Shaping the Air Force of the Future

Name: Shaping the Air Force of the Future
Start: 2024-10-15T15:00:00-0400
End: 2024-10-15T16:00:00-0400

Harvard Faculty, Fellows, Staff, and Students

Please join the Belfer Center’s Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy (DETS) Program for “Shaping the Air Force of the Future” on Tuesday, October 15th at 3:00 PM in the Ellwood Democracy Lab (Rubenstein-414AB).

Date: Tue, Oct 15, 2024 Time: 03:00pm - 04:00pm Location: Rubenstein Building - David T. Ellwood Democracy Lab, Room 414AB

An AI-enabled U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet, the X-62A VISTA, taxies after an experimental flight on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight on the Artificial Intelligence-controlled VISTA, carrying Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft.

Event Description

The U.S. Air Force's aircraft are aging at an unprecedented rate due to global commitments and 20 years of combat operations in the Middle East. Due to this issue, the Secretary of the Air Force has developed 7 operational imperatives to modernize the fleet and rediscover what air supremacy truly means. This Common Defense session will focus on the Air Force's race to technological advantage.