to not just make the gathering about the new technology emerging from AFRL,” noted David Barnaby, an official within AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate.