AFWERX SBIR Funding Supports Resilient Data Sharing for Military Users
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – AFWERX, the Department of the Air Force’s innovation arm, supported Ditto’s development and testing of data-sharing technology through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The technology is designed to help Airmen retain access to mission-critical information while disconnected and exchange updates over available connections during distributed operations.
Warfighters increasingly operate in contested and disconnected environments where reliable access to mission-critical information can be limited. Network disruptions, degraded communications and geographically dispersed operations can create information gaps that delay decision-making and affect situational awareness.
According to Ditto, its platform synchronizes data over available connections, including Internet Protocol-based radios, peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and local area networks. Devices can retain locally stored data while disconnected and synchronize updates when connections become available. Unlike architectures that rely on a central server to manage data exchange, the platform is designed to support data sharing among connected devices.
Ditto’s technology is designed to keep data available at the tactical edge and synchronize with cloud-based systems when connectivity is restored. In disconnected, degraded or contested environments, this approach could help Airmen maintain access to and share information.
The technology also includes data-query and multiplexing functions, enabling aircraft and other operational devices to collect, exchange and synchronize prioritized information across distributed environments. According to Ditto, its technology has been integrated into Air Force-related applications and systems, including the Pluto aircraft maintenance application.
In 2023, Airmen from the 55th Wing’s Project BOCKSCAR office and other participants conducted a trial at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, using the Pluto application to evaluate information sharing in support of the wing’s missions.
That year, Ditto received an AFWERX Phase II SBIR award to adapt its technology for Air Force weapon systems and demonstrate its capabilities in an operationally relevant environment. The effort focused on data integrity and synchronization in environments affected by cyberattacks and electronic warfare.
The effort continued to advance through AFWERX’s Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. In 2025, Ditto received a $12.7 million STRATFI award to further develop its synchronization capabilities and support work related to tactical decision-making.
During Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, one of the largest bilateral military exercises between the United States and Australia, Ditto, in collaboration with BigBear.ai, enabled secure, interoperable and adaptive artificial intelligence operations across disconnected, multidomain coalition environments.
Ditto’s Edge Sync served as the foundational data-transfer solution, moving AI models from the command center to different types of uncrewed vehicles operating at the tactical edge. Its resilient data-transfer capabilities and offline-first mobile database architecture enabled AI models to be deployed to edge assets.
In July 2026, Ditto announced that the U.S. Marine Corps Project Dynamis team is expected to evaluate the platform as a critical enabler of the Assured Command and Control pillar. According to the announcement, the platform would serve as a data conduit within the Dynamis team’s Sensitive but Unclassified–Encrypted (SBU-E) framework, connecting sensors, platforms, and networks across the joint force.
On Oct. 5, 2026, Ditto announced a $17 million contract award through the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program to support enterprise-wide fielding across U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for an enterprise-wide fielding of the Ditto platform. Awarded through the U.S. Air Force’s Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation office, the platform is expected to support USSOCOM with real-time data sharing in contested environments.
The work with Ditto is part of the Department of the Air Force’s effort to evaluate commercial technologies against military requirements. Through SBIR awards and follow-on funding opportunities, AFWERX supports the development and testing of technologies intended to address data-sharing challenges in environments where network connectivity may be limited or unavailable.
*Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.