The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded contracts to Amazon Web Services, C3 AI and Google Public Sector to enhance the Department of Defense’s flight scheduling processes.
DIU said Wednesday, the collaboration aims to develop a prototype for a commercial technology capable of accelerating, optimizing and automating the DOD’s logistical processes, including flight scheduling.
Air Logistics Optimization Program
The Air Logistics Optimization, or ALO, is a program initiated by DIU to address the challenges of manual logistical planning. It is intended to develop a way to optimize the scheduling and allocation of transport flights to reduce fuel consumption and carbon footprint and prevent passenger-less flights.
Aside from DIU, other organizations behind the program are the Air Force’s Operational Energy Office, the Navy’s Air Logistics Office—known as NALO—and the Transportation Command’s Air Mobility Command. The three companies that received contracts are tasked with developing specialized systems for the program members.
C3 AI provided the Air Force Operational Energy with an artificial intelligence-driven dashboard that reduces the time to process data by integrating aircraft sensors with mission data. This development has led to more efficient flight procedures and less fuel consumption while maintaining combat capabilities.
Google Public Sector designed a user-facing application for NALO that automates and optimizes flight scheduling. The system is capable of handling disruptions like weather changes and aircraft maintenance with seamless real-time adjustments. This boosts operational readiness and situational awareness while reducing fuel consumption.
AWS developed an air logistics optimization engine for USTRANSCOM and AMC that utilizes its global delivery capabilities, including long-term routes, flight plan execution and disruption and recovery management.
