1 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

Air Force Hires Startup To Build Up MDO’s Unified Data Library

By THERESA HITCHENS

WASHINGTON: The Air Force is expanding a key data tool, the cloud-based Unified Data Library (UDL), that may underpin the service's ambitious Multi-Domain Operations push.

Air Force leaders (including acquisition chief Will Roper) believe the UDL will be able to mesh data from all types of sensors to provide space situational awareness (SSA) and command and control (C2) for most Air Force missions.

The small $37 million contract, awarded Tuesday to Bluestaq LLC, will “expand the Advanced Command and Control Enterprise Systems and Software (ACCESS) project for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) Data Program Management Office and the Directorate of Special Programs, Space Situational Awareness Division.” ACCESS will feed the UDL, integrating data “from a wide range of sources spanning commercial, foreign, Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence Community (IC),” according to a company press release.

The contract, awarded under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, appears to fulfill exactly what Roper and other Air Force acquisition officials are pressing for: drawing in small and innovative companies that can move fast to help the service get inside the speed of Moore's Law instead of taking years or decades to develop new software systems.

“We can't specify all specific data sets over the next three years because prioritization is dynamic, but the goal is to eventually integrate all of AFSPC data there along with other sources such as commercial space (already there but more coming), multi-domain data from such as air, land, sea, data from other agencies, and even academia,” an Air Force Space Command spokesperson told Breaking D yesterday.

The spokesperson noted that the expansion will support Space Command's National Space Defense Center, designed to run future combat operations in space and to integrate Intelligence Community data with that of the military. It also will support the Combine Space Operations Center (CSPOC), that shares space domain awareness information with allies, the spokesperson said, as well as administrative functions.

UDL is the brain child of Maj. Gen. Kim Crider, Air Force Space Command's (AFSPC) data integration guru. Crider is charged with developing AFSPC's classified Enterprise Data Strategy and Roadmap to underpin multi-domain command and control (MDC2) operations.

“The Unified Data Library consumes, processes, and distributes millions of unique data products daily originating from dozens of commercial, academic, and government organizations across the world to a diverse user base spanning 25 countries,” according to Bluestaq. “The Unified Data Library storefront provides a robust interactive online API to assist users or developers with education and discovery of available dashboards, data streams, services, structures, and formats. The Air Force plans to expand the Unified Data Library to allow different security classification user access levels and fuse data from all types of sensors to provide command and control for most Air Force missions.”

Indeed, AFSPC said in its email, “UDL data is available to any partner organization today, depending on clearance, authorization of the data provider, and classification of the data in question.”

The UDL also is being tested by the Commerce Department as it readies itself to take over the mission of providing space situational awareness (SSA) information to commercial and foreign satellite operators.

To get some idea of how different the culture is at this company note this comment by Andy Hofle, Bluestaq chief engineer and co-founder: “It has been exciting to see the growing community interest in the data management platform over the last 18 months, and our team has had a tremendous amount of fun playing a role in the development of the project.”

https://breakingdefense.com/2019/10/air-force-hires-startup-to-build-up-mdos-unified-data-library

Sur le même sujet

  • Boeing receives $400M contract to keep B-1, B-52 bombers flying

    2 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

    Boeing receives $400M contract to keep B-1, B-52 bombers flying

    By Ed Adamczyk Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Boeing was awarded a $400 million contract by the Defense Department for engineering services on B-1 and B-52 strategic bombers. The contract, announced on Friday, covers recurring and non-recurring services. The B-1 has been in service since 1986, while the B-52, nicknamed the Stratofortress, was first introduced in 1955. Specific work, covered by a $35 million award as part of the contract and to be finished by Dec. 31, 2019, will be done at Tinker AFB, Okla.; Edwards AFB, Calif.; Barksdale AFB, La., and at Boeing's Oklahoma City, Okla., facility. The Air Force Life Cycle Management office at Tinker AFB is the contracting agency. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2018/12/31/Boeing-receives-400M-contract-to-keep-B-1-B-52-bombers-flying/5191546274824

  • 10 Biggest DoD Contract Awards for July 2022

    3 août 2022 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

    10 Biggest DoD Contract Awards for July 2022

    The 10 biggest contracts in July totaled $16,472,333,580, coming in at $10 billion less than June 2022 contracts.

  • Unleash the Space Force

    21 mai 2024 | International, Aérospatial

    Unleash the Space Force

    Opinion: Numbers outlining China's military space prowess are understandably alarming, but they don’t tell the whole story, Todd Harrison argues in an op-ed.

Toutes les nouvelles