Dr Dan “Animal” Javorsek, Col, USAF (ret), is currently the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at EpiSys Science, Inc (EpiSci), a small Artificial Intelligence start-up building trusted, modular, and scalable autonomy warfighters can rely on. Dr Javorsek joined EpiSci following a 24-year career that culminated as the Commander of Detachment 6, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Director, F-35 United Operational Test Team (UOTT). AFOTEC’s Detachment 6 plans, conducts, and reports on realistic, objective, and impartial operational test and evaluation of fighter aircraft. The detachment evaluates the operational effectiveness, suitability, and cyber resilience of the A-10, F-15C/E/EX, F-16, F-22, F-35, and Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Family of Systems (FoS) aircraft including Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) acquisition programs. Finally, Detachment 6 reports results in support of major acquisition program milestone decisions and combatant command fielding decisions for all fighter aircraft.
Prior to assuming his final command role, Colonel Javorsek was a Program Manager in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO). His research and development programs were tied to the development of key technologies required to realize Mosaic Warfare and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) applied to combat systems. From sensor resource management in the Converged Collaborative Elements for Radio Frequency Task Operations (CONCERTO), to aircraft maneuver in the highly publicized AlphaDogfight Trials and the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, to Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) in the Adapting Cross-domain Kill-webs (ACK) program, he has diligently pursued the democratization of software that prevents vendor lock and exposes the latent capability to adapt resident within the existing warfighting system.
In a previous command role, he served as a Squadron Commander and the Director of a Combined Test Force conducting high-priority Next Generation Air Dominance flight tests of unique experimental aircraft. Colonel Javorsek received his commission from Purdue University Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1999, where he was a distinguished graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering summa cum laude. He holds several science and engineering graduate degrees including a PhD in Physics. He is a command pilot with more than 2,000 flying hours and is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Class 07B. His prior operational and flight test assignments include service in the 523rd Fighter Squadron at Cannon AFB, NM where he was an F-16 Instructor Pilot and Mission Commander; 445th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA where he was an F-16 Instructor Pilot and Scheduler; 416th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA where he was an F-16 Experimental Test Pilot and Evaluator Pilot; 411th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA where he was an F-22 Experimental Test Pilot; and tours as a Director of Operations and Wing Chief of Safety where his aircraft and activities were highly classified and critical to national security.
Dr Javorsek’s major awards include the Lark-Horowitz Prize in Physics, the Legion of Merit Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Liethen-Tittle Award, the Aaron C. “C-Dot” George Award, the 523rd Fighter Squadron Overall TopGun of the Year award, the Daedalians Exceptional Pilot award, the Intelligence Research award, and many more. He has over a hundred conference and journal publications along with one patent on a rocket engine modification he developed as an undergraduate student. In his personal time, Dan enjoys horseback riding in the Smoky Mountains with his wife Eleanor and their two daughters, Mary Charlotte and Amelia.
