AFTAC partners with Daytona 500, USAF Thunderbirds for sensor demo

  • Published
  • By Susan A. Romano
  • AFTAC Public Affairs
PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. --  A team of experts from the Air Force Technical Applications Center traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 15 to deploy a ground-based sensor suite during the 2026 Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup Series.

The purpose of the deployment was to test the U.S. Prompt Diagnostics System’s new mobile capability in a real-world, high visibility setting in support of National Technical Nuclear Forensics readiness.

The center is on the forefront of protecting the homeland through its sensor network as part of the NTNF program, which is designed to collect forensic analysis after detonations to aid the Federal Bureau of Investigation in attributing the attacks to foreign governments or terrorist entities.

AFTAC is also the Department of War’s sole nuclear treaty monitoring center whose mission is to detect and report technical data from foreign nuclear explosions to top U.S. government officials. Consisting of more than 3,600 sensors worldwide, AFTAC operates and maintains a global network of nuclear event detection equipment, the largest in the U.S. Air Force.  USPDS is a part of that network.

Data gleaned from prompt diagnostic sensors help with the characterization of nuclear explosions and can be used to support domestic response efforts, consequence management operations, and law enforcement activities for forensic attribution.  The system is also designed to characterize a limited nuclear detonation in an urban environment to aid national decision makers in the identification of such an event.

The sensors themselves are passive in nature and only respond when measurable outputs of energy occur, which could be seismic, pressure waves, light, sound, electromagnetic, or radiological in nature.

The idea to employ the system at one of the most watched auto races in the world came from Mike Kaul, Deputy Program Manager for USPDS in AFTAC’s Systems Development Directorate. 

“For a while now, I’ve been thinking of just the right opportunity to demonstrate the system’s elite mobile capability,” Kaul said.  “We needed to stay pretty local to our area to minimize costs and expenditures, but I also wanted it be a highly visible event of national significance to effectively raise the profile and highlight the sensor’s importance to national security and public safety.”

To secure full cooperation and support from participating agencies, Kaul reached out to key personnel with the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration, Daytona Beach International Airport, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Department, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and NASCAR representatives with the details of the deployment.

"The success of this deployment is a direct result of the exceptional interagency cooperation we've experienced,” Kaul stated.  “From day one, we've been met with an enthusiastic, 'How can we help?' attitude from our partners at the DHS, the FAA, the VCSO, and NASCAR. Their proactive collaboration has been a gamechanger, highlighting a shared, unwavering commitment to public safety.”

He added, “It’s a powerful testament to what we can achieve when we all pull in the same direction, and it validates the importance of a unified approach to national security preparedness."

This year’s 500-mile, 200-lap race at Daytona International Speedway saw 41 cars roar up to 150 miles per hour, creating a cacophony of sound, with noise levels reaching 140 decibels – comparable to the sound of a 747 taking off – or in this case, the sound of F-16 Fighting Falcons taking off.

After receiving all the necessary approvals, the USPDS mobile trailer was positioned immediately adjacent to the speedway at the Daytona Beach International Airport.

The data collected during the deployment proved to be a resounding success. The system's 'speed of sound' sensors—including infrasound, overpressure, and seismic monitors—captured high-fidelity data throughout the event.  Key moments, such as the initial flyover by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the post-race fireworks show were recorded as distinct, high-amplitude signals.

During the race itself, the sensors were sensitive enough to track the main pack of cars, allowing analysts to determine approximate lap times and observe the Doppler effect as the vehicles sped by.

“The data arrived at Patrick SFB for analysis in near real-time, underscoring the 'prompt' capabilities of the USPDS,” Kaul explained.

The system was able to detect the sound created by the Air Force Thunderbird F-16s during their takeoffs and flyovers, which were registered by the speed of sound sensors as high-amplitude signals. 

“The acoustic and atmospheric pressure sensors within the SoS suite are primary detection mechanisms for an event like an aircraft takeoff,” said Kaul.  “The powerful, low-frequency sound waves generated by the jet engines are captured by the platform’s infrasound sensors, while the resulting pressure wave is detected by the overpressure sensors, and the intensity of the takeoff produced a strong, easily identifiable signature in the data.”

From all accounts, the week-long deployment was a complete success.

“We were able to demonstrate USPDS’ rapid deployment capabilities and provided an unprecedented layer of public safety during a major national sporting event.  More importantly, this operation forged a new and effective model for interagency cooperation, which significantly enhances our nation’s domestic defense and emergency response posture,” Kaul said.

AFTAC’s Director of Systems Development praised the level of cooperation AFTAC received from the participants.

“Public safety is a team sport, so it was wonderful to see full-throttle cooperation at the national, state, and local level as well as with commercial entities,” said Dr. Ralph Bordner.  “It is events like this that not only educate the public on the world-class systems that are in place to protect them, but also exercise the muscles that will be required to be used in the event of a national crisis.”

Kaul believes he and his team successfully achieved the established objective, and they hope to expand their reach at other major events to continue to hone their skills, improve their capabilities, and fully optimize the sensor suite in a variety of environments.

“Our folks performed like a championship pit crew,” he said with a roguish grin.  “In our case, the deployment of USPDS was absolutely nothing but left turns for us – the execution was fast, flawless and perfectly synchronized, giving us the strategic advantage we needed to pull ahead.  We definitely took the proverbial checkered flag at the end of the day!”