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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.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – AFWERX, the Department of the Air Force’s innovation arm, is supporting the development of artificial intelligence and extended reality capabilities to help Airmen practice aircraft engine maintenance procedures in a virtual environment.

The effort combines interactive 3D engine models, technical data and a conversational AI assistant. Developed by HTX Labs, the technology is intended to give maintainers additional opportunities to study engine components and practice procedures before working with physical equipment.

Aircraft maintainers rely on technical documentation, equipment and qualified instructors to develop their skills. Access to aircraft, training engines and instructors, however, can be limited by scheduling and operational demands, reducing opportunities for hands-on instruction.

In 2023, HTX Labs received a $1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase II award for a project supporting the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. The project focused on integrating technical data into digital aircraft models, using the KC-135 Stratotanker as a case study.

In 2025, AFWERX selected HTX Labs for a Strategic Funding Increase, or STRATFI, opportunity with funding of up to $5.8 million to support further development. STRATFI provides additional funding for qualifying Phase II efforts, combining SBIR/STTR funding with government or private investment to help technologies advance toward operational use.

Since 2019, HTX Labs has received 14 Phase I and Phase II awards totaling approximately $16.9 million in AFWERX funding.

According to HTX Labs, the platform’s conversational AI assistant is designed to guide users through maintenance procedures, identify engine components, track training progress and reinforce safety requirements. Interactive 3D models allow maintainers to review technical information and become familiar with procedures before applying their knowledge in hands-on training.

As part of the STRATFI effort, maintainers from the 101st Maintenance Squadron, part of the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing, conducted immersive training focused on the KC-135’s F108 engine.

The technology is intended to supplement approved technical guidance, qualified instructors and required hands-on training. Continued evaluation will assess procedural accuracy, knowledge retention and training efficiency to determine how the capability could support established instructional practices.

By exploring additional ways for maintainers to practice complex procedures, the AFWERX-supported effort addresses training constraints that can affect aircraft readiness and the Department of the Air Force’s ability to generate and sustain airpower.

*Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – AFWERX’s Small Business Innovation Research program helped advance a beyond-line-of-sight communications prototype now employed operationally on the B-52 Stratofortress, supporting the bomber’s long-range strike missions and connectivity with air operations centers.

The B-52 Stratofortress long-range strike and deterrence capabilities have supported the U.S. Air Force since 1955. Designed to deliver nuclear and precision-guided conventional ordnance worldwide, the bomber entered service during the early years of the Cold War and has evolved through successive modernization programs to remain a key component of the Air Force’s long-range strike fleet.

With aircraft expected to remain in the Air Force inventory for decades, continued modernization is critical to maintaining the B-52's effectiveness in increasingly contested operating environments. Effective communications are a key part of that modernization, supporting both operational missions and the training of Airmen who operate and maintain the aircraft.

To address an operational need for beyond-line-of-sight communications, Air Force Global Strike Command pursued a prototype capability for the B-52. In June 2022, the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted the first airborne demonstration of the system, known as IRIS, on a B-52 at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 608th Air Operations Center assessed voice and data transfers, including images and video, from the aircraft.

The demonstration showed how commercial technology could improve bomber connectivity and support coordination across geographically dispersed air operations centers. Air Force officials also identified the effort as contributing to the B-52’s integration into Joint All-Domain Command and Control.

AFWERX supported the effort through a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract to integrate the commercial Outerlink Global Solutions communications system onto the B-52. In 2023, the effort transitioned to a $26 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract, providing additional resources to advance the capability toward operational employment.

AFGSC/s A5N Rapid Capabilities Division and A5B Bomber Requirements Division led the requirements effort, translating operational needs into technical parameters aligned with B-52 platform constraints and long-term modernization priorities. The B-52 System Program Office, 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 608th Air Operations Center and 307th Bomb Wing supported integration, testing and operational assessment

As of April 1, 2026, multiple IRIS kits had been installed on B-52 aircraft and delivered to the 49th TES to support training and operational employment. The system is currently in operational use but remains a prototype under evaluation for consideration as a long-term communication solution.

This effort demonstrates how AFWERX programs can help transition emerging commercial technologies from prototype development toward operational employment in response to identified warfighter requirements. It also illustrates the role of rapid acquisition and collaboration across the Air Force in adapting proven technologies to meet the evolving needs of a long-serving weapons platform.

*Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.