The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Materiel Command.
AFRL is dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct-energy based aerospace warfighting technologies, planning and executing the Air Force science and technology program, and providing warfighting capabilities to United States air, space, and cyberspace forces. It controls the entire Air Force science and technology research budget.
The laboratory is divided into eight Technical Directorates, one wing, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) based on different areas of research. AFOSR is primarily a funding body for external research while the other directorates perform research in-house or under contract to external entities.
A directorate is roughly equivalent to a military wing. Each directorate is composed of a number of divisions and typically has at least three support divisions in addition to its research divisions. Each division is then further broken down into branches, roughly equivalent to a military squadron.
Superimposed on the overall AFRL structure are the eight detachments. Each detachment is composed of the AFRL military personnel at any given geographical location. For example, the personnel at Wright-Patterson AFB are all part of Detachment 1. Each detachment will typically also have a unit commander separate from the directorate and division structure.
Headquarters AFRL
Located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, AFRL Headquarters houses the commanders and staff for the laboratories. Its primary responsibilities are leadership, policy and guidance; unifying the common objectives of the eight Technical Directorates, the 711th wing, and AFOSR.
HQ also includes the Integrated Capabilities Directorate, which handles urgent operational requests from commanders of Air Force Space Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Mobility Command, and others.
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
