AFRL partners with various organizations to collaborate on technologies that benefit its mission. It specializes in aerospace systems, including rocket engines and unmanned vehicles. AFRL also focuses on research and development in areas such as alternative fuels and hypersonic systems. The organization has a long history of innovation, starting in 1917 with research on electromagnetic energy. AFRL's budget is primarily outsourced to industry, academia, and the international community, with a significant portion allocated to basic and applied research.