
Address
AFRL/RW
101 West Eglin Blvd.
Eglin AFB, FL 32542-6810
United StatesLaboratory Representative
Tech Transfer Website:
https://techlinkcenter.org/labs/air-force-research-laboratory-munitions-director…Description
The roots of the Air Force Research Laboratory
Munitions Directorate (AFRL/RW) can be traced to air armament
efforts initiated at Eglin Field during the early stages of World
War II. Since this early start, the development of high-speed jet
aircraft has outpaced the development of conventional air armament
and created a dilemma of using modern fighter bombers to deliver
World War II vintage munitions. Sparked by the heightening Vietnam
conflict, research and development activities for non-nuclear
armament were accelerated. On 1 March 1966, the predecessor to the
Munitions Directorate, the Air Force Armament Laboratory (AFATL),
was created to provide a community of scientists, engineers, and
infrastructure to advance conventional weapons
technology.
From the unit's inception, the research and development efforts have focused on user needs. The significance of applying leading edge technology to provide the user with the state-of-the-art weaponry makes a dramatic impact on the outcome of any given strike mission. Technology endeavors over recent years have manifested themselves in a variety of non- nuclear air armament, some of which were employed in effective surgical strike operations in Libya and Desert Storm.
Today, the Munitions Directorate is a part of the Air Force Research Laboratory and continues to make technological breakthroughs for future air armament. The Directorate's emphasis is on the weapon's capability to operate with complete autonomy and with high accuracy when delivered against ground targets in all weather conditions, day or night, using long- or short-range delivery tactics. Air-to-air missiles benefit from this technology with increased single shot kills and larger no-escape zones. Additionally, advances in hard target penetrating warheads are supplying mission flexibility by providing a conventional armament capability to defeat hardened targets traditionally reserved for nuclear weapons. In summary, paramount to every AFRL/MN technology decision is the answer to the question, "What does it do for the user?"
Mission
The primary role of the Air Force/AFRL-Munitions Directorate is to develop, integrate and transition science and technology for air-launched munitions for defeating ground fixed, mobile/relocatable, air and space targets to assure the pre-eminence of U.S. air and space forces.
Facilities:
-
Radio Frequency/Millimeter Wave Facility
- Electro-Optical Research Facility
- LADAR Development and Evaluation Research Facility
- Instrumentation Technology Research Facility
- Vehicle Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation Facility
- Aeroballistics Research Facility
- Ballistics Experimentation Facility
- Interior Ballistics and Impact Facility
- Carriage and Release Facility
- Computational Fluid Dynamics Facility
- High Explosive Research and Development Facility
- Advanced Warheads Experimental Facility
- Fuses Research and Development Facility
- Prototype Munition Fabrication Facility
Technology Disciplines
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8
Fuzes Research and Development Facility
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB
Region:
P: 850-882-3920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 This world class facility has the equipment and well instrumented ranges to provide a unique end-to-end evaluation process that includes MIL-STD explosive and environmental evaluations, a full spectrum of shock capabilities, full scale projectile launch facilities and weapon integrated flight testing.
LADAR Development and Evaluation Research Facility (LDERF)
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB
Region:
Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 The optics laboratories have four optical workbenches on isolated slabs of cement in two separate rooms. An indoor range allows LADAR experiments in a controlled environment. Motorized doors provide convenient access to the outdoor range. Numerous lasers are available for LADAR integration or other experiments, ranging from low power CW HeNe lasers to high pulse energy diode-pumped solid state lasers at a variety of wavelengths. Current research efforts at the LDERF utilize active imaging LADAR systems operating at wavelengths from the visible through the near infrared. The performance of optical detectors such as the avalanche photodiode (APD) can be characterized in the optics laboratories. The electronics laboratory consists of a room with a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly area and four general purpose electronics work benches. Computer Aided Design (CAD) capabilities include schematic capture, circuit simulation, PCB layout, and mechanical drawing packages. Numerous personal computers (PC's) are present for LADAR data display and processing. A variety of software packages are available for LADAR data acquisition and analysis, including MATLAB, ZEMAX, C/C++ development suites, LABVIEW, and MATHCAD. A complete selection of hand tools and some machine tools are also available.
Prototype Munitions Fabrication Lab
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB,
Region:
P: 850-882-3920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 The purpose of the prototype munition fabrication facility is to produce scaled and full size munition components which support directorate technology development experiments and demonstrations. Areas of responsibility include air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon fabrication, aeromechanic shapes for wind tunnel investigations, flight test models, modular weapon interface units, and suspension and release prototype hardware. These models consist of full-scale and reduced-scale sizes. The Munitions Fabrication Facility can perform extremely accurate work in machining, sheet metal work, welding, fiberglass/plastic work, numerical control machining, and quality control/measuring.
Advanced Navigation Laboratory
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB
Region:
P: 8508823920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 Research and develop tactical inertial navigation hardware, embedded global positioning system (GPS)/inertial systems, and GPS/inertial integration with optical systems. Characterize and validate the navigation performance of advanced tactical-grade inertial technologies. Conduct research of inertial transfer alignment methods, GPS phenomenology studies, and advanced control (cooperative and autonomous) technologies.
Electrooptics and Millimeter Wave Lab
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB
Region:
P: 850-882-3920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 Design, develop and evaluate optical processors; combine lenses, mirrors and laser diodes to process data at light speed. Research to date has resulted in the flight testing of a small correlator on a model airplane. Test results show the capability of an optical processor to recognize mobile targets in real time. Under development is a seeker system combining laser radar and optical processing to show the capability of optical processing for use in laser systems. Other research has focused on development of optical modulator technology and application of optical correlation to biological system identification such as cancer detection and blood analysis.
Environmental Science Lab
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB
Region:
P: 8508823920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 Perform the basic and applied environmental research necessary to determine the environmental effects of a variety of conventional munitions, weapon systems, and related materials under development by the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate and to conduct environmental monitoring, chemical pharmacy operations and hazardous material/waste management to ensure compliance with Department of Defense, Air Force Instruction, Code of Federal Regulation, and State and local statutes and regulations. Review each project for compliance and determine environmental effects of weapon systems testing and munitions handling, storage, and disposal.
High Explosives Research and Development (HERD) Facility
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB
Region:
P: 850-882-3920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 The purpose is to provide high explosive formulation, chemical analysis, safety and performance testing, processing, X-ray, quality control and loading support for Air Force nonnuclear weapons development programs and other agency requirements.
Munitions Directorate Technical Library
Address:
101 W. Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13
Eglin AFB,
Region:
P: 850-882-3920Security Clearance : Non Security LabSquare Footage: 0 Fully functional technical library with an integrated library system used for circulation of library materials. Immediate access to unclassified and unclassified/limited technical reports, current and back issue periodicals, and scientific and technical books on the premises. Online database and internet search capabilities for references to technical materials.