Air Force inks nearly $1B contract for futuristic command and control
The Air Force issued a $905 million contract for work on its Advanced Battle Management System — the family of systems being developed to enhance command and control and battlefield communications networks.
The indefinite-quantity, indefinite-delivery contract was awarded to Los Angeles-based Silvus Technologies to supply the Air Force with a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) for part of the ABMS called the “MeshONE” network, according to a news release published June 1. The network aims to provide high-bandwidth edge communications systems to allow data and information to flow across air, land and sea.
The ABMS family of systems is the Air Force’s technical backbone for its futuristic network-of-networks, Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), which will also link operations to the domains of space and cyber, including through the use of artificial intelligence.
“We are excited for the opportunity to leverage our cutting edge MANET technology to solve some of the Air Force’s toughest communications challenges,” said Andy Narusewicz, Silvus director of DOD programs “Silvus is proud to have contributed to the success of the first ABMS experiment and looks forward to stretching the capabilities of our MANET further in future events.”
Silvus participated in initial ABMS experiments in December where joint military operations tested how well the system could translate data across domains and better leverage data to inform decisions. The latest contract will allow the Air Force to increase its use of the company’s technology in future test events, according to the release. AMBS test events have been postponed until at least August due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The company was also recently selected to provide commutations and network technology to the Army’s battlefield network modernization projects. Silvus won contracts to work the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV), Integrated Tactical Network (ITN), and Integrated Virtual Augmentation System (IVAS) programs, according to the company.
