Viasat Partners with DoD to Enhance Autonomous System Networking

The United States Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has chosen Viasat to enhance networking capabilities for the Replicator initiative, focusing on robust command and control (C2) connectivity for unmanned systems.

Overview of the replicator Initiative

The Replicator initiative is designed to deploy a significant number of uncrewed, all-domain attritable autonomous (ADA2) systems to support military operations. This initiative is part of a broader strategy by the U.S. Department of Defense to rapidly deliver innovative solutions to enhance operational effectiveness.

Project ORIENT and the MUSIC Architecture

As part of the DIU’s opportunistic,Resilient & Innovative Expeditionary Network Topology (ORIENT) project,Viasat will implement a Multi-domain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC) framework. This architecture incorporates software-defined networking (SDN) to facilitate seamless and resilient connectivity for autonomous systems through various transport pathways.

Features of the MUSIC Solution

MUSIC represents a refined version of Viasat’s NetAgility SDN technology, tailored to meet the dialog needs of uncrewed swarm operations. It ensures secure and efficient transport and network orchestration, optimizing connectivity for mission-critical tasks. Additionally, the MUSIC mesh network overlay supports secure data exchange and command and control among diverse autonomous systems.

Collaboration with OUSD R&E

For the past 18 months, Viasat has collaborated with the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) to advance the MUSIC solution as part of its Technology Readiness and Experimentation (T-REX) initiatives. In october, Viasat showcased MUSIC’s capabilities by connecting autonomous maritime systems during the Autonomous Warrior 24 exercise in Australia, which is part of the AUKUS partnership involving the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Insights from viasat Leadership

David schmolke, Vice President of Viasat Mission Connections and Cybersecurity, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: “We are thrilled to support the Defense Innovation Unit and the Replicator initiative through project ORIENT, enhancing resilience and fostering collaboration among multiple autonomous systems for military operations.”

“the strategic deployment of autonomous systems provides significant operational benefits, especially as the need for rapid data collection and sharing increases. This approach allows missions to be executed safely, minimizing risks to personnel. The MUSIC and NetAgility network orchestration are ideally suited to meet the advanced C2 and networking demands necessary for resilient, multi-path communications in contested environments.”