US Air Force Awards $8.6M Digital Engineering Contract
The U.S. Department of the Air Force has awarded an $8.6 million contract to Istari Digital. The funding is for an initiative called Industry Øne, which is designed to accelerate digital transformation and remove digital engineering barriers across the Defense Department.
The Industry Øne initiative is designed to tackle persistent hurdles in defense acquisition and sustainment, such as fragmented IT systems, incompatible software tools, and strict security requirements that hinder collaboration. The goal is to create an infrastructure where data can remain under local control yet be globally connectable, a concept Istari's CEO compares to "Git across guarded firewalls." Istari Digital was founded in 2022 by Will Roper, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and Chris Benson. The company is backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and aims to create a reality where all technologies are developed digitally, free from real-world costs and schedules. This contract builds on previous Air Force initiatives with Istari. One such project, "Flyer Øne," is a partnership with Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works to create the first digitally certified aircraft, the X-56A X-plane. Another initiative, "Model Øne," is a $15 million program to connect models and simulations across the Air Force to address challenges of "internetized" warfare. The broader push for this technology is part of the Department of Defense's Digital Engineering Strategy, which was first established in 2018. This strategy aims to modernize defense system development by moving away from traditional document-based practices to a more integrated digital ecosystem. This shift is intended to accelerate development and allow for rapid adaptation of complex systems like the F-35 fighter jet.
