The Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate has awarded a contract, the largest award of its kind, to BlueHalo to build a directed energy modeling and simulation virtual range.
The 10-year, $80 million effort will create, conduct and support simulated wargames for the Department of Defense and build a modeling and simulation virtual range dedicated to directed energy weapons, or DEWs. The virtual range will host directed energy utility concept events that familiarize joint warfighters with DEWs by providing the opportunity to face adversarial forces in a simulated environment.
These events, along with other military utility analysis studies, will provide AFRL with necessary tools to minimize capability gaps, better serve joint warfighters and focus future efforts to bring needed systems to operational activities. This contract went through the directed energy technology experimentation research process.