IMPORTANT UPDATE: Effective 1 October 2025, SBIR/STTR program authorization has expired. New activity is paused; ongoing awards remain valid. Awardees are encouraged to contact their TPOCs and contracting officers with questions regarding active awards.
The Innovation Arm of the Department of the Air Force
AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and powered by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), connects American Ingenuity with the DAF’s most pressing challenges. We cultivate and transition impactful emerging technologies to deter and win wars by empowering Airmen and Guardian talent and expanding the defense industrial base for advanced technologies.
Our Core Mission
Mission
AFWERX accelerates agile and affordable capability transitions by teaming leaders in innovative technology with Airmen and Guardian talent.
Vision
Forge an innovation ecosystem that delivers disruptive Air and Space capabilities.
Mantra
Unleashing American Ingenuity
How We Operate
The AFWERX team operates four core divisions to drive innovation.
Our Leadership
Colonel Nathan C. Stuckey
Colonel Nathan C. Stuckey is the Director of AFWERX and the Chief Commercialization Officer for the Department of the Air Force. He leads the strategy and execution of approximately $1.4 billion per year across the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
Latest News
2025-10-02
Nellis Defenders use cooling tech to enhance readiness in desert heat
LAS VEGAS — Defenders from the 99th Security Force Squadron are using a newly fielded personal cooling system device to help combat the heat of the Southern Nevada desert at Nellis Air Force Base.
2025-09-26
Streamlining Tactical Communications
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The 90th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight was given the opportunity to exhibit a project after four years of development at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Washington D.C., Sept. 23-24, 2025.
2025-09-26
Spark Innovations: IRIS
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England — A new system called the Integrated Respirator Information System (IRIS) is changing how aircraft maintainers work in confined and hazardous spaces.
