Welcome to the Doolittle Institute Showcase

Doolittle Institute is an Air Force Research Lab Innovation Institute named after aviation pioneer and Medal of Honor Recipient General James “Jimmy” Doolittle. The famous Doolittle Raiders conducted one of the most daring operations of World War II, resulting in striking the heart of Japan with B-25 Bombers and demonstrating the realm of possibility. Doolittle Institute works to emulate this out-of-the-box mindset by working tirelessly to support the Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate (ARFL/RW) and ensure that the legacy of Jimmy Doolittle is honored as new, emerging threats require cutting-edge solutions. This support includes facilitating innovation and collaboration with industry and academia, enabling technology transfer to meet government needs, and developing AFRL’s future workforce through STEM Programs.

Doolittle Institute was established in 2012 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit partnered with the Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base.  In 2015, Doolittle Institute expanded its customer base to include U.S. SOCOM with the establishment of SOFWERX.  To appeal to a broader audience and as a “Corporate” entity operating multiple facilities through Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIAs), Doolittle Institute announced in August 2017 a rebranding campaign that established it would be doing business as DEFENSEWERX.  Around the same time, AFRL/RW chose to retain the name “Doolittle Institute” for the Northwest Florida DEFENSEWERX facility operated under the PIA between DEFENSEWERX and AFRL at Eglin AFB. Today Doolittle Institute is the cornerstone DEFENSEWERX Hub and an integral member of the DEFENSEWERX and AFRL Innovation Institutes ecosystems.