WHERE WE'VE BEEN:
The Air Force Center for Strategy and Technology (CSAT) was established at the Air War College in 1997. Its purpose was to engage in long-term strategic thinking about technology and its implications for U.S. national security. The center focused on education, research, and publications that support the integration of technology into national strategy and policy.
The primary mission of CSAT was executing the Blue Horizons program, a mixed-rank fellowship program for an average of 14 officers each year. In 2006, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General T. Michael Moseley, created Blue Horizons as an annual study of the strategic environment of the future--a study run by CSAT, assisted by students at Air War College and Air Command and Staff College. In 2015 the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Mark Welsh expanded Blue Horizons from a part-time elective in Intermediate/Senior Developmental Education (IDE/SDE) to a full 10-month Professional Developmental Education (PDE) program with the charter to explore issues of future geo-strategic and military-technological competition as they relate to building advantage for the United States.
WHAT WE'RE DOING:
Blue Horizons receives an annual research question from the CSAF and conducts an in-depth study of the topic through academics, research, and hands-on learning. As part of the program, fellows collaborate on original, innovative projects that are designed to help the Air Force transcend domains and reimagine how the organization operates. This may range from developing new concepts to prototyping and integrating new technologies. After 10 months dedicated to crafting creative and independent perspectives and to push the boundaries of conventional thinking, the Blue Horizons Fellows results are presented directly to the CSAF as well as key agencies and senior leaders. Graduates are then strategically placed in high impact positions to incorporate their new education and skills.
WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Unhindered by conventional thinking and processes, part think tank, part incubator, Blue Horizons takes aggressive action to exploit emerging strategic opportunities. We're always evolving to meet the current and future needs of our CSAF, our academic Fellows and Faculty, and the United States.
To learn more about the Blue Horizons program, see