Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello, Air Force Research Laboratory commander, passes the Senior Executive Service flag to Dr. Kelly Hammett. Photo by Todd BerengerAFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate is charged with developing, testing, and transitioning directed energy technologies for the U.S. Air Force. The Department of Defense considers directed energy a game-changing technology with the potential to transform the battle space.
Hammett is one of the country’s leading experts on directed energy technology, having served in various leadership posts in AFRL spanning a total of 14 years.
“It is an honor to be selected to lead the AFRL Directed Energy Directorate. The directorate has an extraordinary legacy in achieving groundbreaking advances in directed energy technology, and I eagerly embrace the challenge of transitioning these technologies to our Air Force warfighters,” Hammett said. “I look forward to leading the internationally acclaimed scientists and engineers and skilled staff as we continue our advancement of technology that supports the defense of our nation.”
Hammett holds a BS in aerospace engineering from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Science in aeronautics/astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate from the Air Force Institute of Technology, where he specialized in optimal and nonlinear control and estimation theory.
Directed Energy is one of two AFRL directorates located at Kirtland; with the other being Space Vehicles. Collectively, they are referred to as AFRL New Mexico. Directed Energy alone has an annual budget of $267 million and employs 960 military, civilian and contracted employees.
