US Air Force considering new “Prime” programmes

The US Air Force (USAF) is considering starting new “Prime” small business outreach programmes for energy, microelectronics, and gaming technologies.

Colonel Nathan Diller, AFWERX director, said on 10 February that the USAF will have further discussions about what an Energy Prime programme might resemble as the service had an energy challenge on 9 February. He said specific technologies that could be part of an Energy Prime include advanced storage opportunities and alternative transport methods.

Elroy Air, with its Chaparral autonomous VTOL aircraft, is participating in the US Air Force’s Agility Prime eVTOL small business outreach effort. The USAF is considering starting Prime programmes in energy, microelectronics, and gaming technologies. (Elroy Air)

The USAF is examining Prime opportunities in microelectronics for improved performance, ensuring secure technologies, and, in some cases, anti-tamper capability. Col Diller said microelectronics are growing increasingly critical in technologies such as ground vehicles and autonomous ground vehicles.

Col Diller said a Digital Prime, or Game Prime, would leverage technologies such as gaming to help the USAF better understand paths for acceleration through logistics. The USAF would use this prime effort to better harness digital engineering.

The service has already formally committed to a new Space Prime programme. Col Diller said this effort does not yet have a kickoff date.

Janes previously reported on 20 January that the USAF’s former acquisition executive, Will Roper, laid the foundation for supersonic transport to be the service’s next Prime effort. Col Diller said this supersonic transport small business outreach effort, Vector Prime, would look at the growing market for commercial supersonic and, potentially, quiet supersonic, technologies.