MCLEAN, Va. - Agile Defense has been selected for a potential $100 million Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement through the Pentagon's Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace to prototype a new approach for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into operational military workflows.

The McLean, Va.-based company announced the award, saying the prototype will support North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). The effort centers on what Agile Defense calls Force Deployed Engineering and Training (FDE&T), a model that combines AI instruction with engineering support as military organizations adopt AI-enabled mission capabilities.

According to the company, the prototype will support operators using Maven Smart System (MSS), the Department of Defense's (DoD) operational AI platform, and the War Data Platform (WDP), which supports AI-enabled mission workflows. Agile Defense said co-located subject matter expert (SME) teams will provide instruction while helping operators develop, refine, and operationalize AI workflows during mission activities.

Related: DoD outlines progress on Golden Dome missile defense architecture

"Agile Defense not only articulated a clear vision for how to operationalize AI at the edge, we invested strategically in our Workforce AI product and made it a reality," Mike Pansky, chief transformation officer at Agile Defense, said in a statement.

The company said its FDE&T approach combines instruction with technical support by providing training on Maven Smart System, War Data Platform, and related AI capabilities while offering "hands-on-keyboard" engineering assistance as operators build and refine AI-enabled workflows. Agile Defense said the effort also includes continuously updated learning paths and certifications intended to evolve as AI platforms change.

"Our SMEs don't just teach these platforms; they build, tune, and operationalize AI workflows alongside operators, converting every training engagement into immediate mission capability available across the Combatant Commands and Services," Shawn Tyrie, chief revenue officer at Agile Defense, said in a statement.

The agreement was awarded through the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office's Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, which uses Other Transaction Authority agreements to accelerate acquisition of commercial AI, data and digital technologies. Tradewinds evaluates commercial technologies before they are selected for prototype projects, allowing government organizations to award prototype agreements more rapidly than through traditional acquisition processes.

Agile Defense said the effort will leverage its Workforce AI platform but did not disclose the period of performance, the amount of funding initially obligated under the agreement, or how the prototype could transition into operational deployment.