Modern warfare is increasingly characterized by a contested digital landscape, and strong connectivity across this evolving battlefield is critical to U.S. defense missions.
The Department of Defense crafted its Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative, through which the department aspires to provide data sharing capabilities to all U.S. military components and key allies, as a means to address these challenges. This joint style of warfighting relies on mass amounts of data to inform decision making, and artificial intelligence is notably useful for sifting through and making sense of huge data reservoirs.
Join us at the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual AI Summit on March 21 to dive into the intricacies of AI use in the federal government with influential public and private sector leaders. Dr. William Streilein, chief technology officer of the DOD’s Chief Digital and AI Office, will headline the event as the opening keynote speaker. To learn more and register to attend the event, click here.
According to Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of defense and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient, the DOD is investing in the responsible development and deployment of AI tools relevant to CJADC2. Contracts, network infrastructure, data integrations and the fast-paced acquisition of industry technologies are major aspects of the CJADC2 implementation strategy, she said during the Advantage DOD 2024: Defense Data and AI Symposium last month.
Tasked with accelerating the DOD’s adoption of data and AI capabilities, the CDAO is a major player in realizing CJADC2. One of the office’s ongoing efforts is the development of a data integration layer for CJADC2, a project that was introduced with a solicitation for industry input on relevant technologies in October. Information was gathered through November.
CDAO’s data integration layer is intended to help U.S. warfighters and partners exchange data in support of mission execution while also laying a foundation for the development and deployment of AI technologies and applications that can operate in different data streams. Identity management and controls are also part of this vision.
Another CJADC2-focused initiative within the DOD is the Marine Corps’ Project Dynamis, a program designed to speed up the service branch’s implementation of CJADC2. The project is designed to drive programmatics and replace legacy systems and software to improve the USMC’s communication and networking capabilities. Federating authoritative data for AI is one of four lines of effort that make up Project Dynamis, according to Col. Jason Quinter, commanding officer of Marine Air Control Group 38.
These efforts have proven successful. At the DOD 2024: Defense Data and AI Symposium, Hicks shared that the DOD has achieved the minimum viable capability for CJADC2.
“Delivery doesn’t take years or decades. Our investments in data, AI and compute are empowering war fighters today,” she said.