Kirtland Air Force Base - AFRL Directed Energy Directorate

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Directed Energy Directorate

The Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M. is the U.S. Air Force's center of expertise in the range of technologies required for high-energy lasers, high-power microwaves, high-power millimeter waves and advanced optics. Associated technologies include optical imaging and communication technologies and modeling, simulation and effects studies. As the technical expert, the directorate also provides independent assessment and analysis of directed energy concepts for multiple Air Force customers. The directorate has a space optical site and high performance computing center on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

AFRL/RD Director

Susan J. Thornton
Selected for the Senior Executive Service in January 2007, Ms. Thornton came from the Airborne Laser Program, Aeronautical Systems Center, at Kirtland AFB, where she was the director of engineering and the principal technical advisor to the system program director on designing, building, and testing the Airborne Laser weapon system....read more.