Air Force Research Laboratory

Defense Research and Developmentafresearchlab.com

Company typePrivate
Founded1997
HeadquartersOhio, United States
Headcount5,001–10,000
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

Air Force Research Laboratory firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Air Force Research Laboratory
Legal name: Air Force Research Laboratory
Website: https://afresearchlab.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1997
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 5,001–10,000 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Air Force Research Laboratory industry classification

Industry

Product category: Defense Research and Development
NAICS: Space Research and Technology (92711), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)
SIC: Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
akta.pro primary industry: Defense R&D, Test, Evaluation & Innovation (BPAIAHAC)
akta.pro secondary industries: Military Aircraft Platforms (Fixed-Wing) (IMABAMAA), Integrated Air & Missile Defense (IAMD) Systems (IMABAOAD), Electronic Warfare (EW) & Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Systems (IMABAOAB), Electronic Warfare (EW) & SIGINT/ELINT Systems (IMABAGAB), Precision Strike & Fire Control Systems (IMABAOAE), Air Defense Missiles & Interceptors (IMABAHAD), Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Electronics for Weapons (IMABAGAH)

Keywords

Defense research services
Aerospace systems engineering
Space technology development
Quantum computing research
Military artificial intelligence

Where Air Force Research Laboratory is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Ohio
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

Air Force Research Laboratory business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

Government Research and Development Contracts: AFRL operates as the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force, funded through defense appropriations and direct program funding from DoD and partner agencies
SBIR/STTR Programs: Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs providing funding to eligible small businesses for R&D with potential for commercialization

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Multi-year contract	Government contract-based services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Air Force Research Laboratory product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development arm of the U.S. Department of the Air Force, conducting discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies across air, space, and cyberspace domains. AFRL executes fundamental research, advanced technology development, and prototyping across 13 technology areas (including aerospace systems, directed energy, materials, munitions, sensors, space vehicles, and information technology), ultimately delivering technology transitions to acquisition program offices, warfighters, and industry partners.

Product overview

AFRL operates as a multi-faceted research and development organization with a diverse portfolio spanning aerospace vehicles, space systems, propulsion technology, medical technologies, AI/ML platforms, and quantum computing. The portfolio includes attritable unmanned systems like the XQ-58A Valkyrie and GRASSHOPPER glider; spacecraft programs such as NTS-3, Oracle, and STARS for navigation and autonomy; propulsion technologies including RE-ARM, ModProp, and HMTE; medical solutions like BATDOK and TAW; high-performance computing through Flyer supercomputer; quantum initiatives via FALQON and photonic interconnects; and AI platforms including ASCE and CAAMO. The organization also maintains UAS traffic management (CLUE), cockpit sensing systems (ICS), and software factories (SPACE CAMP). The recent Flyer supercomputer launch represents a major computing capability addition, while the TITAN-AM additive manufacturing program and various quantum networking milestones demonstrate continued technology advancement across the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

AFWERX: Innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, a directorate within AFRL focused on accelerating technology transfer and fostering innovation partnerships.
SpaceWERX

Products and services

XQ-58A Valkyrie Unmanned combat air vehicle developed jointly with Kratos and the U.S. Marine Corps as a low-cost, runway-independent tactical UAS designed to support manned-unmanned teaming and contested environment operations.

Quantifiable outcome

Flyer supercomputer achieves 14 petaflops, completing in one day what would take standard laptops 500 years to process
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Air Force Research Laboratory

Customer profile

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Air Force Research Laboratory technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability30 records

Feature6 records

Air Force Research Laboratory partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

PiLogiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to adapt Exact AI system for analyzing spacecraft electrical subsystems and predicting satellite failures using probabilistic reasoning and causal analysis
SEEQCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Collaboration in NORDTECH program funded by U.S. CHIPS Act to scale quantum chip fabrication using 300mm silicon wafers for industrial-scale production, focusing on materials science with tantalum and tantalum nitride
GE AviationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Pacer Edge program for sourcing obsolete engine components through 3D printing, complementing C-17 and C-5 Super Galaxy aircraft 3D-printed parts initiatives
Cornell UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Academic partner in NORDTECH quantum research program alongside Princeton University, NY CREATES, and AFRL
Princeton UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Academic partner in NORDTECH quantum research program for qubit coherence and cryogenic qubit evaluation platform development
PiLogiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for AI anomaly detection technology using probabilistic reasoning and causal analysis to detect satellite failures
GKN AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026$8.4 million TITAN-AM program to advance Laser Metal Deposition with Wire (LMD-w) technology for next-generation titanium aerospace structures, executed from Fort Worth, Texas facility
Pacific DefensemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Moonraker payload development under AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate contract for reprogrammable RF payload for space situational awareness
AeroVironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026$20 million CAMP program contract for developing next-generation ceramic and ceramic matrix composite materials for aerospace and defense applications over 39 months
University of New MexicomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026RAISE program focused on ethical AI and autonomous systems, partnering with Sandia National Laboratories and AFRL with nearly $3 million NSF grant
Wright-Patterson Air Force BasecoreOthers · 2 June 2026Research conducted at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio involving collaboration between AeroVironment materials specialists and AFRL scientists
Parsons CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026$99 million task order for C2-SpISR technologies under GARDEM 2 program, expanding work on C2Core Air, C2Core NetOps, and National Tactical Data Manager. Part of $218 million in GARDEM contracts in 2026.
AeroVironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Ceramics Advanced Materials and Processes program for developing lightweight, thermally resilient structures for hypersonic vehicles and turbine engines
Kirtland Air Force BasecoreOthers · 28 May 2026Location of AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division and collaborative rocket facility for testing and refining propulsion systems for lunar lander technologies
Varda Space IndustriesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Prometheus program partnership funding hypersonic technology testing including autonomous navigation during reentry and thermal protection system validation
RTX (BBN Technologies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026PACE4ACE communications system development funded by AFRL for autonomous network traffic shifting in contested environments
Florida Atlantic UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026$2.25 million grant for networked autonomous systems research focusing on edge AI implementations for collaborative autonomous agents
StratommajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026eXpeditionary Cargo Loader demonstration for tactical airlift operations, enabling aircraft to carry two to five additional pallet positions of cargo
ARCTOS Technology SolutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2026$9 million contract for aerothermoelastic structures research supporting hypersonic airbreathing vehicles operating at Mach 5 and above
DARPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Great Horned Owl program partnership for XRQ-73 hybrid-electric stealth drone development, evaluating propulsion systems for fuel efficiency and operational flexibility
Ursa MajorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator program using Draper liquid rocket engine, achieving eight-month development-to-flight timeline
NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Artemis II mission support including astronaut centrifuge training, spacecraft hardware safety testing, thermal protection system analysis, and space tracking through Maui Space Surveillance Site
Concurrent Technologies CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026$18 million contract for designing and demonstrating large capacity energy storage systems for military operations capable of operating in extreme environments
Johnstown CTCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026$18 million energy storage contract with 12-15 employees based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania designing large-capacity systems for extreme environments
BlackSky TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026$99 million multi-year contract for next-generation space capabilities including large-aperture optical payloads for Earth observation and space domain awareness
IonQcoreTechnology or Integration · 14 April 2026Joint project demonstrating photonic interconnect of two independent trapped-ion quantum systems, marking first networked commercial quantum computers using entanglement. Validates quantum networking capabilities for future quantum internet.
ATC ManufacturingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026$6.7 million contract for thermoplastic composite research in partnership with Anduril Industries and Toray Advanced Composites
UES (AeroVironment Division)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026$25 million contract for maturing human health and performance technologies from research to field deployment for 711th Human Performance Wing
RaytheoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026Contract to develop domestic production capability for thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) wafers, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers for high-speed communications and advanced sensing systems
G&HcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 17 February 2026U.S.-based company partnered with Raytheon for developing thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) wafer manufacturing processes to establish domestic production capability
AalyriamajorTechnology or Integration · 23 January 2026Space Data Network Experimentation program to analyze how Spacetime network orchestration software could support hybrid, federated space data network for joint force communications
PsiQuantummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025$10.8M contract for Barium Titanate Electro-Optic phase shifters for integration into AFRL-designed optical circuits using GlobalFoundries Fab 8 facility

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Air Force Research Laboratory competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

DARPA: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the other major DoD-wide research agency that funds high-risk, high-reward technology development for national security. Directly comparable as a federally funded R&D entity targeting leap-ahead capabilities (AI, hypersonics, quantum, space).
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL): U.S. Navy's primary corporate research laboratory, with comparable workforce scale, broad multi-disciplinary portfolio (materials, sensors, space, AI, directed energy), and similar direct funding and customer model to AFRL.
U.S. Army DEVCOM (Combat Capabilities Development Command): U.S. Army's primary R&D enterprise performing basic and applied research across C5ISR, ground vehicles, weapons, and soldier systems. Direct peer as the Army counterpart to AFRL with analogous structure and mission.
Sandia National Laboratories: Federally funded R&D center operated by NTLS for the DOE/NNSA with deep work in nuclear weapons, hypersonics, sensors, and high-performance computing. Comparable as a national-security R&D lab with large-scale technical workforce and government-only mission model.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory: Federally funded R&D center (FFRDC) sponsored by DoD, focused on advanced sensors, communications, space surveillance, and autonomous systems. Directly comparable to AFRL's Information Directorate and space domain awareness mission (e.g., Maui Space Surveillance Site).
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL): University-affiliated FFRDC sponsoring research for DoD across air defense, missiles, space, and AI. Peer on hypersonic and missile defense work (similar to AFRL Munitions Directorate) and large multi-disciplinary research portfolio.
Los Alamos National Laboratory: DOE national lab with deep capabilities in computational science, hypersonics, quantum, and directed energy relevant to national security. Comparable scale and mission overlap on high-performance computing and weapons-relevant research.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: DOE national lab with strengths in high-performance computing (Sierra-class systems), advanced materials, and inertial confinement fusion research. Comparable to AFRL's Flyer supercomputing program and munitions/materials research portfolio.
Space Development Agency (SDA): DoD organization under the Space Force responsible for fielding the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (satellite comms, tracking, missile warning). Peer in DoD-funded space technology development and a key transition path for AFRL-developed space technologies.

Broad incumbents

NASA: Civilian space agency that overlaps with AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate and Cislunar Coordination Office on launch, propulsion, and cislunar research. AFRL already partners with NASA on Artemis II. Comparable as a federal R&D entity but with a civilian rather than defense charter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Air Force Research Laboratory financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Air Force Research Laboratory leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Air Force Research Laboratory funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Air Force Research Laboratory M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments34 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Air Force Research Laboratory

What does Air Force Research Laboratory do?

Is Air Force Research Laboratory a public or private company?

Air Force Research Laboratory is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Air Force Research Laboratory founded?

Air Force Research Laboratory was founded in 1997. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.

Where is Air Force Research Laboratory based?

Air Force Research Laboratory is headquartered in Ohio, United States, in the North America region.

How does Air Force Research Laboratory make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Government Research and Development Contracts are the primary driver. The others are SBIR/STTR Programs.

Who are Air Force Research Laboratory's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are DARPA, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), U.S. Army DEVCOM (Combat Capabilities Development Command), Sandia National Laboratories, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Space Development Agency (SDA). NASA is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Air Force Research Laboratory have an API?

No public API is recorded for Air Force Research Laboratory.

What industry is Air Force Research Laboratory in?

Air Force Research Laboratory's product category is Defense Research and Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAC, Defense R&D, Test, Evaluation & Innovation, with a secondary code of IMABAMAA, Military Aircraft Platforms (Fixed-Wing). Its NAICS code is 92711 and its SIC code is 3812.