Department of the Air Force Technical Architecture Design, Integration, and Evaluation
Abstract
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) Tech Architecture resources activities to oversee and shape the technical architecture of the entire Air Force and Space Force and foster modular and agile architectures within individual programs and across programs to rapidly deliver warfighting capability. The complexity of modern conflict requires decision making and coordinated effects at expanding ranges and increasingly rapid timelines driving the need for flexible, integrated systems that work together instead of exquisite individual systems that operate in isolation. As a result, the system-of-systems integrated architecture is just as important as the design of individual systems to ensure that systems have the necessary interoperability and composability as well as the capacity to rapidly modernize as needed to defeat the rapidly evolving adversary capabilities. Successful commercial companies follow a similar approach across product lines, enabling seamless operation across platforms as well as rapid modernization of hardware and software for each of their products. The complexity of modern conflict and the need for an effective family of systems to counter peer threats requires an office responsible for architecting across the entire USAF and USSF portfolio of systems to coordinate acquisition of those systems. Historically, acquisition has been done in the absence of a system-of-systems integrated reference architecture which has yielded systems that often only address a single use case (lack of composability); do not work together as desired (lack of interoperability); are unable to evolve or adopt new technologies (lack of ability to rapidly modernize); or fail to deliver the warfighter's desired operational effects (lack of military utility). The DAF Tech Architecture leads technical architectures for the entire DAF Air and Space portfolio to enable accelerated agile delivery of integrated warfighter capabilities in support of national security objectives. The DAF Tech Architecture leads the development of reference technical architectures which are foundational to a modular open system approach and are key to ensuring successful system-of-systems acquisitions. Reference architectures facilitate understanding the impact each system has on DAF missions and assessing system-of-systems performance to prioritize investments, expose duplicative capabilities, and identify capability gaps. The reference technical architectures guide and constrain programs to ensure delivery of systems that are composable, interoperable, and able to be modernized; as well as providing a framework to integrate them together ensuring military utility for complex missions such as Decision Superiority and Information Advantage, Agile Combat Employment, Rapid All-Domain Kill Chains, Logistics Under Attack, Space Domain Awareness, and Space Defense. The architectures must keep pace with the adversary, maturing as threats advance and new technological opportunities arise. Without a reference technical architectures, the DAF will continue to acquire singular exquisite systems instead of modular, open system-of-systems capabilities. The DAF Tech Architecture will work with architecture stakeholders to develop policy, standards, and processes to ensure capability and composability of architectures from a single aircraft sensor to the entirety of the USAF and USSF. Training, tools, and infrastructure required for architecture will be developed and provided to organize, train, and equip the DAF acquisitions force. To ensure successful system-of-systems acquisition, DAF Tech Architecture validates architecture designs by integrating them into the complex mission threads in the field, highlighting architectural gaps, validating military utility, and assessing architecture performance. A comprehensive understanding of mission threads, concepts of operation (CONOPS), and current/future systems is used to inform the development of an architectural minimum viable product (MVP); rapidly delivering critical technology with a bridge to acquisition and scaling. By integrating open architectures and solutions in complex mission scenarios on the battlefield, the DAF Tech Architecture has and will continue to deliver critical capability while uncovering mission-critical gaps. Architecture integration in system-of-systems mission threads and environments is critical to deliberately advancing the DAF's technological edge by informing architecture design, acquisition investments, system requirements for future capabilities, and acquisition baseline updates for current systems. This activity is directed by the DAF Chief Architect Officer (CAO) with oversight by the Secretary of the Air Force along with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of Space Operations, and Senior Acquisition Executive. This activity is executed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver Department of the Air Force Tech Architecture. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F, 0605831F and/or 0604858F. 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.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 645352_0604006F_4_3600_PB_2025
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