The Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) program is a concept for accelerating the transition of high payoff technologies through the development stage into systems application. It is conceived as a mechanism to focus the technology development of the Air Force Systems Command laboratories and to provide conclusively demonstrated new technologies to the system development organizations efficiently. The total program is viewed as a continuing process of selecting high payoff technologies as they mature and integrating them into appropriate configurations for manned flight demonstration and validation.
The first program to incorporate the AFTI approach is called Technology Integration-1 (TI-1). The purpose of this program is to focus on technologies that enhance the subsonic and transonic maneuver, convergence, and tracking capability appropriate to air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.
The first portion of the AFTI TI-1 phase 1 contracts were completed with the recommendation by each contractor of a preferred demonstrator configuration. These studies systematically examined the maturity of the technologies, their applicability to projected future systems, and the viability of demonstrating them on a manned demonstrator vehicle. The contractors are now proceeding with Task II of the current contract, during which they will refine their selected designs to provide the credibility and confidence necessary to approve construction and flight test of the AFTI TI-1.
