WASHINGTON — The U.S. Military Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis and xTech Packages collaborate with synthetic intelligence innovators to search out and scale options throughout the Military. Led by the Workplace of the Assistant Secretary of the Military for Acquisition, Logistics and Know-how, Military SBIR and xTech prize competitions help a safe, Military-ready AI pipeline.
In March 2024, Mr. Younger Bang, ASA(ALT) principal deputy, introduced the ASA(ALT) AI Implementation Plan, that kicked off with a 100-day dash. The plan goals to ship a single, coherent method to AI throughout the Military, aligning a number of, complicated efforts inside 100 and 500-day execution home windows, and establishes the baseline to constantly modernize AI and contributing options as applied sciences quickly evolve.
The Military SBIR and xTech Packages’ initiatives are on the forefront of those efforts to drive digital transformation and ship required AI capabilities throughout the Military.
Because the 100-day window concludes this summer season, the Military is outlining a plan that leverages the outcomes of the 100-day dash to undertake trade options with out competing with business distributors. Nonetheless, there are inherent threat components related to the adoption of AI options.
“Among the obstacles embody and understanding AI dangers akin to poison knowledge units, adversarial assaults and trojans,” Bang mentioned. “Growing AI in a managed, trusted atmosphere owned by the Military or Division of Protection could make addressing these dangers simpler.”
Bang and his group have ready an preliminary AI Layered Protection Framework known as #DefendAI to assist deal with the dangers related to third-party algorithms, whereas serving to to operationalize trade AI applied sciences. His group is trying to collaborate throughout trade and academia to evolve the framework and prioritize functionality exploration and implementation in help of Military applications, akin to Mission Linchpin, which is constructing an operational pipeline of trusted AI options.
Initiated by Program Government Workplace Intelligence, Digital Warfare and Sensors, Mission Linchpinaligns with Bang’s AI threat analysis efforts. Bharat Patel, Mission Linchpin-Sensor AI product lead, famous that this system goals to ship business capabilities to the Military by making use of basic ideas akin to take a look at and evaluations, and adopting an AI threat framework.
“It’s your infrastructure, it’s your requirements, it’s your governance, it’s your course of. All these areas are issues that we’re taking up, as a result of that’s how one can faucet into the AI ecosystem and that’s the way you ship capabilities at scale,” Patel mentioned.
ASA(ALT) is progressing with the AI Implementation Plan and its alignment to Mission Linchpin to arrange the Military for AI at scale. As these initiatives ramp up, the Military SBIR and xTech Packages are strategically centered on leveraging excellence within the non-public sector to hurry up the Military’s broad adoption of AI.
Military SBIR’s AI funding
The Military SBIR Program collaborates with small companies and Military clients to align progressive options with Military priorities. It awards greater than $350 million yearly to reinvigorate the Military’s know-how ecosystem, and is prioritizing and funding cutting-edge AI options.
This system has invested almost $102 million in lively AI tasks in fiscal yr 2024, distributed amongst roughly 75 small companies throughout the nation, and goals to align small companies with the Military’s bigger AI pipeline by funded AI initiatives.
In FY24, Automated Detection and Prevention options obtained $30 million in Military SBIR investments, representing 29% of this system’s AI and machine studying portfolio by the variety of awards. Inside this framework, the Military categorizes applied sciences as automated systemic-based controls that cease threats and predict the following assault for improved prevention.
There are at present 20 lively Military SBIR Automated Detection and Prevention awards with organizations akin to PEO IEW&S; PEO Simulation, Coaching and Instrumentation; and Military Check and Analysis Command.
Military SBIR investments in FY24 have immediately supported Military applications akin to Mission Linchpin, with two awards made in FY24 and 16 further deliberate to begin in FY25. The Joint Program Government Workplace Armaments and Ammunition additionally lately leveraged $48 million in Military SBIR funding to modernize munitions manufacturing processes utilizing AI.
Trying ahead to FY25, Military SBIR’s AI/ML portfolio is projecting upwards of $105 million in AI funding. Six AI-focused solicitations are slated for launch this summer season, which is able to comprise roughly $55 million of the FY25 funding. A number of of the solicitations, which embody an AI/ML open matter solicitation, align to Mission Linchpin thrust areas, amongst different potential Military transition companions.
xTech’s scalable AI
In late 2023, Bang requested that Dr. Matt Willis, the director of Military Prize Competitions and Military SBIR Program, and his group leverage xTech prize competitions to scale AI. This led to the launch of xTechScalable AI in December 2023, which sought progressive AI options from U.S.-based small companies with scalable options to defend towards adversarial AI menace vectors.
Leveraging prize competitors authorities, xTech affords money prizes together with alternatives for members to obtain direct suggestions on their options, plus mentorship and networking alternatives with Military clients to assist speed up their distinctive AI options in direction of Military capabilities. xTech competitors winners discover themselves well-positioned to compete for follow-on contracts, akin to Military SBIR awards.
xTechScalable AI was not the primary competitors aligning AI with Military wants. Earlier within the yr, the xTechPrime competitors funded two Military SBIR contract awards to tell Mission Linchpin pipeline instruments and providers, totaling nearly $4 million.
The xTechScalable AI competitors is following the same observe, providing as much as $370,000 in money prizes and $8 million in follow-on Military SBIR contract awards for vital AI options. By means of these competitions, 150 small companies obtained publicity and suggestions from Military clients and consultants, and introductions to follow-on contract alternatives to proceed the event of their AI options for the Military.
“xTech is a helpful mechanism for figuring out and nurturing scalable, business AI options to strengthen the Military’s safety framework,” Willis mentioned. “Paired with ASA(ALT)’s imaginative and prescient, we are able to operationalize AI to reinforce knowledge accuracy and fight cybersecurity threats.”
xTechScalable AI 2 launched in March 2024 and focuses on figuring out small companies with game-changing applied sciences that may feed into Mission Linchpin’s operational AI pipeline. The competitors affords as much as $603,000 in money prizes and alternatives post-competition to submit proposals for a Part I or Part II Military SBIR contract valued at as much as $250,000 and $2 million, respectively.
xTech will host the finals on the Affiliation of the US Military Annual Assembly and Expo in October. Moreover, xTech will maintain extra AI-focused competitions within the coming yr, together with a number of AI-focused Technical Grand Challenges.
Business distributors and small companies have made fast progress in growing and implementing AI capabilities. As a part of ASA(ALT)’s AI Implementation Plan and the upcoming 500-day execution window, Military SBIR and xTech are adopting AI options and making ready them for operational use in a safe, government-owned atmosphere.
“Military SBIR and xTech are dedicated to strategically investing in areas the place we are able to leverage the excellence of the non-public sector and transition applied sciences to Military applications akin to Mission Linchpin,” Willis mentioned. “We have now the funding and processes in place to drive trade collaboration and funding alternatives for these large-scale Military efforts.”
In regards to the applications
The Military SBIR Program affords Part I contract alternatives to U.S.-based small companies displaying business viability, feasibility and technical advantage. It additionally affords Part II and Direct to Part II contracts to distributors with mature applied sciences assembly Part I {qualifications}.
The Military SBIR Program releases contract alternatives on an ad-hoc foundation to deal with present and anticipated Soldier wants. This system will promote new contract releases through solicitation bulletins and e mail. For extra data, please go to the Military SBIR web site.
Established in 2018, the Military xTech Program affords prize competitors alternatives for entities together with nontraditional distributors direct publicity to Military laboratories, program government workplaces, program managers and end-users. Individuals obtain suggestions from Military DoD stakeholders and have entry to coaching, mentorship and networking, and alternatives to win non-dilutive money prizes.
For present and upcoming competitions, go to the xTech web site.
By Anna Volkwine, Workplace of Military Prize Competitions and Military SBIR Program
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