By Sean Green | Facilitation and Outreach Manager
BOSSIER CITY, La. — Five universities put their senior engineering students to work on six different Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) defense innovations.
The Senior Design Project program is sponsored by the AFGSC Office of the Chief Scientist and managed by the Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) via STRIKEWERX, the innovation hub for the command.
In its fifth year, the program offers university students across the country the opportunity to work with AFGSC Airmen on real world problems. Engineering students delivered prototypes for four different command bases on projects ranging from maintenance stands to electrical engineering.
“The senior design project program has been a vital way for the command to realize prototypes at a much quicker pace than the standard acquisition procedure with proven knowledge from our nation’s talented academic institutions,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Adam Vasas, AFGSC project champion from the Logistics Innovation Branch. “These projects will all go a long way towards aircraft sustainment, equipment innovation, and quality of life improvement for our Airmen, while also giving students real world experience they can apply in their careers.”
One Louisiana Tech University (LA Tech) team of students created a new maintenance stand for the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod that provides target identification for munitions released from the B-52 Stratofortress. They delivered the stand to AFGSC maintainers with testing planned to be performed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
To improve efficiency and safety for Airmen maintaining pods, students redesigned a critical piece of equipment that had long lacked a standardized solution. The lighter, more ergonomic design is a more practical and efficient solution that reduces physical strain on maintainers and decreases necessary manpower from three Airmen to one.
Initial savings are estimated at $21,000 per year and 324 manhours.
A second team from LA Tech developed a Heads-Up Display (HUD) for the M50 Mask used by chemical decontamination units.
The breakthrough enhancement significantly improves how Airmen access critical information in operational environments. By integrating a heads-up display directly into the mask, the solution allows wearers to view digital manuals and essential documents hands-free without interrupting mission tasks, eliminating the limitations of cumbersome traditional systems. Using reflective film lens technology, a compact central processing unit, and intuitive navigation controls, the device gives Airmen faster access to mission-critical information while improving efficiency, safety, and performance in demanding conditions.
A team from Louisiana State University designed a more modern urinal for the B-52.
Students were tasked with designing a prototype that would accommodate specific space requirements and would not compromise the comfort of aircrew members. The resulting design is lightweight, can support up to 300 lbs., features a fixed seat with locking lid, and a tank with a visible fluid gauge.
University of Missouri Kansas City students presented an internal cargo pod for the B-2 Spirit at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
Travel pods are mounted to internal or external weapons stations to increase on-board storage for essential items. Their design was modeled to withstand regular stresses and vibration caused during flights while also protecting the equipment being transported.
The design demonstrates potential to increase self-sufficiency, accelerate deployment timelines, and improve overall mission readiness for both B-2 and future B-21 platforms.
University of North Dakota students set about using simple materials and reducing labor for flood control and snow removal at Minot AFB, North Dakota.
As snow melts, it has the potential for creating adverse field conditions in missile fields, which necessitates channels that are manually shoveled by maintainers to direct water flow as snow melts.
The students proposed a diesel-powered trailer with glycol chemicals to generate heat, then using conductive, hydronic thaw panels on the side of a truck to distribute that heat. These panels would carve a channel to redirect melting snow runoff and prevent flooding.
Currently, 25 maintainers are needed for 33 hours at a cost of $16,500. The new solution reduces that number to only 10 people for 33 hours at a cost of $8,100.
A team of Abilene Christian University students sought to enhance safety and improve overall functionality of the oil cart used for maintenance on the B-1B Lancer at Dyess AFB, Texas. Specifically, the team sought to solve issues with mobility, brakes, lack of visibility for oil levels at night, liquid levels in the cart’s tank, and the tank lid’s security during transport.
Students used 3D modeling techniques to craft a design that is corrosion-proof, prevents vibration when moving, eliminates numerous potential failure points, and meets durability requirements. They then used that as a guide to modify a physical cart. The prototype includes a kickstand to solve braking issues, a toolbox with wheel chocks for further security, a locking lid to reduce risk of spills, a solar powered light for use at night, and a front swivel jack for easier transport and reduced stress on the front caster wheel.
“Thanks to the hard work of these students, our Airmen will see numerous benefits that will impact the command’s efficiency and effectiveness,” said Dr. Paul Hausgen, interim AFGSC chief scientist.