Welcome to the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board
The Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (DAF SAB), a Federal Advisory Committee (FACA of 1977), provides the Department of the Air Force (DAF) with independent advice on matters of Science and Technology (S&T) relating to the DAF mission, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Air Force. Since its formation in 1944, studies and technical reviews by the DAF SAB have had strong impacts on the S&T programs conducted by the DAF, and on the resulting capabilities that have emerged from these programs to support the DAF mission.
The Board consists of members appointed by the Secretary of Defense who are eminent authorities in the fields of science, technology, manufacturing, acquisition process, and other matters of special interest to the DAF. Membership will consist of talented private and public sector leaders with a diversity of background, experience, and thought in support of the DAF SAB mission). They offer their time to benefit the DAF and the nation by identifying applications of technology that can improve DAF’s capabilities or that could enable entirely new capabilities, and advising on the DAF’s S&T portfolio to maximize its value in supporting the Air Force mission.
The DAF SAB is tasked each year by the Secretary of the Air Force to conduct studies on topics deemed critical to the DAF mission and recommend applications of technologies that can improve DAF capabilities. Studies currently being conducted by the Board are summarized on this site, and a complete list of all previous DAF SAB studies is also available here.
The DAF SAB also conducts in-depth and cross-cutting reviews of the S&T developed in the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). DAF SAB reviews examine AFRL's science, people, strategy, resources, focus, facilities, and results and assess the technical quality and ability to enable DAF missions. Each of these week-long reviews addresses programs and technologies from across the AFRL enterprise that are relevant to DAF-identified mission areas. These reviews have informed DAF leadership and influenced both science and technology pursued and adopted by the Department of the Air Force.
Since its establishment in 1944, the DAF SAB has continuously served as the principal external advisory body to the Secretary of the Air Force and to senior leaders in Headquarters Air Force, Air Force Major Commands, and more recently Space Force Field Commands, for scientific and technical matters relating to the Department of the Air Force mission. The DAF SAB today continues its role of looking into the future to help enable affordable technological pre-eminence for the Department of the Air Force and the Nation.