The Washington D.C.-based institution is the first in HBCU ((Historically Black Colleges and Universities) history to lead one of the Pentagon’s 15 university-affiliated research centers (UARC) sponsored by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Department of Defense. This move also makes Air Force history.
“It brings to culmination, ourmission and the work we have been doing to get here as well,”
said Howard University president, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick
Since the establishment of an ROTC detachment in 1918, Howard University has had a proud military tradition of organized training.
In addition, Howard inked a $90 million contract for military research with a focus on tactical autonomy and human-machine teams.
The university will receive increments of $12 million per year for five years to fund research, faculty and students.
Leveraging tactical autonomy, the Department of Defense canuse automated technology to carry out short-term missions in the land, sky and air.
This technological edge also aims to meet long-term national security goals, including preventing U.S. troops from entering dangerous territory.
As a UARC, Howard has also been enlisted to lead nine other historically Black colleges and universities in the research and development of tactical autonomy.
