Project Convergence, the Army’s aggressive pursuit of AI technologies for the battlefield, is heating up. Described by Army leadership as a ‘campaign of learning’, the Project is mobilizing its 2021 focus around cloud-powered battle network modernization, long range precision fire, and systems interoperability in contested electromagnetic operations. In this panel, we spoke with Army leadership about recent and upcoming Project Convergence demonstrations, and how these efforts push Army closer to achieving the Defense Department’s vision of Joint All-Domain Command and Control.

Watch recording:

Guest Speakers:

• Brig. Gen. Walter Rugen, Director Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team, U.S. Army Futures Command
• Maj. Gen. David Francis, Commander, Army Aviation Center of Excellence
• Dave Erickson, Senior Director of Solutions Architecture, Elastic

Each of the service hopes to develop and deliver software that adopts the best practices from industry. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command has started its own version of such tools, which they have dubbed software armories. In 2019, leaders in San Diego kicked off the Collaborative Software Armory (CSA), the cloud-enabled DevSecOps digital environment that facilitates rapid delivery of software applications to the warfighter. The Air Force has established its Kessel Run office, the Army said in May it would create its own software factories and the Marine Corps has already started with such factories for business applications. During this webcast, we explored the problems with software development the Department of Defense faces today, how software factories could get newer iterations of technology to the war fighter faster and how these factories will evolve in the near term.

Guest Speakers:

• Delores Washburn, Chief Engineer, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific San Diego, California
• Dave Erickson, Director of Solutions Architecture – Federal, Elastic