Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander CookF-35 Demonstration
                        
                        
                        Capt. Andrew Olson, F-35 Lightning II demonstration team pilot and commander, performs aerial maneuvers during the Wings Over Houston Airshow Oct. 18, 2019, in Houston, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Air Force sets foundation for energy optimization, lethalityPublished Dec. 27, 2019
                    
                    By Corrie Poland
                    
                    
                    Air Force Operational Energy
            **WASHINGTON (AFNS) --**As 2020 approaches and the Air Force prepares to take on the challenges of the next decade, we must also review our successes and lessons learned from the last year. For Air Force Operational Energy, 2019 was a year for laying the foundation to build a more optimized and lethal force in the years to come.
By collaborating with several partners, we made some important strides in developing and executing our strategy and were able to set the groundwork for many of our operational energy initiatives.Established the first Joint Forces Energy Wargame
Joint forces conducted a wargame focused solely on energy and fuel logistics for the first time ever in 2019. Air Force Operational Energy was a key partner in establishing the Joint Forces Energy Wargame, sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy and hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to identify critical energy challenges along the fuel distribution network.
Throughout the year and leading up to the JFEW in August, a team of subject matter experts participated in on-going discussions and working groups to integrate operational energy and fuel logistics scenarios into the wargame. The team helped develop solutions to complex operational energy challenges from refinery and bulk transport to storage, transit and delivery of fuel.
JFEW set the precedent for identifying energy solutions in wargaming, and the team continues to play an active role in its progress.Global tanker allocation tool Magellan takes off
In collaboration with Air Mobility Command and Kessel Run, the team utilized an agile methodology to develop Magellan, a software tool to allocate mobility aircraft globally over extended periods. Magellan gives operational planners more visibility for long-term scheduling and enables planners to de-conflict recurring missions and high-demand periods. It also increases planning flexibility, allowing planners to more easily and quickly adjust when priorities change.
The project kicked off in April, with a minimally viable product available in June, demonstrating the rapid and accurate process the agile methodology allows. As of November, Magellan is delivering operational benefits to the warfighter while the team continues to add features and capability.F-35 Lightning II are now flying at faster, more optimized aerial refueling airspeed during Coronet missions
As part of a 2017 demonstration initiated by Air Force Operational Energy and executed by Air Mobility Command, a group of F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft were flown at max range airspeed during overwater aerial refueling sorties to determine any possible efficiency gains. The faster airspeed resulted in a decrease in overall fuel consumption, a decrease in flying-hour costs and quicker arrival times for Airmen during the routine ferry operation in comparison to the standard profile typically flown.
Upon further research, we determined that F-35 aircraft would also benefit from this practice. In 2019, Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command began implementing this process for F-35s and is now a standard practice for all fifth generation fighter aircraft during overwater ferry operations, saving valuable flight hours while extending aircraft service life.Introduced energy courses at AFIT
As of 2019, the Air Force Institute of Technology, or AFIT, now offers two graduate courses in defense energy systems: Future Department of Defense Energy Systems Engineering and Aviation Systems Engineering. As part of our education and training initiatives to build an energy-aware culture, Air Force Operational Energy worked with AFIT professors and Air Force Research Laboratory to build out the course syllabus and research focus for each class. In support of our initiatives, student-selected research included: Coronet Mission Analysis and Cost Optimization of Fuel, DoD Alternative Jet Fuel and UAV Fuel Cell and Battery Optimization.
Over the year, approximately 20 students completed the class with more expected next year. In the spring of 2020, AFIT will launch a third energy course, with support from AFOE’s Contingency Base Systems Engineering.Drag reduction initiative awarded AFWERX SBIR funding
The AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research program awarded Phase I funding to Vortex Control Technologies to test aft body drag reduction devices, commercially known as finlets, on the C-130 Hercules. Finlets are estimated to reduce drag, and therefore fuel burn, by approximately 4-5%, which could have a significant impact on range and endurance, as well potential cost savings, if implemented across the fleet.
Phase I will explore the Air Force’s operational requirements and goals for the project, as well as provide an initial set of finlets for installation on a test aircraft. If funded, Phase II would be geared toward a flight test effort to validate fuel efficiency gains and verify various safety parameters.
Air Force Operational Energy seeks to enhance combat capability and mitigate operational risk to the warfighter by developing and championing smart energy solutions through modern technologies, data analysis, streamlined logistics and operations and innovative process improvements.LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Air Force Operational Energy 



Joint Forces Energy Wargame 



Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 



ODASD 



U.S. Indo-Pacific Command 



USINDOPACOM 



energy 



fuel distribution 



Air Mobility Command 



AMC 



Kessel Run 



magellan 



F-35 Coronet 



5TH GENERATION FIGHTER 



Air Combat Command 



ACC 



Air Force Institute of Technology 



Air Force Research Laboratory 



Future Department of Defense Energy Systems Engineering 



Aviation Systems Engineering 



AFwerX 



Small Business Innovation Research 



SBIR Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil