The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, stationed in Rome, New York, has released a broad agency announcement (BAA) titled FA8750-23-S-7006 for the artificial intelligence and Next Generation Distributed Command and Control project. This initiative is a significant step towards leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (ai) to bolster command and control capabilities in contested environments. With adversarial interference being a primary concern, this project aims to transition from centralized command and control nodes to distributed architectures.
Challenges and Objectives
The primary challenge of this project is to ensure that ai technologies are effectively managed for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) purposes amidst adversarial interference. The Air Force intends to empower military decision-makers by providing them with advanced ai capabilities that enable assessing the battlespace, formulating optimal plans, and directing forces seamlessly.
Technical Areas
The project encompasses eight technical areas:
Command and Control of Mission-Tailored ai: This area focuses on adapting ai models rapidly to cater to specific mission requirements and creating robust performance management tools for training, deploying, and managing mission-tailored ai.
Federated, Composable Autonomy and ai Toolbox: The objective is to develop collaborative ai tools that facilitate information sharing, raw data analysis, and third-party developers’ creation of ai components. This will enable interoperability and flexibility in the development and implementation of autonomous systems.
Advanced Wargaming Agents: Integrating ai into wargaming technology enhances evaluation benchmarks, gaming environments, and simulation capabilities. This will enable more realistic and accurate predictions of potential conflicts and their outcomes.
Interactive Learning for C4I Data: The aim is to implement efficient machine learning approaches that leverage human input to rapidly train models for various intelligence and planning tasks. This approach will enable quick adaptation of ai to new data and situations.
Command and Control Complexity Dominance Generative ai C4I: Exploring strategies to exploit operational complexity and impose cognitive overload on enemy agents is a crucial aspect of this area. By utilizing advanced ai techniques, the Air Force intends to influence enemy decision-making and actions.
Software Defined Distributed Command and Control: Prototyping use-cases to leverage generative ai in optimizing distributed command and control resources across operational theaters is a vital objective. This approach aims to enhance adaptability, resilience, and Website responsiveness.
Tactical ai: Utilizing distributed sensors for detecting, analyzing, and mitigating interference sources through intelligent command and control mechanisms is an essential component of this area. This approach aims to ensure reliable communication and mission execution in contested environments.
Project Details and Participation
The artificial intelligence and Next Generation Distributed Command and Control project is expected to allocate approximately $99 million over the next four years. Interested parties are invited to submit white papers detailing their capabilities and proposed solutions by email to the respective technical contacts for each area and Gennady Staskevich at us.af.mil”>gennady.staskevich@us.af.mil. The deadline for white paper submissions is March 2027.
Companies with promising submissions may be invited to submit full proposals for further consideration. By participating in this initiative, organizations have the opportunity to contribute to the development of advanced ai technologies for command and control capabilities in contested environments.
Conclusion
The artificial intelligence and Next Generation Distributed Command and Control project represents a significant step forward in harnessing ai to bolster command and control capabilities in contested environments. With various technical areas covering mission-tailored ai, distributed autonomy, wargaming agents, interactive learning, complexity dominance, software defined command and control, and tactical ai, this initiative offers a wealth of opportunities for companies to contribute.
By submitting white papers detailing their capabilities and proposed solutions by March 2027, interested parties have the opportunity to collaborate with the U.S. Air Force in advancing ai technologies for mission-critical applications. The potential impact of these advancements is significant, as they will enable more effective command and control capabilities amidst adversarial interference.
To learn more about the artificial intelligence and Next Generation Distributed Command and Control project, please visit FedBizOpps and review BAA FA8750-23-S-7006.
