2022 National Security Strategy
Outlines how The Biden Administration will advance America’s vital interests, outmaneuver geopolitical competitors, tackle shared challenges, and set our world on a path toward a brighter and more hopeful tomorrow.
2022 National Defense Strategy
Sets forth how the U.S. Military will meet growing threats to vital national security interests and to a stable and open international system.
OSD Critical Technology Areas
Identifies critical technologies to address vital national security challenges and accelerate the transition of key capabilities in order to make the right technology investments for our comparative advantages.
DAF Science and Technology Strategy
Guides Air Force in operating at an unrivaled speed, achieving unparalleled global awareness, reach, and effect, and harnessing the power of complexity, presenting the adversary with an ever-growing number of challenges.
DAF Operational Imperatives
Critical operational capabilities and functions the Department of the Air Force must invest in to protect the United States’ ability to deter conflict and project power against pacing challenges, control the air and space, maintain our competitive advantages, accelerate, and win.
AFWERX Director
Colonel Elliott Leigh
Col. Elliott J. Leigh 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 Air Force and Space Force through AFVentures, Spark, Prime, SpaceWERX, the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs. He most recently served as a Materiel Leader for the Special Programs Directorate in the U.S. Space Force, where he led the execution of a critical $2 billion space control program.
AFWERX Deputies
Karen Roth
Aids in strategy and execution of $1.4B to bring cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing DAF challenges. She is an experienced technologist in cyber, AI and digital engineering with a passion for advocating for women in STEM.
Colonel Jennifer Warren
Focuses on AFWERX employee experience and building relationships in the Washington, DC area. Previous roles include Harvard National Security Fellow, Kessel Run Materiel Leader, and Military Personnel Exchange Program – Americas Squadron Commander. She’s earned master’s degrees from Boston University and the Naval Postgraduate School.
Division Directors
Daniel Carroll
Leads the management for the $1.3B U.S. Air Force and Space Force SBIR/STTR programs. He held previous roles at USAF Kessel Run, USSOCOM and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, and degrees from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Johns Hopkins University.
Lt Col Jonathan "Spades" Gilbert
Manages the three branches tasked with identifying and transitioning innovative technology to the warfighter. He is a Command Pilot and Experimental Test Pilot with over 2000 hours in more than 30 different aircraft.
Colonel Martin Salinas
Enables the creation of an active, capable, and empowered innovation corps. Previously the Chief Operating Officer for AFWERX, he provided day-to-day oversight of procedures and processes to ensure operational excellence.
Arthur Grijalva
Leads the strategy and execution of $460M across the Space Force through SpaceWERX Ventures and the SBIR/STTR programs, Spark, and Prime.