Abstract
In the face of a rapidly changing global landscape and new emerging threats, there is a sense of urgency within the Air Force to transform from what is becoming an unaffordable and unsustainable enterprise to one that embodies institutional strategic agility. The Air Force recently published a ‘30-Year Strategy’ which calls for innovative concepts, experiments, and prototypes that capitalize on emerging Science and Technology to provide ‘pivot points’ for new capabilities. Similarly, the Defense Secretary has challenged its team to seek ways to maintain our technological edge by improving our buying power, quickly leveraging new technology, and executing agile development of new systems.

While in the past, the defense enterprise led major technological advancements with its focused resources, today much of the cutting edge innovation is happening in a number of commercial areas at a breathtaking pace. These breakthroughs are driven in part by serial innovators and successful entrepreneurs with access to extensive capital and talent. This briefing reflects on these developments and offers a strategy for the Air Force to leverage and capitalize on them to advance its capabilities rapidly and to avoid the element of technological surprise.

Bio
Dr. Alok Das, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, is Senior Scientist for Design Innovation, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. As the laboratory's chief innovation officer he serves as the principal adviser to the commander in formulating, planning and implementing technology and process innovation strategies throughout the organization. He also leads the AFRL rapid reaction team that utilizes innovation and collaboration, providing near-term solutions to the warfighter's highest priority urgent needs.

Dr. Das started his career as a controls engineer at the Indian Space Research Organization, designing attitude control systems for some of India's initial earth observation satellites. In 1984 he joined the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. As the technical lead for the emerging large space structures area, he developed it into the Defense Department's premiere facility for developing and demonstrating advanced technologies for modeling, and precise control of such systems. Later, working closely with the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, he was instrumental in the development and transition of the emerging smart structures technology. He also worked with NASA on several initiatives, including the New Millennium Program.

Since 1997, Dr. Das has focused on exploring revolutionary space mission architectures, satellite designs and technologies to radically reduce the cost, while enhancing the capability and operating flexibility of space systems. Prior to his current assignment, he was Chief Scientist, Space Vehicles, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M. Dr. Das has written more than 60 technical articles on space technologies.

Please see the Seminar Announcement for more details.