Air Force wants new capabilities in battle management, artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber security

Dec. 10, 2020
Kill Chain Integration seeks intelligence, cyber security, AI, and battle management for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments.

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – U.S. Air Force battle management experts are approaching industry for new kinds of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability, as well as for ways to protect these systems from cyber attack.

Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., released the Kill Chain Integration Broad Agency Announcement - 2021 earlier this month asking for concept papers addressing kill chain integration to ensure spectrum awareness of new threats.

The Kill Chain Integration project seeks to develop advanced intelligence, cyber security, and classified solutions that provide Air Force and other military commanders with reliable intelligence in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments.

These technologies should be applicable to military command, control communications, intelligence, networking, and battle management capabilities.

Related: Air Force considers gaming-developed artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for battle management

Air Force researchers want operationally focused ISR capabilities that capitalize on enabling technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI); geospatial analysis of social media; data analytics, processing, and fusion; position, navigation and timing (PNT); mobile networking and communications; and cryptography.

Air Force researchers also are looking for new ways to detect, monitor, assess, and isolate insider cyber security threats, and for ways to restore contaminated computer and networking systems to pristine trusted states.

These cyber approaches should address information security using virtualization coupled with manual and machine learning techniques to protect systems; autonomous software to detect and disable untrusted functions.

Proposals should involve technologies with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) three or higher. TRL-3 involves a demonstrated proof-of-concept. Higher TRLs involve working prototypes that can be demonstrates by tests or simulation. The Air Force will accept concept white papers through 30 Nov. 2021.

Related: Researchers eye embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into war games simulation to beef-up challenges

Companies interested should email concept papers no later than 30 Nov. 2021 to the Air Force's Shawn Walles at [email protected], or Michael Clark at [email protected].

Email questions or concerns to Shawn Walles at [email protected], or Michael Clark at [email protected].

More information is online at https://beta.sam.gov/opp/d00a35bf694d400aadfba728705b46d1/view.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Military Aerospace, create an account today!