BAE Systems selected by DARPA to create autonomy software for multi-domain mission planning

WASHINGTON - BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop software that will enable semi-autonomous multi-domain mission planning. The technology will be designed for military operators to leverage battlespace resources from across various domains, such as space, air, land, and sea, for more effective, efficient missions.

Military operators currently use manual processes to assess availability and coordinate use of sensors, communications, weapons, and other assets across domains. DARPA's Adapting Cross-Domain Kill-Webs (ACK) program will seek to help operators adapt to dynamic situations with software technology that automatically identifies the best options. In response, BAE Systems' FAST Labs research and development organization, along with teammate Carnegie Mellon University, will create software called Multi-domain Adaptive Request Service (MARS).

MARS aims to help operators make informed decisions by automatically identifying available capabilities across domains, and then rapidly assessing the costs and benefits to use those capabilities when adjusting mission tasks. The software also includes a visual interface that will allow the exploration of available asset options, helping operators arrive at the best course of action to deliver the desired effect on targets.

MARS builds on BAE Systems' robust autonomy portfolio and 20-year history pioneering autonomy technology. Work on the ACK program, valued at $3.1 million, is being performed at the company's facilities in Burlington, Massachusetts and Arlington, Virginia.