The Department of the Air Force is in the planning stage for a research program intended to conduct exploratory and advanced research and development of materials and technologies to understand, characterize, develop, exploit, manipulate if needed, and protect and defend against various forms of photonic energy.  Research involved in the processing and fabrication, modeling and the tailoring and characterization, evaluation, and manipulation of the structures, properties and performance of photonic materials will enable transition of the highest performing products needed by the Air Force to meet current priorities and emerging requirements.  These efforts will ultimately result in developed technologies that can be applied to legacy, developmental and future Air Force system components to provide an increase in system survivability, performance and efficiency; reduced cost, and accelerated or streamlined manufacturing processes.