Our department associates with two research center, the Center for Directed Energy (CDE) and the Air Force Center for Systems Engineering (CSE).

• The Center for Directed Energy supports Air Force and DoD agencies in transitioning high energy lasers and high power microwaves to the battlefield through vigorous scientific and engineering research, graduate education programs, and diverse consulting activities. The CDE developed the world's most comprehensive simulation package of atmospheric effects on the propagation of HELs. Called HELEEOS, for High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation, the simulation has over 100 DoD users and can model DE weapons of current genre or those still in conception. The CDE is working on transferring the capability of HELEEOS to the analysis teams at the Air Force Research Laboratory and within the intelligence community.

• The Air Force Center for Systems Engineering is established per a Secretary of the Air Force directive, the Air Force Center for Systems Engineering focuses on entire weapon system life cycles. Providing program assessments, performing gap analyses, evaluating technical planning, and developing case studies are just a few examples of services we offer. Through research, education, and consultation, we help solve present Department of Defense systems engineering challenges with the goal of devising new systems engineering methods. As the Air Force standard bearer for effective system development, the Center’s mission is to shape the future of systems engineering in the Air Force and Department of Defense.