Advanced programs / Proposed scopes
Integrated engineering directions for research, prototypes and systems integration. Each begins with an operating constraint and a reviewable outcome—not a claim of a fielded product.
A stale observation, an unavailable service and a confirmed event should never look the same to an operator. Mission applications need to make uncertainty visible. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
When a vehicle loses a link, its behavior should follow explicit mission policy. Autonomy needs bounded authority, observable intent and a defined safe state. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
Connected systems inherit trust decisions from their dependencies. Effective defense constrains that trust without turning every anomaly into a system-wide outage. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
A model response is not a verified fact. Access to a tool is not permission to use it. Mission AI requires data provenance, policy boundaries and escalation paths. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
Agent authority crosses model, application and identity boundaries. Untrusted content must not acquire the privileges of an operator. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
A cloud dependency can become an operational dependency. Edge architecture decides what must continue locally, what can wait and which state must reconcile later. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
A disconnected node is not necessarily a failed node. Distinguish link availability from local capability and reconcile state when connectivity returns. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
An operating picture is useful only when its age, uncertainty and source are visible. Reduce cognitive load while preserving human authority. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
Sensors produce different clocks, coordinate systems and confidence estimates. Fusion begins with alignment and provenance, not a confident-looking symbol on a map. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
Spectrum observations vary across time, location and receiver configuration. Analysis must preserve those conditions and separate measured activity from inferred classification. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
A simulation is an executable set of assumptions. Its value depends on documenting those assumptions and comparing them with evidence. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
Orbital links change with geometry and availability. Ground-to-space software needs contact windows, data custody and fallback when paths disappear. A potential first milestone is an instrumented prototype with explicit interfaces, failure criteria and evaluation evidence.
Define the mission
Start with the operating environment, the constraints and the decision your system needs to support.