VISION 2023 Torch Honorable Mention Highlight
“I think it is the most strategic place in the world.” This was Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell’s testimony before Congress in 1935. He was talking about Alaska.
His testimony makes sense. Open Google Earth and look at Alaska. Besides its obvious proximity to Russia and overwatch of the Indo-Pacific, Alaska offers forces a launching point to the north to reach other strategically important locations quickly.
While Mitchell might not be one of the more widely recognized generals from history, any Airman or Guardian can tell you who he is. His refusal to accept the status quo spurred the creation of a separate service for the Army’s air components and earned him the title of “Father of the Air Force.” Military innovators today can find common cause in his relentless drive for change.
So it’s perhaps fitting that Mitchell’s own words still inspire one of U.S. Northern Command ’s innovation teams with the 611th Air Operations Center at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, with their homeland defense mission. ArCTIC – the?Arctic Cyber Technology Innovation Cell – led by Dr. Carolyn Stwertka, PhD and an binational team of four, is focused on tackling some major priorities for U.S. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
“We were stood up as a concept cell to take science and technology and integrate it into operations to close domain awareness gaps,” Stwertka said.
The ArCTIC team is working several innovative initiatives in VISION. The military is in the process of divesting its E-3 Sentries – which provide airborne early warning and control – in favor of the incoming E-7 Wedgetail. AWACS aircraft have significant capabilities, but the technology already exists to provide basic situational awareness for any aircraft.?
Why not take existing link technology and employ that to the mobility fleet (think tankers and cargo aircraft)?
U.S. Air Force Capt. Ashley Strickland leads a project focused on doing just that to bridge the gap, and the results have some pretty big implications for dispersed operations in a contingency environment.
It’s a simple numbers game – there are hundreds more mobility aircraft than command and control aircraft. By adding existing link technology to these planes, not only can battle managers give awareness to both the leading edge of the fight and to decision makers, they also increase options for how commanders can employ aircraft in contingency environments.
In short, more awareness and more options.
The technology has been tested at Northern Edge, a joint readiness exercise, where it was employed by air battle managers who successfully validated the proof of concept.
领英推荐
“One of the last pieces are the tactics, techniques and procedures,” Stwertka said. “Now we’re focused on culture change through the transition.”
The team is also focused on updating the command and control software used in the Alaska Air Defense Sector and its air operations center. They recently secured a $1.5 million, 24-month Small Business Innovation Research contract for implementation of Flyways Defender, an AI and machine learning-based platform that is already being used by commercial airlines.?
The platform will automate many processes that are currently being manually input and calculated, which comes with the inherent risk of error. It will use historical and 4-D modeling data to provide leaders with the best practices and streamline decision making in support of the homeland defense mission. This contract will bring the platform into the military network, with plans to get it onto classified systems as well in the coming years.
Among a number of other advanced innovation initiatives, the team is doing experimental work with an existing sensor array to improve domain awareness. This high-frequency radio array is a partnership with academia, and the team is focused on operationalizing the technology.
“When it comes to homeland defense, we are constantly seeking to improve what Alaska provides to the mission,” Strickland said.
The ArCTIC Innovation team was recognized as the honorable mention for the 2023 VISION Torch Award for their innovative efforts in support of homeland defense. Their team’s passion is truly inspiring!
VISION users can check out the Platform Agnostic Command and Control project, as well as Flyways Defender. You can also find dozens of other domain awareness initiatives with VISION’s updated search functionality!
Check it out!
Platform Agnostic Command & Control (PACC)
Flyways Defender
See what's possible.
8 个月Lindsey Hahn Wilkinson the Platform Agnostic Command and Control in this story is a really cool mobility innovation!