Digital Capabilities

The Digital Capabilities Directorate (DCD) is the Air Force Research Laboratory’s premier organization for digitally transforming how business is conducted throughout the technical directorates and total workforce. The DCD is accelerating AFRL’s digital transformation through faster research, better decisions, streamlined transitions, and reduced toil.

Mission: Measurably accelerate the generation and transition of adoption-ready technology with demonstrable military benefit. Apply digital transformation to perform research and development (ideate, research, design, prototype, test, analyze, transition) and to execute business and operations (initiate, plan, resource, manage, deliver).

DAVID E. SHAHADY

(Acting) Director, Digital Capabilities Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Digital Capabilities Technologies

digital capabilities accelerate

MADE TO ACCELERATE
AFRL’s Digital Capabilities Directorate facilitates the delivery of new capability to the warfighter at the speed of relevance to enhance our technical and investment decision processes; seamlessly connect with our peers, collaborators, key stakeholders, and acquisition decision processes; and improve our execution efficiency.

We employ our mantra of Model, Analyze, Decide, Execute (MADE) to Accelerate and pervade every level of AFRL to develop and implement the digital techniques, training, and information technology ecosystem to empower our workforce.
Strategic Goals
The DCD focuses its resources on the most impactful technologies, concepts, and risk-reduction activities to achieve its four enduring Strategic Goals.
- FASTER RESEARCH - Accelerated Research, Experimentation, and Innovation
- STREAMLINED TRANSITIONS - Seamless Entrance into Acquisition and Implementation
- BETTER DECISIONS - Analytically Rigorous Technical, Business, and Operations Decisions
- REDUCED TOIL - Flexible and Responsive Business and Operations
Foundational Capabilities
The Digital Capabilities Directorate (DCD) drives AFRL’s Digital Transformation by advancing three core mission portfolios—Innovation, Sustainment, and Cybersecurity. Guided by customer demand forecasts and direct mission needs, DCD uses adaptive planning and agile execution to incrementally deliver high-impact digital solutions that empower AFRL’s workforce and warfighting mission.

Innovation – The DCD accelerates the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to the warfighter by harnessing emerging technologies, software, and digital tools through pilots and pathfinders informed by customer demand signals and operational feedback. This portfolio enables AFRL scientists and engineers to work with greater speed, precision, and efficiency—ensuring mission relevance in a rapidly evolving landscape and aligning innovation efforts with end-user priorities.

Sustainment – The DCD ensures the reliability and continuity of critical digital tools across AFRL by prioritizing sustainment activities based on user needs, system usage trends, and mission-critical feedback. By maintaining and modernizing essential systems such as High-Performance Computing (HPC), Enterprise Business System (EBS), Digital Laboratory Environment (DLE), AFRL Google, and ServiceNow, this portfolio supports seamless mission execution and minimizes operational disruptions for the research and development workforce.

Cybersecurity – The DCD safeguards AFRL’s digital infrastructure by implementing robust security measures that respond to evolving threat landscapes and customer-identified vulnerabilities. Through Authority to Proceed (ATO) and Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes, this portfolio defends against unauthorized access, malicious threats, and operational risks—preserving the integrity and resilience of AFRL’s digital ecosystem in alignment with stakeholder expectations and mission assurance requirements.
Digital Services Menu
The Digital Services Menu is AFRL’s centralized gateway to a wide-ranging suite of digital capabilities. It empowers the workforce to discover and access tools, technologies, and services across key categories, including:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Compute & Storage
- Cybersecurity
- Data
- DevOps & Compliance
- Modeling & Simulation
- Productivity & Collaboration
- Software
- Technical Talent & Consulting
- Training & Education
- Workflow & Help Desk
To keep pace with evolving needs, the Menu also features a Coming Soon section—offering a preview of emerging digital services on the horizon.
Useful Links

About the Digital Capabilities Directorate (IZ)

AFRL/ID Leadership

DAVID E. SHAHADY

AFRL TECHNOLOGY

MORE ABOUT DCD