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Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
DoD Awards $50 Million in University Research The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research
Equipment Awards and Engineering is responsible for the research, development,
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (DEC. 1, 2020) and prototyping activities across the Department of Defense.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced awards to OUSD(R&E) fosters technological dominance across the DoD,
150 university researchers totaling $50 million under the De- ensuring the unquestioned superiority of the American joint
fense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). force. Learn more at http://www.cto.mil.
These grants will be provided to 85 institutions across 33 states
in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. Combat Air Force Fellowship Teaches Defense
Acquisition
DoD has long championed the country’s scientific ecosystem. AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Through DURIP, the Department supports purchases of major (DEC. 2, 2020)
research equipment to augment current and develop new capa- Allyson B. Crawford
bilities. This effort enables universities to perform state-of-the- Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Waller, Jr.
art research that boosts the United States’ technological edge, WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—Today, Lt.
while ensuring that our future science, technology, engineering, Col. Robert Waller, Jr. is director of Operations for the 780th
and mathematics (STEM) workforce remains second to none. Test Squadron. This is a turn from how he began his Air Force
This year, the awards will support equipment and instrumenta- career as an F-15E combat and test pilot.
tion to accelerate basic research, which is relevant across the
Department to include quantum sciences, materials design, Waller studied Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aero-
development, and characterization, machine learning, hyper- nautical University and then commissioned 15 years ago.
sonics, and more.
Waller successfully completed the Combat Air Force (CAF) Fel-
“DURIP awards help maintain the cutting-edge capabilities of lowship, which is a professional military education (PME) pro-
our universities and provide research infrastructure to enable gram for midcareer officers. It is not common for pilots to enroll
the most creative scientific minds in the country to extend the in the CAF Fellowship. In fact, Waller was only the second test
boundaries of science and technology,” said Dr. Bindu Nair, pilot selected for the program. To date, two have completed the
director, Basic Research Office, Office of the Undersecretary program, while two more are currently taking part in the pro-
of Defense for Research and Engineering. “The awards will gram. As part of the fellowship, Waller was embedded in the Air
facilitate scientific advances that will drive unparalleled military Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB.
capabilities for our country and help train our future STEM
workforce.” “The idea of the program is that I will understand more clearly
my role in defense acquisition and hopefully improve our time-
The annual DURIP award process is highly competitive. The lines and success rates for the acquisition program,” explains
program is administered through a merit competition jointly Waller.
by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research
Office, and Office of Naval Research. The Department seeks Waller arrived at WPAFB in 2018 and finished his program
specific proposals from university investigators conducting there during the summer of 2020. After program completion,
foundational science and engineering research relevant to na- he and his family moved to Eglin AFB where he assumed his
tional defense. current leadership role. During his training at AFLCMC, he
would attend meetings and write down unfamiliar phrases and
For the FY 2021 competition, the Service research offices re- programs to discuss with mentors. This helped him learn the
ceived 742 proposals requesting $297 million in total funding. new “language” of defense acquisition.
Selections made by the Service research offices are subject to
successful completion of negotiations with the academic insti- “My experience at Wright-Patt definitely opened my eyes to the
tutions. complexity and difficulty associated with rapid defense acquisi-
tion. Terminology you hear now is ‘speed of relevance.’ What I
The list of winning proposals can be downloaded at https:// hope to bring to this position is appreciation for the challenges
media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/01/2002543787/-1/-1/0/FY21- from our program managers and to be able to have a relationship
DURIP-SELECTIONS-FOR-PRESS-RELEASE-FINAL- and speak in the same terms as our program office counterpart
20-NOV.PDF. so we can work together in trying to make programs as suc-
cessful as possible, as quickly as possible.”
About OUSD(R&E)
Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021 1
Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
At Eglin, Waller helps manage ongoing test operations for
the weapons portfolio across the joint force. This includes ev-
erything from small arms fire like rifle rounds all the way to
components for nuclear missiles. Some of the big programs he
helps oversee includes Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, the top
weapons development program in the air-to-air portfolio for the
Air Force and Navy.
Waller will spend the next two years at Eglin and hopes to stay
in the Air Force his entire career. His next goal is to lead at either
the squadron or materiel branch level in a few years.
More information on Air Force fellowships is available on the
Air University website.
Air Force Partners with Universities in Next-Genera-
tion Minority Leaders Research Collaboration Pro-
gram
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (DEC. 3, 2020)
Donna Lindner
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—The ob-
jective of the Air Force Research Laboratory Research Collabo-
ration Program II (also known as the Minority Leaders – RCP)
is to enable collaborative research partnerships between AFRL
and academia that engage a diverse pool of scientists and engi-
neers in addressing foundational research challenges in support Lt. Col. Robert Waller, Jr., successfully completed the Combat
of the nation’s air, space, and cyberspace technology needs. Air Force (CAF) Fellowship, which is a professional military
education (PME) program for midcareer officers. It is not
The new effort, co-led by AFRL, Ohio State University (OSU), common for pilots to enroll in the CAF Fellowship. In fact,
Wright State University and North Carolina A&T State Univer- Waller was only the second test pilot selected for the pro-
sity, will create a national consortium to increase opportunities gram.
in the Air Force for minority science technology engineering Courtesy photo
and mathematics students and graduates.
Diverse perspectives from across the nation help conquer workforce for the next generation of scientists for the U.S. Air
Air Force research and development challenges. Establishing Force,” said Morley Stone, senior vice president of Research at
AFRL-led cutting edge research projects at historically black OSU. “In addition, through this work, these organizations will
colleges and universities, minority serving institutions, and be better positioned to propose and perform on AFRL research
other partnering foundations is encouraging growth competen- opportunities and the larger U.S. Department of Defense en-
cies at these universities for supporting aerospace technologies. terprise.”
The six-year, $40 million project, funded by AFRL, develops The scope of the research projects encompass a broad range
and trains the next generation of STEM leaders. Students work of evolutionary and revolutionary technology advances within
with AFRL research mentors on projects throughout the aca- varied AFRL research topic areas, including structural and
demic school year and are employed by AFRL under summer functional materials and applications, support for operations,
internship programs with access to specialized research equip- manufacturing technology, radio frequency sensing, electro-
ment and laboratory space to continue ongoing research in con- optical sensing, and spectrum warfare.
cert with that mentor.
Layered sensing exploitation and enabling sensor devices/com-
“This funding provides an exciting opportunity for OSU to part- ponents; high speed systems; thermal management systems;
ner with minority institutions from across the nation to develop rocket propulsion; turbine engines; aerospace vehicles; human-
creative approaches to cultivating a prepared, diverse research centered intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; bio ef-
2 Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021
Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
Cristian Orozco, a University of Texas El Paso graduate student, works in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate over the
summer. One of his duties includes working with a vacuum chamber for thin film coatings for optics.
U.S. Air Force photo by Donna Lindner
fect; and training and decision making are other topic areas of a meaningful relationship for the long haul between the institu-
interest. tions we’re working with,” said Michael Groeber, associate pro-
fessor in Integrated Systems Engineering at OSU and research
“There are many benefits to this program,” said Asheley Black- director for the project.
ford, AFRL RCP program manager. “It creates a new source of
quality university research with a highly trained pool of excel- The consortium will help member institutions identify poten-
lent student and engineering graduates. It also increases diver- tial projects and develop proposals for AFRL and other DoD
sity of the workforce along with allowing access to innovative research projects. The consortium will also subcontract awards
thoughts from culturally and scientifically diverse sources.” to the participating members: The consortium leadership (OSU,
WSU, and AFRL) will review proposals, select projects for
AFRL has previously funded individual graduate student re- funding, and offer technical support to MSI teams that receive
search projects. This effort is specifically designed to create funding through the consortium for research. And, the AFRL
a national infrastructure that will build a lasting pipeline that will work with researchers throughout the lab to identify proj-
brings science and engineering students from minority-serving ects that would benefit from outside help.
institutions to the AFRL and strengthens research connections
between the AFRL and MSIs. The environment at AFRL is unique. It enables students to
truly experience the culture and research with strong personal
“Our fundamental goal is to develop the kind of community experiences.
network that not only develops students’ skills, but also builds
Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021 3
Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
“I felt very relaxed and comfortable from the first day I arrived ing legacy contracts and leveraging small business innovation,
for work, and the environment is very friendly,” said Cristian RETS will improve efficiency and offer cost savings for perfor-
Orozco, graduate student from the University of Texas El Paso. mance of the following tasks:
“My mentor introduced me to a slew of people that were always
willing and eager to help me learn. I was empowered to inde- • Modeling & Simulation
pendently perform hands-on work in the lab.”
• Operations Research
Maintaining contact with each other is a great networking op-
portunity. Making new friends and learning a lot is priceless, • Mission Engineering
Orozco commented.
• Developmental Test & Evaluation
This program permits students and faculty to be part of the
cutting-edge technologies developed in AFRL as well as leaving • Prototyping, Experimentation, and Demonstration
a strong technical footprint through collaborations. Research in-
stitutions have incorporated new competencies and curriculum • Science and Technology (S&T) Research and Assessment
to not only advance the institutions but the expertise of students
across the nation. Students are grown into interdisciplinary re- • Data Management & Analysis
searchers who are trained across multiple disciplines as the new
workforce of the future. The first task under RETS for Mission Engineering support,
valued at $6.9 million, was awarded on November 25, 2020,
Defense Department Brings Small Business Innova- to Modern Technology Solutions, Inc., a small business. Amy
tion to Research & Engineering Support Murray, director of the Office of Small Business Programs and
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (DEC. 7, 2020) Deputy DASD for Industrial Policy, applauded the R&E team’s
The Department of Defense announced on November 19, 2020, approach to utilize the RETS contract as a set-aside for small
a new contracting vehicle for procuring research, engineering, business offerors. “This award highlights the value and innova-
and technical expertise from small businesses to promote inno- tion that our small business engineering and technical services
vation and advance the Department’s technological superiority. community brings to the Department of Defense,” said Murray.
“They are great partners who provide technical expertise, rigor,
The five-year vehicle, called the Research, Development, Test and agility to meet the Department’s contracted engineering
& Evaluation, Engineering, and Technical Support (RETS) is needs.”
designed as a small business set-aside, indefinite delivery/indefi-
nite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a ceiling of $496,000,000. About OUSD(R&E)
The contract was awarded to American Systems Corp., of Chan-
tilly, Virginia; Applied Research Associates Inc., of Alexandria, The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research
Virginia; and Modern Technology Solutions Inc., Alexandria, and Engineering is responsible for the research, development,
Virginia. and prototyping activities across the Department of Defense.
OUSD(R&E) fosters technological dominance across the DoD
The Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Ad- ensuring the unquestioned superiority of the American joint
vanced Capabilities James A. Faist spearheaded the effort within force. Learn more at http://www.cto.mil.
the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). “As the Department’s lead for en- AFOSR Awards 17 Quantum Research Grants from
gineering, we in Advanced Capabilities had to secure the flex- Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accel-
ibility and the engineering talent to take the Department into erator Competition
the future,” said Faist. “With this contract, we have the agility AIR FORCE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (DEC. 28, 2020)
to get the right analysis and technical support as DoD looks to ARLINGTON, Va. (AFOSR)—The Air Force Research Labora-
maintain U.S. technological superiority.” tory’s Air Force Office of Scientific Research recently awarded
17 quantum information science grants, with a focus on basic
RETS will improve business operations by providing the De- research, to scientists and engineers at institutions across the
partment with greater access to innovative technical solutions globe. These awards were fast-tracked following a three-day
and talent. RETS also better aligns business operations to the virtual pitch competition held Air Force Col. Timothy Law-
National Defense Strategy line of effort to reform the Depart- rence, director of AFRL’s Information Directorate at Rome,
ment for greater performance and affordability. By consolidat- N.Y., speaks during the event.
4 Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021
Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
Air Force Col. Timothy Lawrence, director of AFRL’s Information Directorate at Rome, N.Y., speaks during the Million Dollar
International Quantum U Tech Accelerator competition. The competition was held Sept. 1-3, 2020, at the Innovare Advancement
Center in Rome, New York.
U.S. Air Force courtesy photo
The Innovare Advancement Center, at Rome, New York, hosted The competition started with a global open call for white paper
the virtual Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Ac- submissions Aug. 4, 2020, featuring four focus areas within
celerator event from Sept. 1-3, 2020, with funding provided by quantum information science: Communications, Computing,
AFRL’s Information Directorate, AFOSR, the Office of Naval Sensing, and Timing.
Research, and additional support provided by the Griffiss Insti-
tute, New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation, and White papers were received from 22 different countries, in-
SUNY Research Foundation. This was a multi-layered collab- cluding the United States. From those submissions, a total of
orative effort with the common goal of accelerating quantum 36 white papers that met the evaluation and selection criteria
innovation for the U.S. military and coalition partners. were chosen for the final round to compete. Those 36 proposers
were then invited to give virtual pitches at the Million Dollar
“AFOSR has a long history of collaborating with academia and International Quantum U Tech Accelerator event to an elite
industry on breakthrough science critical to the future of the cadre of judges consisting of top researchers and leaders from
Air Force and Space Force capabilities,” said Dr. Shery Welsh, government, academia, and industry. Those selected at the event
director, AFOSR. “We are thrilled to have supported the Million were then eligible to apply for a one-year seedling grant of ap-
Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accelerator competition proximately $75,000 each.
as it served as a perfect entry point for us to find talented, en-
trepreneurial, and energetic researchers dedicated to finding Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accelerator grant
creative solutions that go beyond the classical Quantum Infor- recipients:
mation Science (QIS) systems.”
• Gurudev Dutt, University of Pittsburgh (United States), Mem-
ory-Enhanced Quantum Sensing for GPS-denied Navigation
Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021 5
Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
• John Close, Australian National University (Australia), Quan- • Shimon Kolkowitz, University of Wisconsin-Madison (United
tum sensors for GPS-denied navigation States), Reducing optical lattice clock SWaP requirements
while improving accuracy with precision Rydberg spectros-
• David Simpson, University of Melbourne (Australia), Towards copy
sub-picotesla quantum diamond magnetometers for defense
• R. Jason Jones, University of Arizona (United States), 2-Pho-
• Paul G. Kwiat, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ton Rb Optical Atomic Clock
(United States), Attosecond Measurements via Quantum- En-
hanced Interferometry The competition and follow-on grant awards represent a coordi-
nated team effort across the AFRL research ecosystem.
• Fred Chong, University of Chicago (United States), Coreset
Quantum Computing: Addressing Large Data Sets with Small “We are so grateful to the amazing team at AFRL’s Informa-
Quantum Computers tion Directorate for their dedication to driving quantum science
through the cultivation of new partner relationships and the co-
• Kavan Modi, Monash University, Melbourne VIC, Mitigating ordination of this very successful event,” said Welsh. “Congratu-
correlated noise in quantum machines lations to the new grantees – we look forward to the research
results generated by this effort,” she added.
• Andrew G. White, University of Queensland, Brisbane (Aus-
tralia), Efficient Fast Photonic Integrated Circuits for Photonic About AFRL
Quantum Computing
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary sci-
• Shyan Shankar, University of Texas at Austin and New York entific research and development center for the Air Force. AFRL
University (United States), Superconducting-FET microwave plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development,
amplifier for qubit readout and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our
air, space, and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than
• Paolo Pintus, University of California Santa Barbara (United 11,000 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations
States), Ultra-low power magneto-optic devices for quantum across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science
computing in silicon photonics and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research
and technology development. For more information, visit http://
• Tobias J. Kippenberg, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, www.afresearchlab.com.
(Switzerland), Concepts and development of coherent trans-
duction between different qubit technologies Former AFRL Engineer Earns 2021 Most Promising
Engineer in Government Award
• John Bartholomew, University of Sydney (Australia), An AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (JAN. 12, 2021)
entangled photon pair source for hybrid optical-microwave WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—A former
quantum networks Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate
Airman was recently named the 2021 Most Promising Engi-
• Marko Loncar, Harvard University (United States), Quan- neer in Government in advance of the 35th Annual 2021 Black
tum enabling technologies to support communication and Engineer of the Year STEM Conference, to be held virtually
networking Feb. 11-13.
• Alp Sipahigil, University of California, Berkeley (United First Lt. Samuel Nyamekye grew up in Ghana, West Africa,
States), Quantum Memories for Superconducting Quantum where he enjoyed spending time with family and exploring the
Networks “why” behind how things work. Nyamekye’s curiosity led him
to earn a Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Science degree at
• Britton Plourde, Syracuse University (United States), Super- the University of Science and Technology in Ghana in 2010.
conducting Metamaterial Ring Resonators
“I have always been curious and sought to understand how
• Nicolas Grandjean, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology things work,” Nyamekye said. “I am most passionate about un-
(Switzerland), Integrated blue laser and optical frequency derstanding the underlying technology behind everything, from
comb for the next generation of lattice clocks simple tools to complex machines.”
6 Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
Although Nyamekye enjoyed life in West Africa, he was drawn
to the United States by the promise of new opportunities. In
2011, Nyamekye used an immigration program to join some
of his relatives in Atlanta. In 2012, he enlisted in the Air Force
as a civil engineer Airman, where he conducted site surveys,
built floor plans and elevation drafting, and managed construc-
tion projects.
“While supporting his family in Ghana, Nyamekye honed his
skills as an enlisted engineering apprentice and journeyman,”
said Olivia Beal, Nyamekye’s former supervisor who now serves
as chief of the AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate’s Inte-
grations and Operations Division. “He quickly became known
as an unparalleled Airman, providing technical support in the
management of facilities and more than $2 billion in base assets
at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.”
Nyamekye’s success as an enlisted Airman led him to become
an officer in 2017. As a newly minted second lieutenant, his first
assignment was working as a hypersonic research engineer in
the Aerospace Systems Directorate’s High Speed Division.
He recently moved on to a new assignment at the 28th Test and
Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida.
“During my three years in AFRL, I worked on numerous proj-
First Lt. Samuel Nyamekye, a former Air Force Research Laboratory
ects as a science and technology manager,” Nyamekye said. Aerospace Systems Directorate Airman, was recently named the
“The most notable of these projects include the Medium Scale 2021 Most Promising Engineer in Government in advance of the
Critical Component [MSCC] test campaign, High Speed Strike 35th Annual 2021 Black Engineer of the Year STEM Conference,
Weapon [HSSW] technology maturation, and the X-60A rocket to be held virtually, Feb. 11-13, 2021.
flight test. All the technologies that I helped develop support U.S. Air Force courtesy photo
the mission of creating and transitioning propulsion and power
technology to the operational warfighter.”
with proven success in developing and fielding cutting-edge
Nyamekye’s achievements while at AFRL earned him the 2021 technology to defend our nation. All of his achievements and
Most Promising Engineer in Government Award. This award, leadership roles combine to paint a picture of a truly revolution-
given by the Career Communications Group, is reserved only for ary, compassionate, and technically competent leader.”
the most talented emerging engineers. Nyamekye’s outstanding
achievements in STEM stood out among the hundreds of nomi- Nyamekye credits his faith, family, and military leadership for
nations evaluated by the BEYA selection panel, which includes his career success thus far. He is especially motivated by the
past winners in STEM award categories. individuals he worked with at AFRL.
When I received the call from my supervisor, Ms. Beal, the “I love the people that I work for and with,” he said. “I make it
feeling was exhilaration,” Nyamekye said. “The announcement my mission to give 110% of my time and energy to support them
came as a surprise, but I must say that I am grateful to my lead- in any way, shape, or form. I am indebted to my co-workers in
ership for their trust and confidence in me to nominate me for AFRL for their tremendous support, guidance, mentorship, and
such a prestigious award.” for making my time there enjoyable.”
“Lieutenant Nyamekye has performed test and engineering du- As Nyamekye moves on to the next step in his career, he remains
ties, technology integration, and program management as both focused on his future goals.
an enlisted member and commissioned officer for the U.S. Air
Force for eight years,” Beal said. “He is an exceptional leader
Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021 7Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
“My career plan for the future is to continue to improve my- “We want to make sure that we have modern manufacturing
self professionally every day and be excellent in all that I do,” and engineering expertise,” she said. “We do not have nearly
Nyamekye said. “Hypersonic development has opened many the number of scientists and engineers as China has. We need
fields of research; among them is materials that can withstand to make sure that we develop our talent to be able to leverage
high heat loads. I believe getting education in the material sci- on these critical areas.”
ence field in the future will help me give back to the Air Force
and my country.” The Department must also reform and modernize the defense
acquisition process to better meet the realities of the 21st cen-
DoD Aims to Bring Industrial Base Back to U.S., Allies tury, Lord said.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS (JAN. 15, 2021)
C. Todd Lopez “We’ve started with a number of those, but there’s much further
While the defense industrial base is healthy, there are single to go,” she said. “We want to make sure that our traditional
points of failure and dependencies on overseas suppliers that defense industrial base is widened to get all of those creative,
must be addressed, the undersecretary of defense for Acquisition innovative companies. We know the small companies are where
and Sustainment said. most of our innovation comes from, and the barriers to entry—
sometimes to getting into the Department of Defense—are
“Over a period of years, we have offshored many, many sources rather onerous.”
of supply,” Ellen M. Lord said during an online discussion
Thursday with the Hudson Institute. “It’s not for one reason; Lord said part of modernizing and reforming defense acquisi-
it’s for a variety of reasons, whether it be regulations, whether tion is the recently announced Trusted Capital Marketplace,
it be labor costs, whether it be government support of different which will match potential defense suppliers—many of them
industries.” small companies that have never done business with DoD—with
the investors they need to keep operating and innovating. The
The de-industrialization of the U.S. over the last 50 years, the Trusted Capital Marketplace will vet investors to ensure foreign
end of the Cold War and the focus it gave the U.S. on defeating ownership, control, and influence are nonexistent.
the Soviet Union, digital technology, and the rise of China have
all created challenges to national defense. Finally, Lord said, the Department must find new ways to part-
ner private sector innovation with public sector resources and
In the newly released Fiscal Year 2020 Industrial Capabilities demand.
Report to Congress, Lord said the Department looked into those
challenges and their effects on the defense industrial base and “We, as the government, I believe, need to work with industry
proposed key actions to address them. to make sure that we diversify that industrial base and, also,
that we much more quickly translate technological capability
“What we did in this report was try to really capture those into features of current platforms and weapon systems, as well
risks, look at the opportunities, and come up with some specific as incorporate it in new ones,” Lord said.
steps that we can really take to reform how we go about looking
at that supply chain and, in the endgame, really get capability AFRL Engineer Earns Lifetime Achievement Award
downrange to the warfighter as quickly and cost-effectively as AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (FEB. 1, 2021)
possible,” she said. Rachel Simones
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—Robert
First, Lord said, the U.S. must re-shore more of its industrial “Bob” Mercier, a chief engineer with the Air Force Research
base—bring it back to the U.S. and U.S. allies. Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate, earned the Joint
Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force (JANNAF) Airbreathing Pro-
“There are a couple [of] key areas there with shipbuilding, as pulsion Subcommittee Lifetime Achievement Award, Dec. 8,
well as microelectronics—fundamental to our capability,” she 2020, during a virtual awards ceremony.
said.
According to JANNAF, the Lifetime Achievement award honors
Development of a modern manufacturing and engineering individual achievements for a lifetime of dedicated service. This
workforce along with a more robust research and development award is the most prestigious subcommittee award and reflects
base is also critical. Declines in U.S. science, technology, en- on the winner’s contributions to the organization. The award is
gineering and mathematics education and industrial jobs hurt based on the technical value of the achievement, including level
the ability of the defense industrial base to innovate, Lord said. of technical complexity and challenge, quality of results, degree
8 Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and led the
development of microwave imagers and radiometers that are
still in use today on the DMSP.
By 1980, Mercier had transitioned to a civilian role working for
the Air Force. He served in a variety of roles at the Air Force
Flight Dynamics Laboratory and the Aeronautical Systems
Division, where he conducted survivability and effectiveness
analyses of advanced weapons systems.
In the early 1990s, Mercier served as the program manager of
the Variable Flow Ducted Rocket (VFDR) advanced develop-
ment program to develop a solid fueled ramjet for air-to-air mis-
siles and air-to-surface missiles.
“From 1996 to 1998, I was the chief of AFRL’s Hypersonic
Technology Office in the Propulsion Directorate and directed
numerous applied research programs to demonstrate scramjet
Robert “Bob” Mercier, a chief engineer with the Air Force Re- engine performance and durability,” Mercier said. “I served as
search Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate, earned the chief of the Combustion and High Speed Systems Branch
the Joint Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force Airbreathing Propul- from 1998 to 2000, where I was responsible for developing ad-
sion Subcommittee Lifetime Achievement Award, Dec. 8, 2020 vanced combustion devices for turbine engines, pulse detona-
during a virtual awards ceremony. Mercier’s dedication to the tion engines, and scramjets.”
operational warfighter was recognized through this accolade.
Courtesy photo
In Mercier’s current role as chief engineer, he oversees the de-
velopment of high speed aerodynamics, high speed structures,
of innovation and timeliness of research, and the impact of the and supersonic combustion ramjets, or scramjets, and combined
achievement on the broader propulsion community. cycle engines. His efforts over the last several decades have
made him the go-to person for hypersonic research at AFRL.
“JANNAF is a venue where national-level experts plan and
share cutting-edge propulsion work,” said Col. Jake Porter, the “Bob is the senior advisor every colonel wants to have,” Porter
AFRL High Speed Systems Division chief. “Bob is a true leader said. “He earned this award for sustained performance across
within this community. He brings operational context and a his career, and it is well deserved. His deep technical expertise
lifetime of experience, enabling AFRL to turn basic research and leadership history provide the insight needed to make sound
into revolutionary warfighting capabilities.” decisions.”
With nearly five decades of Air Force experience, Mercier is a “It’s hard to believe I have spent 25 years working on hypersonic
highly valued team member. technology,” Mercier said. “When you love what you do, it is
great. We have grown and strengthened the community in this
“At first I was surprised I won this award,” Mercier said. “Then I area and we have gone from science fiction to science fact.”
felt very happy that my efforts have made a difference and were
being recognized. But I didn’t do all of these things by myself. Mercier’s dedication to advancing Air Force technologies show-
These were mostly the culmination of hard work by dedicated cases what it means to serve the operational warfighter. His work
individuals. Sometimes, I would set direction for teams. Other has shaped military weapon systems and will continue to lead
times, I would put various efforts into a total or system context, to AFRL successes in the future.
or I would share my perspective that I learned over time with
many mentors helping me along the way.” Orbital Construction: DARPA Pursues Plan for Robust
Manufacturing in Space
Mercier’s career began in 1972 when he was commissioned as DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY OUTREACH
a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. From 1972 through (FEB. 5, 2021)
1976, he served as an aeronautical engineer at the Space and As commercial space companies increase the cadence of suc-
Missile Center, where he conducted survivability studies of the cessful rocket launches, access to space is becoming more rou-
Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021 9Acquisition & Logistics Excellence
Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials and Mass-efficient Design (NOM4D) program. The effort, pronounced
“NOMAD,” seeks to pioneer technologies for adaptive, off-earth manufacturing to produce large space and lunar structures.
Artist’s concept
tine for both government and commercial interests. But even resources obtained from the moon’s surface as they apply to
with regular launches, modern rockets impose mass and volume future defense missions. Manufacturing off-earth maximizes
limits on the payloads they deliver to orbit. This size constraint mass efficiency and at the same time could serve to enhance
hinders developing and deploying large-scale, dynamic space stability, agility, and adaptability for a variety of space systems.”
systems that can adapt to changes in their environment or mis-
sion. The NOM4D program will pioneer new materials and manufac-
turing technologies for construction on orbit and on the lunar
To address this problem, DARPA today announced its Novel surface as well as explore new mass-efficient designs.
Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials and Mass-efficient
Design (NOM4D) program. The effort, pronounced “NOMAD,” “People have been thinking about on-orbit manufacturing for
seeks to pioneer technologies for adaptive, off-earth manufactur- some time, so we expect to demonstrate new materials and
ing to produce large space and lunar structures. manufacturing technologies by the program’s end,” Carter said.
“The lunar-surface focus area will be geared more towards trade
“NOM4D’s vision is to develop foundational materials, pro- studies and targeted demonstrations.”
cesses, and designs needed to realize in-space manufacturing
of large, precise, and resilient Defense Department systems,” Concerning mass-efficient designs, the vision is for completely
said Bill Carter, program manager in DARPA’s Defense Sci- new concepts that could only be manufactured in space.
ences Office. “We will explore the unique advantages afforded
by on-orbit manufacturing using advanced materials ferried “We’re looking for proposers to come up with system designs
from Earth. As an example, once we eliminate the need to sur- that are so mass-efficient that they can only be built off-earth,
vive launch, large structures such as antennas and solar panels and with features that enable them to withstand maneuvers,
can be substantially more weight efficient, and potentially much eclipses, damage, and thermal cycles typical of space and lunar
more precise. We will also explore the unique features of in-situ environments,” Carter said. “Given the constraints of ground
10 Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021Acquisition & Logistics Excellence test, launch and deployment, the traditional approach to design- infrared telescope. The exemplars are designed to drive met- ing space structures is not likely to result in dramatic improve- rics for each phase, and ground-based fabrication of sub-scale ments in mass efficiency. In order to take the next step, we’ve got exemplar structures (as opposed to the full structures) will be to go about materials, manufacturing, and design in a completely fabricated as part of the program to validate advanced NOM4D new way.” material, manufacturing, and design capabilities. The program is divided into three 18-month phases that build NOM4D assumes an established space ecosphere by 2030, com- towards the ability to create incredibly precise, mass efficient prising reliable logistics, facilities, and validation. This includes structures from feedstock. Each phase is driven by metrics de- rapid, frequent launch with regularly scheduled lunar visits; ma- rived from increasingly challenging exemplar problems. Phase I ture robotic manipulation tools for building structures in space, is considered the proof of concept for materials and designs that and routine on-orbit refueling of robotic servicing spacecraft meet stringent structural efficiency targets using the exemplar (e.g. DARPA’s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites problem of a 1-megawatt solar array. Phase II focuses on risk program technologies); and the availability of in-space, non- reduction and technical maturation of the technology to meet destructive evaluation methods for in-process monitoring of structural targets, while maintaining high precision sufficient to manufacturing and near real-time design adjustments. meet the requirements of an exemplar 100m diameter RF reflec- tor. Phase III drives a substantial leap in precision to enable IR A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicitation is antici- reflective structures suitable for use in a segmented long-wave pated to be available on beta.SAM.Gov in the coming weeks. Defense AT&L:July-August 2018 11 Defense Acquisition: March-April 2021
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