Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)

Mission — Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) source

ABMS is the PE funding architecture and systems engineering (ASE), digital infrastructure, software and applications, aerial networking, deployable systems, and long range fires for the DAF's primary contribution to the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) warfighting concept, which the DAF formally refers to as the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. The DAF Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communication, and Battle Management (DAF PEO C3BM) has the lead role in battle management and Command and Control (C2) capabilities for the DAF. This entails not only directing technical integration throughout the DAF but also holding acquisition authorities to develop and implement organic materiel solutions. These solutions aim to establish resilient and widely distributable command and control capabilities within the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. The ABMS PE portfolio funds specific programs over which the DAF PEO C3BM exercises direct oversight in terms of cost, schedule, and performance. This encompasses both the management of these programs and the necessary architectural and systems engineering efforts to ensure effective technical coordination across the broader DAF infrastructure. Additionally, DAF PEO C3BM has identified an initial array of approximately 50 core programs spanning various PEOs, whose organizations collectively form the C3BM Enterprise. These programs represent an evolving collection of systems that, when integrated together, are pivotal in contributing to the development of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. Collaborating closely with the PEOs overseeing these core programs, DAF PEO C3BM will orchestrate technical integration of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. This integration is essential to achieve the requisite operational decision advantage crucial for the triumph of the USAF, USSF, joint, and coalition forces in the face of evolving challenges. These inter-PEO initiatives encompass a spectrum of activities, such as technical and programmatic cooperation, comprehensive reporting, and seamless integration. With authority over technical architectures spanning the C3BM enterprise, DAF PEO C3BM will deliver C2 capabilities. To provide a "best of breed” capability across the DAF and facilitate accelerated delivery of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK, DAF PEO C3BM has aligned activities within the ABMS PE portfolio with six major thrust areas: Thrust Area 1: "Architecture and Systems Engineering (ASE)” will 1) conduct Digital Engineering to support technical development activities, 2) conduct mission domain architecture development and analysis and perform enterprise integration through domain-specific Mission Integration Teams (MITs), 3) leverage an Operational Response Team (ORT) to facilitate quick reaction prototyping and experimentation in response to warfighter-led efforts and new relevant technologies. The culmination of these activities will entail the identification, capture, refinement, and formalization of capability gaps, requirements, standards, and interface specifications, as well as potentially novel technologies, collectively paving the way for a blueprint to successfully deliver an all-encompassing integrated DAF BATTLE NETWORK architecture that informs execution of the following 3 thrust areas listed below. Thrust Area 2: "C3BM Digital Infrastructure (DI)" leverages the analysis, technical specifications and associated standards/formats produced by ASE to deliver a suite of fixed and deployable digital infrastructure solutions to enable global C2 and Battle Management (BM). To accomplish this, the following tasks are performed: 1) The Enterprise Systems Engineering Team (ESET) manages the ABMS Consortium to define the technical implementation of network architectures, style guides and standards that will facilitate integration of the larger DAF BATTLE NETWORK with ABMS (and vice versa); 2) build out of the physical DI Processing Nodes and DI Network (Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), Tactical and Enterprise Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), and other similar requirements) that will enable the operational use of data and software to perform modern C2 functions at scale. DI activities include the ABMS Battle Lab to allow warfighters direct interaction with ABMS software development teams and prototypes in development, speeding up the feedback loop and product maturity. Thrust Area 3: "C3BM Software and Applications" provides a suite of battle management command and control (BMC2) applications and tools, conducted via two categories of activity. 1) Cloud-Based Command and Control (CBC2) is a suite of BMC2 applications and microservices in development for NORAD and USNORTHCOM & PACAF. CBC2 efforts include line of effort (LOE) #1 for a SW Integrator, LOE #2 for Agile Software Development at scale with an Integrated Digital Environment (IDE) for Model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and LOE #3 for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) software pipelines, platform, data ingest, fusion, transport, storage, and access. CBC2 depends on the fixed DI activities of Thrust Area #2 and expects to begin scaling to support additional combatant commanders in FY26. 2) Distributed Battle Management Applications (DBMA) will continue development and extension of CBC2 functionality to other DAF BATTLE NETWORK entities (e.g. the Tactical Operations Center Family of Systems, or TOC FoS) in line with Air Combat Command's (ACC) Common BMC2 Interface concept, via the newly named CBC2+ program. Integral to the C3BM Software and Applications Thrust Area is the imperative to seamlessly align and integrate with various efforts, including multiple DoD & DAF software factories, centers of excellence dedicated to artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the DAF data fabric. Thrust Area 4: "C3BM Aerial Networking" will develop key technologies for the "final leg” connection of C3BM DI and Software and Applications to DAF aerial assets. Aerial Networking activities include: 1) Phalanx Griffon (PG), to extend C3BM aerial networking capabilities to tactically relevant aircraft. Major Release (MR) 2 will initiate and support initial capability delivery to long-range fires platforms by FY27. Phalanx Griffon will include continued development and maturation of multi-function processors, multi-function arrays, edge node hardware and software to host mission applications, and platform integration options to ease implementation and scaling. 2) The joint development of a SOSA-aligned, liquid and air-cooled integrated hybrid SATCOM chassis for rapid integration of PG capability by FY27, and 3) the C3 Hybrid SATCOM (C3HST) product line with a start date of FY26. The C3HST product line will consist of transition of the Global Lightning (GL) prototypes from AFRL to modernize and align those solutions to meet architectural requirements for multiple AF organizations. Thrust Area 5: "C3BM Deployable Systems" thrust to include Distributable Battle Management Node (DBMN) was previously captured under the C3BM Digital Infrastructure (DI) thrust area. The Deployable Systems effort will develop and deliver the Tactical Operations Center - Light (TOC-L) system. The TOC-L is a light, expeditionary BMC2 system designed to rapidly generate battle management effects tailored to mission needs, enabling the C2 warfighter to conduct independent, pulsed operations. The TOC-L enables tactical C2 elements to rapidly relocate, establish datalinks, connect to a variety of sensors, and operate in theater mission partner environments. TOC-L provides ground-based sensor and data-link integration, track correlation, and intelligence fusion, displayed on a Common Tactical Picture (CTP), leveraging and integrating with current and future capabilities across ABMS. Currently, the TOC-L program has two major releases (MR): 1) MR1 provided 16 operationally realistic experimentation kits to operational units; and 2) MR2, a Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping program, which builds upon the lessons learned from MR1 and integrates other ABMS sub-systems. Thrust Area 6: "C3BM DAF Integrated Fires C2" is the development of Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) long range fire & control capability for specialized targets. The program consists of integrating multiple prototypes currently under development within AFRL and TENCAP into the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. This will include integration and synergistic fusion within the ABMS portfolio. To ensure delivery of projects in each Thrust Area, and to ensure alignment of the broader DAF from a battle management perspective, ABMS PE funding provides for program management support, operational concept development in collaboration with the ABMS Cross-Functional Team, and portfolio integration to orchestrate delivery of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK. Investments in the ABMS portfolio of programs aligns USAF investment with USSF investment (e.g., Space Command and Control (C2) Program Element PE (1208248SF) and the MeshOne-T PE (1206760SF)) to eliminate duplication of effort while optimizing capability delivery to create the DAF BATTLE NETWORK deliverable. ABMS DI aligns with ISR DI PE (0303010F) to provide a consistent set of capabilities, services and customer experience across all classification levels, and meets DAF requirements while ensuring compliance with Director of National Intelligence (DNI) requirements and minimizing duplication of effort. the FY 2026 cost of the Distributable Battle Management Node (DBMN) Phase II Tactical Operations Center-Light Rapid Prototyping Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is reflected in the budget request, including RDT&E and procurement of prototype units. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The FY 2026 cost of the Deployable Digital Infrastructure Rapid Prototyping Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is reflected in the budget request, including RDT&E and procurement of prototype units. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The FY 2026 cost of the Digital Infrastructure Network Major Release #1 Rapid Prototyping Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is reflected in the budget request, including RDT&E and procurement of prototype units. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The FY 2026 cost of the Fixed Digital Infrastructure (FDI) MR1 Rapid Prototyping Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is reflected in the budget request, including RDT&E and procurement of prototype units. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The FY 2026 cost of the Phalanx Griffon (PG) MR2 Rapid Prototyping Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is reflected in the budget request, including RDT&E and procurement of prototype units. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The FY 2026 request was reduced by 4.648 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative.” This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F. In FY2024 3.300M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY2025 6.943M is forecast for civilian pay expenses in this program element. 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.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (6)