DOW-UAP-D110 — AAWSAP’s 2008 research objectives and requirements
DIA’s July 2008 AAWSAP objectives call for studies of breakthrough aerospace technologies and their implications for foreign threats through 2050. The four-page statement specifies research fields, expert qualifications, security requirements and a sequence of reports; it describes commissioned work, without establishing that the proposed technologies had been achieved.
- File
- Document · Release 06
- Date
- Jul 18, 2008
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Extent
- 4 pages
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Probed Assessment
The statement defines AAWSAP’s intended research and reporting obligations. Its ambitious subjects describe commissioned studies, not demonstrated aerospace capabilities.
Key takeaways
- DIA sought breakthrough research relevant to foreign threats through 2050.
- Twelve fields range from propulsion and materials to human effects and armament.
- Classified-work and facility requirements are explicit, with cleared facilities not required at inception.
- A base year and four options describe a possible term, not proof that all options were exercised.
Why it matters
This document establishes the contractual scope against which the later technical reference reports and modifications can be read. It separates the government’s questions from any claim that a contractor solved them.
Corroboration
The statement is direct evidence of requested work. The companion contract and modifications document later award, funding and schedule decisions; neither a study topic nor a security requirement establishes possession of an exotic technology.
Open questions
- • Which requested deliverables are included in the publicly released records?
- • How did the contractor prioritize the twelve study areas as funding and schedules changed?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
This document is an administrative or programmatic record related to the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)-administered program active from 2008 to 2012. AAWSAP’s official scope of work identified 12 technical research areas relating to potential aerospace threats over a time horizon of more than 40 years. As an administrative record, the file documents how AAWSAP was scoped, organized, tasked, funded, or described at a particular point in time. This July 2008 Statement of Objectives defines AAWSAP as a contractor-supported research effort intended to assess far-term foreign aerospace threats by understanding the physics and engineering of possible breakthrough technologies out to the year 2050 rather than extrapolating from then-current aerospace trends. It identifies 12 technical study areas, including lift, propulsion, control, power generation, spatial or temporal translation, materials, configuration and structure, signature reduction, human interface, human effects, armament, and related supporting topics. The document also sets out the program’s expected work structure, requiring monthly status reports, technical-area program management plans within 60 days, comprehensive research reports and briefings by the tenth month, and a final integrated threat assessment.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
A research horizon extending to 2050
The far-term threat horizon explains the speculative breadth of the commissioned topics. It is a planning objective rather than a prediction that those capabilities would be achieved.
Breakthroughs take priority over trend extrapolation
The statement explicitly asks for departures from established development trends. That research mandate should remain distinct from a finding that a breakthrough exists.
The technical scope includes human effects and interfaces
These fields appear alongside materials, signatures and armament, explaining why the report series extends beyond conventional propulsion studies.
Each analytical team must include doctoral expertise
The staffing requirement defines the expected technical qualifications while permitting one qualified person to serve on multiple teams.
Facility clearance may follow contract inception
The security provision does not say a cleared facility already existed when the contract began. Its sequence matters when reconstructing the procurement.
Plans at 60 days, research reports by month ten
The statement specifies milestones that allow the report series to be compared with the contract’s intended delivery schedule.
Four option years are not a guaranteed five-year term
The contemplated duration includes separately optional periods. Later amendments are needed to determine the work actually funded and extended.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 06
- Official ID
- release-06-file-002-dow-uap-d110-aawsap-statement-of-objectives-july-2008
- Cleared
- Sep 18, 2026
Referenced Timeline
AAWSAP objectives dated
DIA’s statement sets out the proposed research, staffing and reporting requirements.
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
DIA framed AAWSAP as research into the physics and engineering of future aerospace threats through 2050.
The objective of this program is to understand the physics and engineering of these applications as they apply to the foreign threat out to the far term, i.e., from now through the year 2050.
The statement prioritizes breakthroughs that disrupt existing technology trends rather than extrapolating current aerospace technology.
Primary focus is on breakthrough technologies and applications that create discontinuities in currently evolving technology trends. The focus is not on extrapolations of current aerospace technology.
The required study areas include lift, propulsion, control, power generation and spatial/temporal translation.
1. lift 2. propulsion 3. control 4. power generation 5. spatial/temporal translation
AAWSAP also calls for studies of materials, configuration, signature reduction, human interfaces, human effects and armament.
8. signature reduction (optical, infrared, radio frequency, acoustic) 9. human interface
The staffing plan calls for experienced aerospace experts and at least one PhD on each analytical team, allowing the same person to serve on several teams.
At least one member of each analytical team must have a PhD, although that member can be on several teams.
The finished assessments must include understandable executive summaries alongside technical analysis.
an executive summary utilizing clearly understandable (non-technical) language must also be contained in each report.
Offerors are asked to demonstrate recent prime-contractor experience with the analysis, design, construction and flight testing of high-performance aircraft or satellites.
the analysis, design, construction, and flight testing of high performance aircraft and/or satellites.
The security provisions allow work based on material up to Top Secret/SCI and require compliance with the DD-254 before classified work begins.
The contractor shall comply with the terms and conditions of the DD-254 BEFORE initiating any classified effort.
The statement requires a Top Secret facility clearance but says cleared facilities are not required at contract inception.
Top Secret Facility Clearance granted by the Defense Security Service (DSS). Cleared facilities are not required at contract inception.
The contractor remains responsible for collecting the information needed for the work despite the provision for requesting government data.
the responsibility to collect information and data necessary for the conduct of this effort remains with the contractor.
Monthly status reports must describe accomplishments, milestones and work in progress.
monthly reports outlining accomplishments, milestones, and work in progress.
The statement requires each technical area’s management plan at 60 days and its research report by the end of the tenth month.
a comprehensive report and briefing forecasting potential advancements and their impact is to be submitted to the GPL by the end of the tenth month.
The contemplated contract lasts a base year plus four optional one-year periods, for an anticipated five years rather than a guaranteed five-year award.
a base year of 12 months from date of award plus four (4) 12 month option years.
The statement specifies a firm-fixed-price contract.
The contract shall be firm fixed priced (FFP).
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
Lines appear only when two entities share a row-level source claim or dated timeline event. Unconnected nodes remain visible without implying a relationship.