USAF Advanced Battle Management System: Revolutionizing Air Force Command and Control

Rajesh Uppal December 5, 2024 Air Force, Doctrine & Strategy, Space Comments Off on USAF Advanced Battle Management System: Revolutionizing Air Force Command and Control 1,849 Views

The U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) is set to revolutionize command and control, enhancing the way the military integrates and processes information on the battlefield. Designed as a key component of the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative, ABMS aims to provide a comprehensive, interconnected network that will improve decision-making and operational efficiency across all branches of the U.S. military.

The Transition from JSTARS to ABMS

The U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) represents a significant shift in how battlefield intelligence and command are conducted, moving beyond the legacy Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS). Initially conceived as a joint venture between the Air Force and the Army, JSTARS was designed to provide comprehensive ground situation awareness akin to the air surveillance provided by AWACS. Operating from a standoff distance exceeding 200 km, JSTARS could detect, locate, classify, and target potentially hostile ground movements in all weather conditions. It relayed tactical information via secure data links to various command posts, mobile ground stations, and centers for military analysis.

JSTARS first saw action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, even while still in development. Its deployments continued through peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and during the Kosovo crisis. However, as threats evolved and the capabilities of potential adversaries like Russia and China improved, the Air Force recognized the need for a more advanced and resilient system. This realization led to the exploration of alternatives to JSTARS.

By 2018, the Air Force announced plans to cancel the JSTARS replacement program in favor of the ABMS, a system-of-systems approach aimed at enhancing battlefield command and control in high-threat environments. This decision was driven by the vulnerability of airborne ISR platforms to sophisticated air defense systems like the Russian S-400 and S-500. Operating below 40,000 feet, JSTARS was within the range of these advanced SAM systems, posing a significant risk to its operations and the safety of U.S. ground forces.

What is ABMS?

ABMS seeks to address the challenges of modern warfare by leveraging cloud environments, advanced communications, and artificial intelligence to enable seamless data sharing across Air Force and Space Force systems. ABMS is a state-of-the-art command and control (C2) system that leverages cutting-edge technology to provide real-time data to commanders.

Traditional Command and Control (C2) systems often struggle with siloed information and limited connectivity. ABMS aims to break down these barriers by:

Seamless Data Sharing: Integrating data from various sources, including ground radar, aircraft sensors, and even soldier-worn devices, into a single, unified picture.
Shared Situational Awareness: Providing a clear and constantly updated view of the battlefield for commanders at all levels, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.
Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitating seamless communication and collaboration between aircrews, ground troops, and other military branches, ensuring everyone has the same information at their fingertips.

U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) – an ambitious program designed to connect sensors, shooters, and decision-makers across all domains (air, land, sea, space, and cyber) in real-time. It replaces legacy systems with a more agile, cloud-based solution capable of integrating data from air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. This integration enables more informed decisions, faster response times, and a more coordinated approach to modern warfare.

This approach aims to create a comprehensive, real-time battle management picture by networking sensors across air, space, land, and sea domains. The goal is to facilitate faster decision-making and improve operational efficiency, making ABMS the Air Force’s contribution to the Department of Defense’s Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to enable “multi-domain operations,” where all military forces and weapons systems can share real-time intelligence and data. This interconnected system, often described as the “Internet of Military Things,” aims to provide a decision advantage by allowing the joint force to “fight at machine speed.” Key demonstrations have shown the potential of ABMS, such as using Army artillery to shoot down a cruise missile with coordinates provided by Air Force assets, highlighting the benefits of machine-to-machine connectivity. The system is expected to leverage advancements in artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, and adaptive learning, with a planned investment of $3.4 billion over the next five years to develop the ABMS and the associated Multi-Domain Command and Control (MDC2) network. The ultimate goal is to create a resilient and intelligent distributed network capable of handling vast amounts of data from various domains, ensuring that information is quickly analyzed and disseminated to enhance operational effectiveness

The Building Blocks of ABMS

ABMS is envisioned as a “system-of-systems” that will eventually replace the E-8C JSTARS surveillance planes. This new system will integrate traditional manned aircraft, drones, space-based technologies, and advanced data links to provide a robust and resilient command and control capability. The Air Force has been actively involving a wide range of defense contractors and commercial companies, with nearly 50 companies already receiving seed money for developing various components of ABMS, such as digital architectures, sensor integration, data management, secure processing, connectivity, and applications.

ABMS is a complex system with several key components:

Cloud-Based Infrastructure: ABMS utilizes cloud computing to process and distribute data quickly and efficiently. This allows for real-time information sharing and collaboration across various platforms and units, enhancing situational awareness and decision-making.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: By incorporating AI and machine learning, ABMS can analyze vast amounts of data rapidly, identify patterns, and provide predictive insights. This capability helps commanders anticipate potential threats and respond proactively.
Open Architecture: ABMS is designed with an open architecture, enabling it to integrate with existing and future systems seamlessly. This flexibility ensures that the system can evolve and adapt to new technologies and operational requirements.
Advanced Communication Networks: High-speed, reliable communication networks are essential for transmitting data across the battlespace with minimal latency.
Interoperability: One of the primary goals of ABMS is to ensure interoperability between different branches of the military and allied forces. By standardizing communication protocols and data formats, ABMS facilitates better coordination and joint operations.
Security: Given the increasing cyber threats, ABMS incorporates advanced cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and maintain the integrity of the command and control network.

Recent Developments and Deployments

The Air Force has undertaken several “on-ramp” events to demonstrate and test ABMS capabilities. These events have showcased the ability to transmit data across different platforms and domains, integrating inputs from Army radars, Navy destroyers, and Air Force aircraft. For example, in a 2020 demonstration, Army artillery successfully intercepted a cruise missile using data provided by Air Force assets, exemplifying the potential of machine-to-machine connectivity and decision-making.

December 2019 (First On-Ramp)
- Demonstrated data transmission from Army radars and Navy destroyers to F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft.
- Showcased the Space Force’s Unified Data Library (UDL), a cloud environment combining space and ground sensors for satellite tracking.
September 2020 (Second On-Ramp)
- Simulated detection and defeat of a cruise missile using hypervelocity weapons.
- Displayed capabilities to counter space operation disruptions.
- Involved participation from 70 industry teams and 65 government teams.
September 2020 (Third On-Ramp)
- Supported exercise Valiant Shield at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
- Demonstrated a KC-46 tanker aircraft performing tactical C2 by relaying data between older fourth-generation fighters and newer fifth-generation aircraft like the F-22.
February 2021 (Fourth On-Ramp)
- Held in Europe, linking allied nations (Netherlands, Poland, UK) into combined air operations.
- Tested U.S. and allied capabilities for long-range strike missions using F-15E aircraft and AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), along with F-35s for airbase defense.

Since its inception, ABMS has undergone several successful tests and demonstrations, proving its capabilities and readiness for operational deployment. In a recent demonstration, ABMS connected various platforms, including F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, KC-46 tankers, and ground-based units, sharing real-time data and coordinating a simulated defense operation.

In 2020, ABMS played a crucial role in a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) exercise, where it demonstrated its ability to integrate data from multiple sensors and provide commanders with a comprehensive picture of the operational environment. This exercise showcased ABMS’s potential to enhance homeland defense and improve response times to potential threats.

Key Developments

KC-46 Tanker as a C2 Platform
- The first capability release for ABMS involves procuring a communications pod for the KC-46 tanker, enabling it to serve as a command-and-control system.
Leveraging AI and Cloud Platforms
- The Air Force is incorporating various AI and cloud platforms, such as Cloud One and Platform One, to support ABMS development.
- These platforms provide integrated cloud services, data processing, and advanced analytics for rapid development and deployment of intelligent solutions.

Project Maven Integration

The Air Force is integrating Project Maven, its initial venture into utilizing artificial intelligence to analyze drone footage, into the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) portfolio. This transition aims to enhance ABMS’s ability to process and link data from various battle sensors using AI. ABMS, the core of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept, seeks to connect every sensor to every shooter across multiple domains: air, land, sea, space, and cyber.

Assistant Secretary Will Roper emphasized that incorporating Maven will align AI efforts and enhance machine-to-machine data sharing. ABMS aims to streamline kill chain coordination and reduce human involvement in repetitive tasks, focusing on networking and communication across domains. Additionally, the Air Force is channeling other key IT platforms like Cloud One and Platform One into ABMS development. These platforms support cloud and enterprise software needs, with Platform One designated as the Pentagon’s first enterprise-wide DevSecOps platform. Roper highlighted the merging of development and warfighting systems, indicating a new phase in advanced warfighting system development.

DARPA Technologies

In a recent demonstration of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), two DARPA-developed technologies played pivotal roles: the Adapting Cross-domain Kill-webs (ACK) program and the System-of-systems Technology Integration Tool Chain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems (STITCHES).

The ABMS demonstration, held in September 2020, showcased attacks involving live aircraft, ships, air defense batteries, and other assets. The ACK program is designed to assist mission commanders in quickly identifying and selecting options for tasking and re-tasking assets across various military domains—space, air, land, surface, subsurface, and cyber. This decision aid allows commanders to form adaptive “kill webs” instead of relying on limited, pre-defined kill chains. During the demonstration, ACK was used in an air defense scenario to help the air commander counter incoming aerial threats by analyzing thousands of options and recommending the best assets and command-and-control plays.

STITCHES, a rapid software integration tool, facilitated machine-to-machine communications for distributed fire control during the demonstration. STITCHES is a fully government-owned toolchain designed to integrate heterogeneous systems across any domain by auto-generating low latency and high throughput middleware between systems without requiring hardware upgrades. This capability enables new advanced electronic equipment to work with older systems, enhancing force composability and interoperability.

In addition to ACK and STITCHES, DARPA’s security and information system staff quickly accredited and hosted these technologies, along with other ABMS software, on a secure network, significantly contributing to the demonstration’s success.

Tim Grayson, director of DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office (STO), highlighted the success of the demonstration, stating, “We were extremely pleased to demonstrate two of many advanced technologies we’re developing under our Mosaic Warfare strategy, which is focused on providing fast, scalable, adaptive joint multi-domain lethality.” The continued development and testing of these capabilities aim to further enhance ABMS and the overall effectiveness of cross-domain operations.

Shift in Focus

- The Air Force is refocusing ABMS efforts on fielding operational capabilities rather than just demonstrating innovative technologies.
- Emphasis is on delivering meaningful military capabilities and reducing acquisition risks.

At the Air Force Association’s annual Air, Space & Cyber conference, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall emphasized the need to prioritize meaningful military capabilities for operational users. “To achieve effective change, we must keep our eye on the ball. For me, that means focusing on the fielding of meaningful military capability into the hands of our operational users. It does not mean one or two leave-behind, unmaintainable token prototypes that came out of experiments,” Kendall stated.

Kendall highlighted a prevalent issue within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Air Force: an overemphasis on innovation without adequately connecting it to specific operational performance requirements. “We should not be doing demonstrations and experiments unless we can link them to true operational improvements, unless they move us down the field to lower risk acquisition programs,” he added.

This strategic shift underscores the Air Force’s commitment to transitioning from experimental prototypes to practical, deployable technologies that enhance combat readiness and operational efficiency. By focusing on capabilities that meet immediate military needs, the Air Force aims to ensure that innovations lead to tangible improvements in the field.

Leveraging Commercial Technologies

ABMS also taps into the capabilities of commercial satellites and cloud computing. With advancements in commercial satellite imagery and data processing, the Air Force can enhance its situational awareness and operational responsiveness.

Commercial satellite imagery (CSI) has been available since the launch of the first SPOT satellite in 1985, which provided 10-meter resolution imagery. Today, CSI offers advanced panchromatic, color, and infrared imagery, including video at resolutions as fine as 0.3 meters, widely accessible through platforms like Google Earth. The Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) industry, a multi-billion dollar sector, encompasses providers, analysts, and exploiters, with companies like Esri boasting over 350,000 defense and commercial users of their mapping, analytics, and visualization software.

Tyvak, an American CSI provider, has launched multiple microsatellites delivering affordable visible and radar imaging, alongside radio frequency and mapping capabilities suited for maritime surveillance. Similarly, the British firm Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) launched Carbonite 2, a small satellite offering 1-meter color imagery and video over wide swathes, in partnership with the UK Ministry of Defence. High-resolution video from space, such as that provided by Carbonite 2, could potentially replace traditional airborne radar-based ground moving target indication (GMTI).

The expansion of CSI constellations has drastically improved “revisit rates” to many locations on Earth, now measured in hours rather than days, which is highly beneficial for defense operations. For instance, Capella Space, a Silicon Valley startup, plans a constellation of 36 satellites providing hourly synthetic aperture radar coverage with one-meter resolution. At the Defense Geospatial Intelligence (DGI) conference in London, a manager from Hexagon, an American GEOINT provider, highlighted that high refresh rates could enable near-real-time change detection.

While some experts argue that space-based collection cannot fully replace airborne collection due to vulnerabilities to countermeasures, constellations of small satellites offer resilience compared to large, costly reconnaissance satellites. Another promising technology is reusable space planes like the Boeing X-37B, which have completed multiple successful missions.

Key technologies for the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and similar efforts will likely stem from commercial space and cloud computing advancements. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is advancing a project named CASINO (Commercially Augmented Space Inter Networked Operations), a spinoff from DARPA’s Blackjack program, demonstrating the military utility of small satellites in low Earth orbit. CASINO aims to leverage commercial technology for data processing and distribution from large LEO constellations.

Commercial Satellite Imagery (CSI)
- The growing capabilities of commercial satellites offer high-resolution imagery and real-time change detection, providing operational defense utility.
- Companies like Tyvak and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) are developing affordable satellite imaging solutions.
CASINO Project
- The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is pursuing the CASINO project to demonstrate the military utility of small satellites in low Earth orbit.
- A partnership with Ball Aerospace and Microsoft aims to process data streams from large satellite constellations quickly using cloud technology.

Projects like the Space and Missile Systems Center’s CASINO (Commercially Augmented Space Inter Networked Operations) demonstrate the potential of using commercial technology to process and distribute data from large constellations of small satellites.

U.S. Air Force Awards $950 Million for Advanced Battle Management System Development

The U.S. Air Force has recently allocated development contracts totaling up to $950 million over five years to 28 vendors for its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). These indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts enable vendors to compete for specific task orders until May 28, 2025. The contracts are pivotal in advancing Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) capabilities, essential for the ABMS network. This initiative aims to create an interconnected environment akin to an “internet of things,” facilitating seamless data sharing across air, land, sea, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum domains.

Among the 28 selected vendors are a diverse array of industry leaders and innovators, including established defense giants like Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, alongside Silicon Valley newcomers such as Palantir Technologies and small startups like SimpleSense. These companies will contribute to all facets of ABMS, from enhancing situational awareness with tools like PLASMA (Platform for Leveraging Analytics for Streaming Multi-Intelligence Awareness) to developing advanced data visualization capabilities through systems like VENOM (Visual Explanation and Narration of Models). Each component aims to automate and streamline critical processes, from aircraft tasking orders to real-time target tracking and threat assessment.

The ABMS initiative represents a departure from traditional defense procurement practices by integrating cutting-edge technologies from a broad spectrum of vendors. This collaborative effort not only promises to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness but also underscores the Air Force’s commitment to leveraging innovative solutions to meet evolving national security challenges in an increasingly complex global environment.

Challenges and Innovations

One of the key challenges for ABMS is integrating disparate systems and overcoming technological and cultural silos. For instance, the inability of the F-22 and F-35 to share combat information highlights the broader issue of interoperability among military platforms. ABMS aims to create an “internet of things” for military operations, where sensors and command and control (C2) systems are disaggregated but interconnected, allowing for a more flexible and responsive operational framework.

Developing and deploying a system as complex as ABMS comes with its own set of challenges:

Data Standardization: Different military branches and equipment use various data formats. Ensuring seamless data exchange across these diverse systems requires robust standardization efforts.
Cybersecurity: Securing a system that collects and transmits such sensitive information is paramount. Robust cybersecurity measures are crucial to prevent breaches and ensure data integrity.
Integration with Legacy Systems: Integrating ABMS with existing C2 systems is a complex task that requires careful planning and execution.

The transition from legacy systems to a new, cloud-based infrastructure requires significant investment and coordination. Ensuring interoperability with existing systems and platforms also poses technical and logistical hurdles. Additionally, the reliance on advanced technologies like AI and machine learning necessitates robust cybersecurity measures to protect against potential vulnerabilities.

The Road Ahead

Despite the challenges, ABMS holds immense potential for the future of warfare. By giving commanders a holistic view of the battlefield and enabling faster, data-driven decision-making, ABMS can significantly enhance the Air Force’s (and by extension, the entire military’s) ability to deter aggression and win wars.

The future of ABMS looks promising as the Air Force continues to refine and expand its capabilities. Upcoming phases of development will focus on integrating additional sensors and platforms, enhancing AI and machine learning algorithms, and improving cybersecurity measures. The goal is to create a fully integrated, resilient, and adaptable command and control system that can meet the challenges of modern warfare.

ABMS represents a transformative approach to military command and control, aiming to maintain a decision advantage over adversaries by “fighting at machine speed.” By integrating AI and machine learning, ABMS seeks to streamline data analysis and improve the coordination of military operations across all domains. The system’s development and implementation will continue to evolve, driven by ongoing experimentation, industry collaboration, and technological advancements.

Conclusion

The Advanced Battle Management System represents a significant leap forward in the evolution of military command and control. By harnessing the power of cloud computing, AI, and open architecture, ABMS provides the U.S. Air Force and its allies with a powerful tool to enhance situational awareness, improve decision-making, and maintain a strategic advantage on the battlefield.

By harnessing the power of modern technology and fostering greater interoperability among military systems, ABMS aims to enhance the effectiveness and resilience of U.S. forces in the face of evolving global threats. As the system continues to evolve and integrate new capabilities, it promises to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of modern warfare.