WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Col. Ariel Dvorjetski, PhD, head of the Aircraft Programs and Engineering Center for the Israeli Air Force’s Materiel Directorate, visited the Air Force Institute of Technology on Oct. 26, 2021 to discuss expanding research collaborations and student education opportunities.
Joining Dvorjetski on the visit from the IAF Materiel Directorate were Lt. Col. Alon Dotan, head of the C4I Architecture Group, Lt. Col. Idan Amsalem, head of the aeronautical engineering branch, Lt. Col. Orr Levy, PhD, head of the data engineering, architecture and cyber branch, and Lt. Col. Shay Yagoda, PhD, chief engineer of the Avionics Branch.
During the visit, Dvorjetski and his team toured the Autonomy and Navigation Technology Center and met with several academic leaders within AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management to discuss master’s program details. Of particular interest for the two organizations is partnering in aeronautical and aerospace engineering, computer science, and cyber protection education and research.
“Our relationship with the Israeli Air Force is a win-win relationship,” said Lt. Col. Jason Anderson, dean of students in AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management. “We get to further our education and research mission through the collaboration, knowledge sharing, and synergy of this excellent joint international partnership.”
Currently, one Israeli AF officer is attending AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management aerospace engineering master’s program and four other students are attending distance learning courses through AFIT’s School of Systems and Logistics.
Additionally, AFIT is hosting an IAF officer as part of the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program. Managed by the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, the ESEP program promotes international cooperation in military research, development, test, and evaluation through the exchange of government military and civilian engineers and scientists. Capt. Daniel Kariv, assigned to the Grad School’s aeronautics and astronautics department, is working with USAF counterparts to research aero elasticity issues between both forces’ aircraft.
The Israeli Aircraft Programs and Engineering Center is responsible for the total life cycle management of all aircraft systems and managing the IAF Science and Technology program. The Center handles acquisition and initial fielding of new aircraft systems, upgrades and develops new materiel solutions, and transitions new technologies into militarily capabilities. As head of the Center, Dvorjetski is responsible for ensuring system sustainability as well as extending and improving the capabilities of fielded systems.
Dvorjetski’s visit was a follow on meeting to a July 2021 visit by IAF Brig. Gen. Shimon Tsentsiper, head of the IAF’s Materiel Directorate. Both visits helped to strengthen the international partnership and demonstrate AFIT’s strength as an international education and research collaborator. “We appreciate the great opportunity to engage with the Israeli Air Force’s Material Directorate team and look forward to advancing our mission goals together,” said Anderson.