AFSC Software Directorate

Did you know that our Software Organizational Development Office (S**O), located at Hill AFB, works with local high schoolers who show an interest in coding and cybersecurity? Every year, S**O partners with the Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science (NUAMES) to mentor teens who show an interest in STEM careers with the Air Force. During the internship, students choose whether they would like to explore coding through game design or a path in cybersecurity.
At the end of their internship, the students present to leadership on what they learned during their mentorship, how they felt about a future career in STEM, and what lessons they can take away as they further their education. We're so proud of these bright young men and women!

The landscape of modern warfare is evolving, and with it, the need for elite Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operators. The Undergraduate Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Training Systems (URT) Program is leading the charge, transforming how the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps prepare their pilots.

By leveraging and ingeniously modifying the "Vigilant Spirit" software, the URT program has developed two state-of-the-art training projects:

✈️ For the Air Force: The Ground Based Training System (GBTS) now successfully trains an estimated 400 RPA Pilots and Multi-Domain Operations Aviators every year.

⚓ For the Navy & Marine Corps: The new Air Vehicle Pilot Training System (NAVPTS) is preparing future pilots for the advanced MQ-25 and MQ-9 platforms.

These cutting-edge systems provide a safe, simulated environment where students master everything from takeoff and landing to complex mission planning and aerial refueling. This in-house innovation ensures our forces can rapidly adapt to the changing demands of modern aerial operations, securing a pipeline of highly-skilled pilots for years to come.

Over at Wright-Patterson AFB,Software Directorate's Software Experimentation Division is leveling up how we test out new ideas in the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE), a project partnered with Hill AFB's 519th Software Engineering Squadron. Using a home-grown software system, our in-house experts are test-driving the next generation of air combat tech before it ever hits the runway!

By plugging models of emerging systems into the new Fighter-in-a-Box (FIAB) program, we're figuring out system limits and requirements early on. The team has already seen massive software progress, including successfully linking up with the GRID (Global Real-time Integrated Wargaming and Experimentation Network).

What does this mean? We get a sneak peek at tomorrow's tech today, ensuring our warfighters always keep the upper hand.

This Memorial Day, we remember the heroes who gave their tomorrows for our todays. Their sacrifice and courage will never be forgotten.

The 309 SWEG RIOT (Ruggedized Intermediate and Organizational Testing) team is making huge strides with their Common Fuel Quantity Test Set (CFQTS) concept!
Recently advancing their strategy at the Tesseract Aether Sprint Build Your Own Adventure workshop, the team presented their innovative idea to Maj Gen Arledge and were selected as Semi-Finalists.
Why is this a big deal? The CFQTS is designed to replace multiple outdated, unsupportable, and costly testers with a single, organically supported solution.
The projected impact of this innovation is massive:
- 650,000 man-hours saved annually
- Decresed troubleshooting time by 72-92%
- Increased aircraft availability
- Elimination of peculiar support equipment costs
- Enhanced mission readiness across the Air Force
Huge shoutout to the RIOT team for driving forward-thinking solutions that keep our warfighters ready and in the air! ✈️🔧

To our incredible Hill AFB community: We know how much you look forward to the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air Show, and we deeply appreciate your unwavering support! ✈️

While we have seen tremendous excitement for this summer's planned event, leadership has made the necessary decision to postpone the air show until 2027.

Regarding the decision, Hill AFB leadership stated: "Following a thorough review of operational commitments, the base has come to the necessary conclusion to postpone the 2026 Warriors Over the Wasatch Air Show to next year. This change is a direct result of the need to prioritize resources for critical, ongoing operations."

Our commitment to supporting the warfighter and executing our national security mission must always come first. We thank you for your understanding and continued support as we focus our resources on these critical operations.

For more information and to read the full statement, click here: https://www.hill.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4459396/hill-afb-postpones-2026-warriors-over-the-wasatch-air-show/.

🚀 Incredibly proud of our engineering team for delivering a game-changing capability for the warfighter!
Our team recently engineered an end-to-end solution for dynamic, in-flight retargeting of airborne assets. Successfully validated across both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) networks, this technology empowers planners to rapidly transmit critical mission data directly to aircraft in real time. Following this successful validation, leadership directed the expedited fielding of these operationally ready tools for near-term operations. By delivering this software on a highly accelerated timeline, we are directly equipping the warfighter to execute rapid, time-sensitive strikes during real-world events. This critical agility ensures forward-deployed forces can seamlessly adapt to fluid theater requirements, directly enabling the success of dynamic missions around the globe.

It's always a pleasure to host the bright minds from Fort Valley State University (FVSU) at the 402d Software Engineering Group (SWEG)! Twice a year, we have the fantastic opportunity to give them a tour of 402 SWEG, showcasing the differences between their labs and our operational environment.
These visits are a highlight for us. We are so impressed by the students' attention, interest, and the great questions they ask—not just about our day-to-day work, but also about college advice, career paths, and life experiences. It’s this exchange that makes working with FVSU so valuable.
We love sharing the diverse career opportunities available within the 402d SWEG and the Software Directorate and are already looking forward to their next visit!

Recently, Mr. Jared Dalpias was officially named the Deputy Director of the 309th Software Engineering Group at Hill AFB! We look forward to seeing the 309th proper under his leadership and the leadership of our Director, Mr. Chad Harper!

Since summer 2023, our 558th Software Engineering Squadron has been teaming up with a contractor on the E-7A Rapid Prototyping Program's software development. This essential collaboration is already delivering significant benefits:
• Lowering overall program lifecycle costs.
• Boosting contractor development capacity.
• Building critical in-house experience with the software baseline, preparing us for future organic development on this next-gen platform.

Proud of our engineers for their meaningful contributions today and their foresight in shaping tomorrow's capabilities!