By LTC David LaGraffe and Maj James Dishaw

After several years of planning and renovation, the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management has now officially opened a new facility to support classified research and education. The original requirement for more classified research and education space was identified in 2000; however, it was decided to incorporate the requirement with the planned academic building remodeling effort beginning the summer of 2004. As part of that effort, a secure area was designated and remodeled to meet classified storage area requirements. Following completion of the building renovation in the fall of 2005, additional facility upgrades with modern access controls and security measures, communications connections, cooling and power, storage and work areas, and computational systems installation was completed. Although it has been in use since last fall, the facility officially opened its doors 4 Mar 2008 with a tour for AFIT’s Commandant, Brig Gen Paula Thornhill, and Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Marlin Thomas.

The Classified Computational Facility (CCF) is able to support multiple advanced research efforts requiring computational modeling and analysis. The 2000 square foot facility is cleared up to the collateral SECRET level. The CCF features an 18-seat classroom, conference room, faculty office, communications room, server room, security office, lobby, and five separate labs. The separate lab rooms enable proper access and need-to-know control for sensitive projects. The facility is supported by an Administrative Assistant and a System Administrator. Already the facility is utilized by nearly 100 students and faculty with usage increasing rapidly.

The facility supports several distinct computational research tools. A collateral SECRET local area network with 27 workstations and a four terabyte storage array provides a variety of modeling and analysis tools. A separate suite of 13 Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) workstations provides researchers with access to data outside of AFIT. Five stand-alone workstations are used to support specialized applications. Additionally, a Linux based cluster supporting directed energy calculations and an ARTEMIS downlink connection will be installed in the near future. Furthermore, equipment to host secure video teleconferences will be installed in the conference room.

The primary purpose of the new facility is to support AFIT’s educational mission. The 18 seat classroom enables the teaching of classified courses from several of the School’s departments. The ability to seamlessly support classified course content provides AFIT with a capability that is unmatched by other universities. Pleased with the progress and status of the new facility, Brig Gen Thornhill noted that the facility was already supporting courses in two of the Air Force’s current “hot button” areas, cyber warfare and nuclear weapons effects. The classroom is fully interconnected with the rest of the facility offering instructors the ability to use both the SIPRNet and the local classified network. Students also have workstations at their desks for in-class work, demonstrations, and reference.

Research at the new facility already spans several of the school’s departments and research centers. Dr. Thomas states, “The CCF will be an invaluable resource supporting faculty and student research. Our vision is to become the school of choice for defense-focused, research-based education. Classified research is a key element to achieving that vision. As an example, the contributions this Institute is already making in cyber warfare and IED (improvised explosive device) defeat research requires classified facilities and this capability is part of what makes AFIT unique as an educational organization.”

As part of the tour, faculty members presented highlights of their on-going research being conducted in the facility. In the nuclear engineering program, under the direction of Dr. James Petrosky, research into high altitude nuclear explosions and their effect on low earth orbit satellites is being assessed. The research will provide the basis for examining the tremendous implications for military operations and civil users. Dr. Petrosky utilizes classified modeling codes to analyze the electromagnetic pulse effects produced by different nuclear weapon designs. The utility of the research requires that realistic foreign and improvised weapon designs are used, as well as the designs of actual US weapons. The ability to use classified nuclear weapon designs when modeling neutron transport and fallout greatly enhances the educational experience in the nuclear engineering curriculum. Dr. Petrosky pointed out that the students are able to use the modeling tools in the same way they would in future assignments.

AFIT’s Center for Cyberspace Research is extensively exploring both offensive and defensive cyber warfare capabilities that will significantly enhance the USAF’s ability to hold our adversaries at risk and preserve our own freedom of maneuver in cyberspace. These research efforts cover the gamut from control systems and critical infrastructure protection and attack to electronic and network warfare.

The creation of the CCF has allowed AFIT’s Center for MASINT Studies and Research to enter into an agreement with its sponsors to collaborate on hyperspectral research. A data link will allow AFIT users to access SECRET-level data for use in AFIT graduate research and education efforts. The goal of the research is to demonstrate how a dedicated, responsive hyperspectral sensor can provide tactical combat personnel with access to hyperspectrally-derived ISR information.

Dr. Matt Whitely of MZA Technologies and Dr. Sal Cusumano, Director of AFIT’s Center for Directed Energy, collaborate with the Air Force Research Lab and DARPA in modeling optical wavefront and transmission for the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) program. One example of the defense-focused nature of their research is their model of a 150 kW laser, which will be integrated into an existing beam control facility to produce a laser weapon system demonstrator at White Sands Missile Range.

Research in the Center for Operational Analysis also supports HELLADS. Dr. J. O. Miller and his students are using the mission level Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM) to model and analyze the capability provided by HELLADS. Additionally, classified combat modeling simulations of naval-airborne simulations are providing educational scenarios for students and support to research sponsors.

The Air Force Institute of Technology’s new facility supporting classified research and education positions AFIT to continue to provide relevant, up-to-date education and defense-focused research in support of the Air Force and the Department of Defense requirements. The very high demand already in place for the facility has AFIT already working on plans to improve the facility’s capabilities and possible future expansion.