The announcement comes three years after Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded Sev1Tech a $46.5 million pathfinder contract to develop a prototype of the capability — known as meshONE-T — at 17 locations around the world. Under the follow-on agreement, Sev1Tech will now scale the terrestrial network over 85 fixed sites and enhance its capabilities “with 24/7/365 managed transport services and enterprise-wide upgrades,” according to an SSC news release.

MeshONE-T is a ground-based architecture that serves as a “data-transport-as-a-service” for other customers within the Defense Department, Col. Peter Mastro, senior materiel leader for the tactical command, control and communication delta within SSC’s battle management command, control and communications (BMC3) program executive office, previously told DefenseScoop.

“You can buy into what we have, and in doing so you join an integrated network,” Mastro said during a meeting with reporters in April. “When you join the meshONE network — and even if you just get one node at your location — you now are connected to every other node in the mesh network.”

The network of data transport nodes allows different programs and military services to securely share data with one another, breaking down antiquated technical and procedural barriers in order to enable interoperability.

Specifically, meshONE-T is ideal for moving large capacity, big bandwidth and high-performance data over long distances, according to the Space Force.

The capability is one of the service’s key efforts related to the Pentagon-wide effort initiative known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), which seeks to deploy technologies that connect platforms and weapons from all the services and key foreign partners under a single network to provide faster and more effective decision-making.

Since Sev1Tech began prototyping meshONE-T in 2021, the capability has supported a number of programs for the DAF Battle Network — the Department of the Air Force contribution to CJADC2. Demonstrations have been done for the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and the cloud-based command and control capability (CBC2), as well as the Space Force’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) program for missile warning and tracking.

Along with adding dozens of new sites, the follow-on contract will also allow the Space Force to enhance meshONE-T’s overall capability. Mastro previously said those improvements would include connecting the network to commercial and military-specific satellite communications networks in low-Earth orbit.

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Since becoming the Air Force’s first PEO for C3BM in 2022, Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey and his team have focused on developing a plan and associated baseline architecture that will connect the Air and Space Forces’ sensors and shooters under a single network known as the DAF Battle Network. After nearly two years of work, Cropsey said his office is now having discussions with other Air Force PEOs to understand how the service can connect its air platforms into that network based on their respective roles in operations.

“What you’re starting to see are conversations at the DAF Battle Network level that are targeting specific platforms because of the role that they play in those mission threads with specific requirements and capabilities,” Cropsey told DefenseScoop this week during a media roundtable at the Air Force Life Cycle Industry Days. “How am I going to connect to you? What is that going to look like? Where are you going to exist in that scheme of maneuver? How connected do you need to be?”

The effort is associated with the Pentagon-wide initiative known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), which aims to enable rapid data transport across a distributed network of sensors and weapons from every military domain. The goal is to give military leaders the ability to quickly ingest information about incoming threats, as well as a clear set of options to defeat them.

“It’s the system of systems that C3BM as a PEO is designing and fielding,” Cropsey said. “That system of systems is designed to connect all the other parts and pieces that are inside of that battlespace together, so that we can fight as a unified whole.”

Having an operational plan in place creates a clear path to fielding what will become the DAF Battle Network — including which platforms will have to be integrated, as well as how that connection will happen and how often, Cropsey said. PEO C3BM is talking with leaders across both the Air and Space Forces to do so, he said. 

Effort is now focused on assigning communications tasks to each platform based on what missions they perform and addressing the complex engineering challenges involved with connecting them under one network. Cropsey noted that priority is being decided based on conversations he’s having with the operational community about their roles in executing the kill chain — a difficult task considering most platforms perform more than one mission.

“Who’s doing what part of those things turns into a really complicated engineering problem really fast, because in a lot of cases you’re probably doing a couple of them and you may be doing them temporarily in different places at different times,” Cropsey said.

Understanding a platform’s operational function is also shedding light on the equipment and capabilities that will need upgrades in order to connect to the DAF Battle Network. In some cases, an aircraft’s communications suite will allow it to be integrated as is. But in others, systems will need to be upgraded with new software or replaced entirely, he said.

“Once we understand what role that platform is playing in that operational plan, then we can figure out how good it has to be in terms of its connectivity and its data in order to do that role. And that’s actually putting a lot of clarity around what the engineering choices are left and right,” Cropsey said.

However, the Air Force’s budget is also influencing how quickly PEO C3BM can move. Cropsey has previously described how the department’s current budget and bureaucratic processes are inhibiting his team in deploying and scaling new C2 capabilities such as the Cloud Based Command and Control (CBC2) platform and the Tactical Operations Centers-Light (TOC-L) battle management kit.

Budget restrictions have impeded the ability of some the Air Force’s platforms to receive upgraded communications technology. Gen. Mike Minihan, head of Air Mobility Command, told lawmakers in July that his goal of equipping a quarter of the mobility fleet with new situational awareness capabilities — an effort called “25 by ’25” — would not be met before the end of his tenure in September.

Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee, Minihan said that “decades of underinvestment in mobility” during peacetime was one reason AMC would not reach the goal.

Cropsey agreed, but added that while “25 by ’25” wouldn’t pan out the way the service intended, his office was still working with AMC and other Air Force major commands to find workarounds to the system.

“There’s a bureaucratic process in place, and that creates its own set of drag in the system,” Cropsey told reporters. “Are there things that we can be doing smarter about how we’re trying to get capability? Or are there other options that are cheaper and faster that maybe your team hasn’t thought of that the nerd herd rolls in with and helps out?”

During another media roundtable at the conference, Kevin Stamey, PEO for mobility and training aircraft, emphasized that his office is closely working with Cropsey’s to ensure the mobility fleet is modernized with new communications systems. Its two priority platforms right now are the KC-46 Pegasus tanker and the C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, he said.

“It’s not something you can just slap on. It’s got to be incorporated. But we have plans across the entire mobility fleet to start putting information in the cockpits,” Stamey said. “It’s important that we’re not rushing to failure. We want to make sure that what we’re putting in the cockpit is going to work with the future DAF Battle Network.”

The PEO for mobility and training aircraft has a number of efforts underway to improve connectivity on its platforms, as Stamey noted that the mobility fleet has significantly less situational awareness than others in the Air Force. Those include the Multi-Orbit Hardware Adaptable Wideband Kit (MOHAWK) and incorporating hybrid satellite communications systems onto aircraft to enable beyond-line-of-sight communication.

The Air Force will also fly a communications prototype — known as capability release 1 — onboard a KC-46 during the Emerald Flag multi-service exercise in October, Cropsey said. He noted that the effort is still on schedule, despite needing to scale it down.

The service’s program executive office for bombers is also eyeing how it will modernize connectivity into its fleet to be a part of the DAF Battle Network, including upgrades to the legacy B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit. As the service shifts towards a two-bomber fleet — comprising modernized B-52 Stratofortress aircraft and the upcoming B-21 Raider — the Air Force is currently defining how they will serve as a long-range strike capability in future conflicts, said Brig. Gen. Erik Quigley.

“It’s all about connectivity and communication and making sure we can close what we call the long-range kill chain. We can do that with some fighters, but also bombers have a critical role with that — especially in a contested environment,” Quigley, PEO for bombers, told reporters during another roundtable.

The service’s program executive office responsible for ISR systems is also taking a hard look at how it will modernize to connect sensors to the DAF Battle Network. A critical task will be paying close attention to Cropsey’s overarching network architecture and plan, as that will be key to creating a system-of-systems sensing capability, said Col. Joshua Williams, PEO for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and special operations forces.

“A lot of our systems are platform-focused and platform-built. Now we’re learning how we take this platform and the architectures that were built specifically for a platform, and how do we apply that on a common architecture?” Williams said at a media roundtable. “So how do we take these capabilities through open systems and open interfaces, to then integrate — whether it be an ISR asset sensing [or] an E-7 Wedgetail in the future — to watch the eyes on the battlefield to produce information to decision makers and potentially operators?”

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The so-called “sprint week” is scheduled for Sept. 9-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will address human-machine teaming capabilities that can help battle managers make faster and better-informed decisions when engaging with targets, according to a request for information posted to Sam.gov on Thursday.

The event will support the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) effort, which is the Air Force’s contribution to the Pentagon-wide initiative known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2).

CJADC2 is an approach to warfighting that aims to enable data to move more effectively across distributed networks of sensors and weapons, allowing military leaders to quickly ingest information about incoming threats from multiple sources and take informed actions to defeat them. The various networks would be connected by faster communications, processing and decision-making systems supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. 

AFRL’s upcoming sprint will focus on “Generating BattleCOAs” — one of the specific ABMS subfunctions that largely “explain the comprehensive set of battlespace information elements and decisions [a human-machine team] must make to battle manage the battlespace,” according to the RFI.

Specifically, it involves determining what existing weapons systems and effects would be needed to support battle managers in operations, effectively creating various courses of action that represent the steps, weapons and other tools that are needed to eliminate a threat. The RFI noted that this process currently involves numerous personnel and very little human-machine teaming capabilities.

“To win against a peer adversary, the joint force must achieve decision advantage by equipping human-machine teams with automation to sort through complex and high-volume battle management decisions with faster tempo and improved decision quality,” the document states.

During the first three days of the planned sprint week, invited participants will be able to quickly iterate and refine their human-machine teaming solutions against the Generating BattleCOAs problem set. The final two days will allow Air Force operators to test the refined solutions in a series of experiments.

“The goal is to compare decision performance against a baseline and provide measurable changes in decision performance of the human-machine team,” the RFI noted.

Experiments during the event will address a series of considerations outlined by AFRL — including how fast the capabilities can make decisions; how accurate and error-free those decisions are; how confident human operators are in the human-machine teaming solution; and can the service measure utility, cost and risk with a Generating BattleCOAs “instance.”

Vendors interested in participating must reply to the RFI by Aug. 9.

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The outreach came in an update to a broad agency announcement, posted on Sam.gov, for technologies to support an operationally focused Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which is the Department of the Air Force’s contribution to the Pentagon’s warfighting construct known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control. The effort aims to better connect the sensors, data streams and weapon systems of the U.S. military and key allies under a more unified network. Such weapons include not just traditional munitions such as missiles, but also digital warfare tools that are sometimes referred to as “non-kinetic” capabilities.

“To effectively engage peer and near-peer adversaries, the U.S. Air Force needs to develop, acquire and operate systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber, and electromagnetic spectrum (EMS)). The objective is to adopt the best practices of open architectures to enable rapid proliferation of new and existing software and hardware as well as developing enabling technologies that support maintaining the technological advantage,” the call states.

In 2022, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall appointed Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey to serve as the department’s first integrating program executive officer for command, control, communications and battle management (C3BM).

The C3BM office issued Tuesday’s call for concept papers for “Cyber Electro Magnetic Activities” capability development aimed at countering opponents’ command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) assets.

That includes tools “to deny, degrade, disrupt, or destroy enemy C5ISR capabilities to allow air and surface operations in and around denied or heavily defended areas. These activities should be viable in their delivery mechanism(s) and be able to integrate into an existing C2 architecture as part of the advanced battle management construct. Delivery mechanisms should be able to be integrated on or with existing platforms to the maximum extent possible,” the document states.

Additionally, the updated announcement includes a call for concept papers related to the development, maturation, integration, demonstration and proliferation of sensor hardware and software.

“In a conflict with a well-resourced adversary, U.S. forces could be faced with numerous surface and air moving targets. Blue forces must be capable of engaging those threats simultaneously, in high numbers, and in a time-compressed situation. Traditional airborne moving target intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors will be threatened which will dictate ability to prosecute targets by new, non-traditional means and prioritizing those that would deny access to areas of interest. These systems need to be continually developed and improved and, moreover, integrated into the command-and-control structure,” the document states.

“Against the modern, advanced threat, sensors must be able to detect at significant ranges and discriminate as to type to effectively perform a countermeasure. Sensors must be able to process and communicate results in short timelines. A key interest is the compatibility and interoperability capabilities using open interfaces (such as UCI (Universal Command and Control Interface)) to enable improved control of systems and the processing of their data. Design, development, demonstration and integration of networked weapons engaged across complex (e.g. wide area mesh) environments capable of supporting C2 deconfliction and synchronization of multidomain assets,” it added.

The call comes as the Air Force is pursuing next-generation drones known as collaborative combat aircraft, or CCAs, that are expected to operate with a great deal of autonomy enabled by artificial intelligence agents. They are also envisioned to serve as robotic wingmen to manned fighter jets such as the F-35 and a Next-Generation Air Dominance stealth fighter, called NGAD, that’s in the works. The Advanced Battle Management System must allow for real-time connectivity between those types of manned and unmanned platforms and the sensors and weapon suites they carry, the document notes.

The two-step BAA process asks for vendors to submit concept papers to the Air Force. Offerors whose papers generate interest may be invited to submit a formal proposal that could lead to a contract award. The department is looking for tech that’s currently at Technology Readiness Level 3 or higher.

Concept papers are due March 31, 2025.

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In 2021, Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded a $46.5 million pathfinder contract to Sev1Tech to prototype meshONE-T, a terrestrial network of data transport nodes that facilitates secure and rapid communications between sites located around the world. 

Now, the service intends to issue a production contract to the company by the end of fiscal 2024 that will expand the scope and capabilities of the system, according to Col. Peter Mastro, senior materiel leader for the tactical command, control and communication delta within SSC’s battle management command, control and communications (BMC3) program executive office.

“It is a data-transport-as-a-service, where it provides a long-haul terrestrial fiber network to other programs that need it,” Mastro told a small group of reporters April 11 during the annual Space Symposium. “When a customer comes in and uses meshOne, it is a multi-path, resilient terrestrial comms to add that proliferated terrestrial path.”

The program is supporting the Pentagon-wide effort known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2). The warfighting concept seeks to deploy technologies that help connect platforms and weapons from all the services and key foreign partners under a single network, enabling faster and more effective decision-making and force employment.

Programs today often set up and accredit their own closed, mission-specific networks through their prime contractor in order to move data around — creating technical and procedural barriers to efficiently sharing data with other services and mission areas, Mastro explained. Even when two different networks use the same data repository, they each need to get an authority to connect to access that information, he added.

The meshONE-T network looks to break down those siloes by creating an integrated, ground-based network that can fit into the Department of the Air Force’s larger CJADC2 effort known as the DAF Battle Network. Specifically, the system is ideal for moving large capacity, big bandwidth and high-performance data between two sites, according to Mastro.

“You can buy into what we have, and in doing so you join an integrated network,” he said. “When you join the meshONE network — and even if you just get one node at your location — you now are connected to every other node in the mesh network.”

The meshONE-T technology also offers users cybersecurity capabilities based on zero trust, Mastro noted. The framework assumes networks are compromised by adversaries, requiring users to be constantly monitored and authenticated as they move through a network. 

Not only does that mean the architecture is protected, it also allows users to track data as it moves through the meshONE-T network and keep an eye on its performance in real time, he said.

“It’s that same type of visibility and insight that also gives cyber operators the ability to be on the system and to be monitoring who is in there to make sure that we understand what is going on,” he explained.

Since awarding the initial contract in 2021, SSC has deployed 17 meshONE-T nodes in and outside of the continental United States, according to Mastro.

The network has already supported a number of CJADC2-related programs — including demonstrations for the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and the cloud-based command and control capability (CBC2) — as well as the Space Force’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) program for missile warning and tracking.

In its budget request for fiscal 2025, the Space Force is looking for $42.1 million in research-and-development funding to support the follow-on contract for meshONE-T that will increase the number of nodes to expand the network. Mastro said while there isn’t a planned number of nodes they want to scale to, SSC has a list of programs touching “just about every part of the Space Force” that are interested in joining the network.

The service is also looking to enhance the overall capability of meshONE-T, such as becoming federated into other space-based networks, including systems in low-Earth orbit.

“We are going to be connected to [satellite communications] — both traditional military SATCOM, as well as commercial proliferated LEO [and] government proliferated LEO,” Mastro said.

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The service’s integrated program executive office for command, control, communications and battle management (C3BM) issued a sources-sought notice Monday on Sam.gov for an “artificial intelligence and machine learning toolkit” that could improve reaction times.

Specifically, the service wants to apply the so-called toolkit to its cloud-based command and control (CBC2) effort. The Air Force is casting a broad net for capabilities that could be included in the toolkit, underscoring that AI and ML technologies can be used for different applications and problems, according to the request for information.

“This effort shall be a collection of tools and technologies that improve tactical C2 software applications under development within multiple programs (e.g., Cloud-Based Command and Control) and reduce operational workflow timelines for C2,” the RFI stated.

CBC2 is a key component of the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System initiative and the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) effort. The warfighting concept aims to connect sensors and shooters from across the U.S. military and international partners under a single network, enabling faster and more effective decision-making and employment of forces.

The Air Force delivered an initial operating capability of CBC2 to the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Eastern and Canadian air defense sector in October 2023. The service plans to continue scaling that capability to other air defense sectors throughout this year.

The platform integrates hundreds of critical air defense radar and data feeds under one cloud-based interface, then develops courses of action from which leaders can quickly make high-quality decisions. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to assist commanders in the decision-making process and help maintain situational awareness

Now, the RFI indicates that the Air Force is interested in incorporating other advanced and commercialized AI and ML technologies — including data collection and curation; machine-to-machine operations; large language models; and continuous and reinforced learning training models.

A full statement of objectives was not publicly available on Sam.gov because some of the information related to the notice was “controlled” access.

Responses to the RFI are due April 26.

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CBC2 is slated to reach initial operating capability before the end of fiscal 2023, and over the next two to three quarters of fiscal 2024 the Air Force will deliver the capability to Northcom and NORAD at three different locations, Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey, program executive officer for command, control, communications and battle management (C3BM), said Sept. 11 at AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber conference.

Although he couldn’t name the exact locations where CBC2 would be delivered, Cropsey told reporters during a media roundtable at the event that the initial capability would remain focused on the air defense mission for the time being.

“I think part of the reason that the CBC2 team has been as successful as it has been over the last 15 months is because we actually did agile [development] as opposed to just talking about it — and we’re pretty good at just talking about things in this context,” he said.

A ‘global view’ of air defense

The new cloud-based capability is intended to replace a legacy command-and-control system while also merging critical data feeds from three other separate systems. More than 750 radar feeds will be available under a single user interface, allowing operators to “create machine-generated courses of action to help shorten the tactical C2 kill chain and send a desired effect via machine-to-machine connections,” according to the Air Force.

The capability’s delivery is a key milestone for the service’s Advanced Battle Management System efforts, which serve as one of the Air Force’s contributions to the Pentagon-wide initiative known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). The new warfighting concept seeks to connect the sensors and shooters from across the U.S. military and international partners under a single network, enabling faster and more effective decision-making and employment of forces.

Although the Air Force has contracted multiple companies to provide microservices — ranging from mapping to data analytics — for CBC2, it awarded Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) a $112 million contract to serve as the prime integrator and operator for the capability.

“It used to be that you had five separate sectors that all had their own radars and their own views, and then they were connected by networks,” Joe Sublousky, vice president of SAIC’s JADC2 businesses, told DefenseScoop in an interview on the sidelines of the conference. “Now, they’re all connected in a cloud-based command and control, which means for the first time you have a global view of air defense sector inputs.”

When asked by DefenseScoop what made CBC2’s rapid development a success, Cropsey pointed to the organizational structure of the team working on its delivery.

He explained that both Northcom and his office each designated an operational person for each microservice offered by CBC2, generating the iterative user-and-development cycle that agile processes call for.

“That may be the single biggest reason why CBC2 is moving as well as it’s moving, because of that teaming arrangement,” Cropsey said.

Cropsey also highlighted the Air Force’s contract approach to CBC2, which “thin-sliced” the capability into multiple microservices that allowed the program executive office to contract for each individual layer — as opposed to awarding one giant contract for the entire capability. It’s a contracting method Cropsey has previously said will be critical in getting JADC2-related technologies across the finish line. 

In order to bring all of those microservices together, SAIC focused immediately on laying down a foundational digital architecture that allowed the 15 different capability providers to integrate all of their data in a common language format, Sublousky said. That allows the varying microservices to come together and provide a more comprehensive picture of what’s happening in the air defense sectors using “dots on a screen,” but also provide recommended courses of action, he noted.

“One capability provider might be getting the radar feeds and putting it up, but the other one is ingesting those dots or those lat logs and then doing some analytics on it to say whether it is off course or not off course,” Sublousky said. “While another capability provider can say, ‘Okay, here’s all the aircraft that are in the region, and here’s the ones that are close enough to get to it in time to make a decision.’”

Next steps

As the Air Force delivers CBC2 over the next couple of months, Cropsey told DefenseScoop that whether or not they’re able to scale the capability to other locations or combatant commands remains an open question for now. Some locations they’re considering include U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. European Command and other places, he noted.

Those scaling efforts will depend on how well the service can replicate the teaming structure focused on the current CBC2 capability, Cropsey said.

“I think that in order to make CBC2 to scale in terms of the results that we got, it’s not about growing the team. It’s about actually replicating the team in other instances,” he said. “I need to keep the existing CBC2 team very focused around the specific problems and operational outcomes NORAD/Northcom uses. They can’t get diluted in that focus.”

There are other factors to consider when scaling a deployable capability, as well. Not only do future locations need the proper digital infrastructure so that CBC2 can connect back to the enterprise, the Air Force would also need additional hardware components for processing and compute, he noted.

But Cropsey said the actual number of locations the Air Force could deploy CBC2 at would be impacted if Congress fails to pass its annual defense spending bill, forcing the Pentagon and other federal agencies to operate under a continuing resolution. 

His office plans to prioritize delivering CBC2 to the initial three locations at Northcom and NORAD, even in the event funding for fiscal 2024 is stalled. Still, his office wouldn’t be able to expand the infrastructure to additional locations as quickly as he would want without additional funding.

“What it will mean is we’ll have to delay how we roll in the additional scale and scope — particularly on the digital infrastructure end of it, because those were where the primary cost drivers come in as a function of time and deployment,” Cropsey said. “We’ll keep the coding going. We’ll keep that development basically at speed, and it’ll turn more into a conversation about how fast and how many.”

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Last September, Cropsey was named the service’s first ever integrating program executive officer for C3BM — initially described by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall as “the hardest acquisition job I’ve ever given anybody” — and took the helm of the Department of the Air Force’s contributions to a Pentagon-wide effort known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). The concept seeks to connect the U.S. military’s many sensors and shooters under a single network to enable faster and more effective command and control.

For the Air Force, Cropsey is in charge of proving out and integrating the DAF Battle Network and the dozens of programs underneath it — a role that didn’t exist before he took the job, he told DefenseScoop.

“We had different entities that were responsible for different parts of the kill chain … There was nobody that actually owned the end-to-end acronym to make sure that it all would stitch together and it would all operate at the speed and at the scale that was going to be needed,” Cropsey said Aug. 1 during an exclusive interview with DefenseScoop on the sidelines of the Air Force’s Life Cycle Industry Days in Dayton, Ohio.

After almost a year into the job, Cropsey described his approach as taking simple yet focused actions in order to rapidly acquire new capabilities that the Air Force can continue to iterate off of. At the same time, there’s still a need to be dynamic and flexible — both in terms of technology and acquisition.

“We’re taking it one piece at a time,” he said.

Dealing with complexity

During a roundtable with media at the Life Cycle Industry Days, Cropsey described two critical lines of effort under the DAF Battle Network: building a command-and-control architecture and its underlying digital infrastructure.

“People use the ‘architecture’ word and things start to get fuzzy and people’s eyeballs roll up in their head,” he told reporters. He described the architecture they’re building out for the DAF Battle Network as the relationships between the various components and capabilities within a system.

“In this case, that ‘system’ is that warfighting apparatus that we need in order to be able to affect the outcomes in a wartime environment,” Cropsey explained.

The Air Force’s architecture components are managed by Bryan Tipton, DAF C3BM chief of architecture and engineering. Tipton inherited many programs from former Chief Architect of the Force Preston Dunlap, who was first tasked to oversee the Air Force’s JADC2 efforts in 2019 before resigning.

The portfolio historically encompassed a broad range of capabilities, but now it’s acutely focused on specific operational outcomes related to C3 modernization, Cropsey said.

“If you think about the problem everywhere, all the time, in any context — you choke on it. It’s just too huge,” he said. “The way that you deal with that complexity is by being very focused around the particular operational outcomes that you have to achieve, and then re-weighting the things that you have available, … all the parts and pieces and people that you need to connect together in order for that outcome to be achieved. That’s an architecture.”

Getting specific and contextualizing the problem allows Cropsey and his team to assess the DAF Battle Network’s architecture from both a technical and programmatic perspective, while also addressing detailed questions on capability delivery timelines and technology gaps, he added. 

As for the digital infrastructure, many of those efforts are tied to the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) formerly under the Department of the Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office and touch on connectivity, compute and processing needs.

“The architecture would explain how the different things that are in the system use and relate to that infrastructure,” Cropsey said. “The infrastructure is part of the architecture, but it provides kind of the backbone that all the things that are in that architecture need in order to communicate and connect to each other.”

Cropsey’s focus there is keeping those efforts moving down the development pipeline, with plans to start deploying digital infrastructure capabilities soon. He told DefenseScoop that his team is currently taking advantage of the concurrency of both the architecture and infrastructure efforts now under program executive office for C3BM.

“Regardless of what the architecture team generates, I already know I have to have this connectivity in order to put all those pieces together,” he said. “So at very low risk of duplicating something or buying something that’s not going to be usable, I can move out in parallel on this not very sexy — but really, really important — underlying infrastructure that has to be available.”

This helps define the fixed endpoints of the architecture that are essential to get right the first time around, as well as inform where across the rest of the architecture the Air Force can be a bit more flexible with capability, Cropsey said.

“At some point we can converge all those things, where I have those clear architectures [and] they’ve got well-defined endpoints,” he said. “Now that’s cooking with gas. Now you have the ability to do [C2] at scale, at speed — the sky’s the limit.”

Turning the system on its head

When considering how the Air Force should start acquiring and fielding JADC2-enabling capabilities for the DAF Battle Network, Cropsey said he is certain of at least one thing: “The way that we’ve done it historically isn’t going to work.”

Cropsey told DefenseScoop that in the past, designing a system as complex as the DAF Battle Network from a clean sheet of paper hasn’t worked. He’s trying to pivot away from traditional experiment and acquisition strategies and instead focus on 90-day “sprints” that allow for capabilities to continuously and gradually deployed over time.

It’s an approach that essentially turns the entire system on its head, he said.

“There’s a clear deliverable, a clear capability that’s coming out on a regular, repeatable kind of basis and we’re using that time-certain imperative here to really pressurize the system into not doing big-bang acquisitions,” Cropsey said. “You don’t have time to go make this really complex, high-end [product]. You’ve got to get to a working capability now, so make it simple and make it work.” 

The goal is to deploy the simple and proven technologies first, then slowly iterate and build off of those over time until the Air Force gets to the more complex and evolved capabilities, he said. 

Still, this requires more than the right capabilities. The department also needs a culture and program office that are aligned with the concept and can do more than manage the technology, Cropsey noted.

“They’ve actually got to be technically competent enough to be in the actual wiring diagram of how we’re going to get this thing done,” he said. “I need people that can code, I need people that can actually see where and how the trajectory is moving, recognize where it needs to get adjusted in real time and do the work.”

He pointed to the Air Force’s cloud-based command and control (CBC2) capability release as proof that the service can take a fundamentally different approach to contracting and fielding modern C2 capabilities and be successful. The program combines a variety of air-defense data sources for U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to enable faster decisions for homeland defense. 

Rather than having a single prime contractor, Cropsey said his office is managing “tens of different contract vehicles just for that one effort.” CBC2 will reach initial operational capability by the end of fiscal 2023, he said.

While the CBC2 capability release was well executed, the Air Force’s other effort, known as Capability Release 1, had its hiccups. 

The initial plan announced in 2021 was to field at least four communications prototypes for the KC-46, allowing the tanker to link the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets — where were previously incompatible comms-wise — as well as ground-based command-and-control systems. That effort has since been scaled back and now focuses only on getting an organic communications capability onto the KC-46 so it can effectively do its mission, Cropsey said.

The pivot was in response to Air Mobility Command’s insistence that connectivity on the KC-46 was absolutely essential, he added.

“Because the timing is so critical of getting that capability in place and out to them, we’ve narrowed the scope down to getting that initial palletized capability into the back of the KC-46 and then given them the opportunity to start experimenting with a couple of different ways, [concept of operations-wise], that they could start using that as kind of a basis for that capability,” Cropsey said.

It’s an attempt to leave things behind in a meaningful way that favors getting new capabilities into the operational environment, he noted. That strategy requires constant communication between his team and the operational users.

“If we aren’t staying tight at the hip, and we aren’t moving at the same rate of speed with our operational counterparts in this or where the technology is moving, we’re gonna get left behind and we’re gonna end up with yesterday’s technology, tomorrow. That’s not a winning strategy,” Cropsey said.

Moving forward, Cropsey said he isn’t afraid to pivot away from the capability release strategy and consider other approaches to deploying C2 capabilities if he needs to.

“I am not overly constrained by how we’ve done it,” he said. “I’m much more interested in what we have to do to succeed moving forward.”

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“I think what we’re trying to do is find ways of actually promoting more competition — not less competition — as we’re moving forward,” Cropsey said Monday during an event hosted by the Air and Space Forces Association. “We’re thinking very deliberately around how we create conditions for deploying capability continuously. What does that look like? How do you do it? How do we get out of big bang acquisition?”

The C3BM enterprise is part of the DAF Battle Network, which is the Air and Space Forces’ contribution to the Pentagon-wide effort to better connect the military’s sensors, shooters and networks under a warfighting construct known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).

Under a recent reorganization of the entire initiative, the C3BM enterprise now also includes the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which is developing the digital infrastructure for the effort.

Cropsey noted that many of the technologies that he’s looking at for C3BM are already being developed within the commercial industry, rather than the Air Force’s own research-and-development centers. Because of this, the services needs to shift to an acquisition model for C3BM that allows them to rapidly, incrementally and continuously acquire the latest technologies available.

“How that looks and the way that we do that, I think, starts to look more like thin-slicing the problem as opposed to just shoving it all over into a winner-takes-all kind of environment,” Cropsey said. “That model is something that we’ve got to go out and prove, quite frankly. That isn’t something that I’d say we’ve got a ton of experience in, historically, making work and make happen.”

In recent months, the Air Force has been ramping up engagement with industry for its C3BM initiatives — particularly the ABMS digital infrastructure efforts. The service has already shared with industry some top-secret level insight of “war plans” for how ABMS will be employed, and has set up the ABMS digital infrastructure consortium with industry, among other efforts.

When it comes to ABMS and its other JADC2-related projects, the Air Force is currently interested in leveraging unique capabilities from industry that can be integrated into the whole system, Cropsey said. But that acquisition strategy won’t be the only option forever, he added.

“There’s going to be different sets of opportunities moving forward, and I think as we start building a backlog around the specific programmatic elements that we need for filling in holes or building out the scale and the capabilities in the future … there will be more and more opportunities for platform-specific or subsystem-unique kinds of things that might go onto particular platforms or otherwise,” Cropsey said.

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During the announcement in the White House Rose Garden, Biden described Brown as a “butt-kickin’ American airman,” an “operational leader in the joint force” and a “top-notch strategist.”

He noted Brown’s advice that the U.S. military must “accelerate change” or risk losing future conflicts.

“To keep American people safe, prosperous and secure, we have to move fast and adapt quickly. We have to maintain a combat credible force, capable of deterring and defeating any potential threat. We have to manage our competition with China and meet the reality of renewed aggression in Europe. We need to make sure we retain our competitive edge in an age where emerging technologies and technologies from AI to 3D printing can fundamentally change the character of conflict. With Gen. Brown as chairman, I know I’ll be able to rely on his advice as a military strategist and as a leader of military innovation, dedicated to keeping our armed forces the best in the world,” Biden said.

If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would succeed Gen. Mark Milley as the highest ranking member of the American armed forces.

Brown began his military career nearly four decades ago as an F-16 fighter pilot, and was eventually tapped as the commander of Pacific Air Forces for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command where he focused on emerging threats from China, which the Pentagon now views as its top competitor. He later became chief of staff of the Air Force in June 2020 — the first Black officer to lead a military service branch.

In his current role, Brown has notably been a staunch advocate for the Air Force’s modernization programs, from sixth-generation aircraft and drones to artificial intelligence and other digital capabilities. He often emphasized the importance of advancing the Air Force’s technological prowess in order to deter U.S. adversaries like China and Russia through his “Accelerate Change or Lose” manifesto, a message he’ll likely carry into his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“The Air Force must modernize to counter strategic competitors by balancing risk [and] by divesting platforms and capabilities that have decreasing relevance against the pacing challenge. Investments in speed, agility and the lethality of Air Force capabilities underwrites the Joint Force,” Brown told the House Armed Services Committee during a fiscal 2024 budget hearing last month.

Brown was particularly focused on fleshing out the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which serves as the Air Force’s contribution to the Pentagon-wide initiative known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). That effort aims to connect the military’s sensors and shooters under a more unified network across the joint force — a challenge Brown repeatedly noted must be executed without breaking the bank.

He has prioritized investments in digital infrastructure and modernizing cloud-based communications in order to mature ABMS.

“We must focus on the Joint Warfighting Concept, enabled by Joint All-Domain Command and Control and rapidly move forward with digital, low cost, high tech, warfighting capacities,” he said in his strategic vision.

Brown also sought to turn the Air Force into a more data-centric service by elevating and expanding various capabilities such as the “data-pulling” tool known as Project Brown Heron. Initially stood up to generate data on health and readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Air Force is now collaborating with industry and using the platform to drive other types of insights for Air Force operations.

The service chief also advocated for new career paths for personnel with specialized skills in emerging technologies.

“We have what we call career pyramids … which means these are the squares you’ve got to fill in order to move up the chain. I want to take a sliver off the side of that and say, ‘You’ve got some special skills, you don’t have to follow the same path.’ I want to make sure that you continue to have the opportunity to do meaningful work, opportunities to still get promoted and get pay raises. Maybe you don’t move, you stay in the same location for a number of years versus our standard three- to-four-year cycle of movement, and allow individuals to progress that way,” he said in February at an event hosted by the Brookings Institution.

Military occupational specialities might also need to be shaken up so they military can better “operate data,” he suggested.

“There’s people inside the Air Force that know how to do this, but not probably to the level that we’re probably going to need,” Brown said at the Brookings Institution event. “If I think about the Air Force specialties we have today, there’s some that we have today that we probably won’t need in the future; and there’s probably some that we don’t have today that we need more of, like data. And how do you start to build out that career field and those capabilities and say, ‘These are valuable to the Air Force’ and build them into and give them a developmental path and a career that … they can see themselves [moving] up to the higher levels?”

During a press briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described Brown as “an incredibly capable and professional officer” with “deep experience in warfighting.”

At the same press conference, Milley also lavished praise.

“I’ve known CQ, like Secretary Austin has, for a long time. He’s a great officer, in my view, personal view. He has all the knowledge and skills attributes to do this job. And he has the appropriate demeanor and chemistry,” Milley told reporters. “CQ is absolutely superb and I’m looking forward to a speedy confirmation.”

It wasn’t immediately clear when the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a confirmation hearing.

Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, former staff director for the SASC, said he expects Brown to be confirmed.

“He embodies both the joint and service perspective, but especially helpful will be his deep knowledge and experience in the Indo-Pacific theater — the key to this ‘decisive decade,'” Punaro said in a statement.

“The Senate Armed Services Committee will conduct a thorough and complete confirmation process and hearing, and I fully expect General Brown to be confirmed on an overwhelming bipartisan basis — once he leaps over any procedural hurdles currently in place for senior military nominations,” he added.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the SASC, praised Brown in a statement.

“Gen. Brown is an exceptionally qualified officer who brings decades of experience tackling America’s hardest national security problems,” Wicker said. “I have also known him to be a thoughtful advocate of accelerating innovation so that our armed services can be ready to defend our country and deter potential threats, especially those from the Chinese Communist Party.”

Brandi Vincent contributed reporting.

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