Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)

Abstract

ABMS is the top modernization priority for the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and its primary contribution to provide decision superiority and meet the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) requirements. JADC2 requires that individual military activities not simply be deconflicted, but be integrated - activities in one domain must enhance the effectiveness of those in other domains and compensate for vulnerabilities. ABMS will connect sensors, systems, and weapons across both the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force. ABMS is not a platform or sensor, but instead will be the essential data network that connects and empowers current and future platforms to fight and win in the modern era as defined by the National Defense Strategy and Joint All-Domain Operations Department of Defense directives. Legacy and future sensors from a variety of programs and sources produce data that needs to be made available to those people and systems that need it most. Multi-level secure processing occurs on global distributed clouds, tactical edge nodes, infrastructure, platforms, and end user devices where operators interface with the data and applications at the required classification level. For information to flow, the network must be enabled by a combination of government and commercial connectivity pathways to move data to and through a suite of cloud and local edge-based applications that make sense of the environment and apply advanced algorithms aided by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Strategic, operational, and tactical operators use these applications to manage and direct the desired effects using machine-to-machine connections. On 24 Nov 2020, the DAF Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) became the ABMS Integrating Program Executive Office (PEO) in a deliberate transition to start acquiring enduring ABMS capability through focused acquisition efforts and investments in robust digital infrastructure. ABMS, as an acquisition effort managed by the DAF RCO, will pursue two parallel, symbiotic investment strategies under PE 0604003F: enduring digital infrastructure investments and Capability Releases (CRs) focused on closing kill-chains and delivering immediate operational capability to the warfighter. DAF RCO will focus ABMS investments on six capabilities as part of digital infrastructure and CRs: 1. Secure Processing: The hardware and software for processing and storage through multi-level security globally and edge enabling a full range of military operations. 2. Connectivity: Maturation and integration of open software-defined radios and networks, government-owned waveform libraries, and wideband multi-function RF systems. This element also includes the integration and standards required to leverage advances in commercial technology such as Open Communications Standards (OCS), 5G networks, and connections through multi-orbit satellite communications. 3. Data Management: Cloud-based data libraries, data feeds, data wrappers, software-defined data management, and content routing to improve data discoverability and information sharing across the joint force for legacy and future platforms and programs. 4. Applications: Cloud-based applications to provide User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) capabilities that will position warfighters "on the loop” to provide robust and dynamic battle management, command and control (BMC2) functionality, improved timing, and enhanced decision advantage. 5. Sensor Integration: ABMS will develop government-owned standards and provide open and reusable capabilities, to ensure interoperability with the ABMS digital infrastructure for existing and future military systems. 6. Effects Integration: ABMS will develop government-owned standards to ensure the successful integration of DAF and Joint effects capabilities into the ABMS digital infrastructure for existing and future military systems. The ABMS Battle Lab will be a digital infrastructure experimentation environment to explore new command and control technologies and develop C2 tactics, techniques, and procedures. The ABMS Battle Lab will allow warfighters direct interaction with software development teams and prototypes in development, which speeds up the feedback loop and product maturity. The first Capability Release is the Airborne Edge Node (AEN): Leveraging government reference architecture and the enduring digital infrastructure investments in Secure Processing, Connectivity, and Data Management, ABMS Capability Release #1 will connect select Tac Air assets and C2 functions to the ABMS cloud at the tactical edge, enhancing Situational Awareness and decision making at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. AEN's first implementation will be in a podded solution on the KC-46. This will include a Situational Awareness Tool, which will host mission-relevant applications, and be developed as a roll-on/roll-off stand-alone capability using commercial solutions. CR #1 is the first prototype effort for AEN, and will inform future design and fielding decisions for other platforms and C2 functions to connect to the ABMS cloud. Cloud-Based C2 (CBC2) modernizes battle management and command and control functions by replacing four existing C2 systems with modern applications, enhanced by AI/ML, to create a common operating picture. The intent is to develop hardware and software solutions that are extensible to all Combatant Commands (COCOMs). ABMS funding provides for program management support, operational concept development and demonstration, hardware development and integration, software development and integration, and other government costs. The funding will also enable the limited transition of mature and ready capabilities to appropriate programs of record in synchronization with planned modernization activities. Effective FY22, the categories of Digital Architecture, Standards, and Concepts and Architecture Experimentation and Evaluation are no longer aligned under this PE or executed by the DAF RCO. These efforts can be located in PE 0604006F. This program element may include necessary civilian pay and National Guard/Reserve Duty expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver ABMS capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY21 $0.848M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, in FY22 forecasted $0.055M civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY23 no funding is currently forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

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Document Type: Project
Publication Date: Oct 01, 2023
Source ID: 640141_0604003F_4_3600_PB_2023

Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)

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