Special ops forces, intel community to team up on operational challenges in ‘data dense environments’
Special operations forces and members of the intelligence community are preparing to meet with industry and other technology experts to brainstorm ways to help commandos and IC personnel succeed on the frontlines in “data dense environments.”
The gathering, slated for Oct. 28-30 in Chantilly, Virginia, is being organized by SOFWERX and ICWERX — hubs that connect U.S. Special Operations Command and intel agencies with innovators to help solve some of their most difficult challenges — in partnership with SOCOM’s Science and Technology Directorate and the IC.
The meeting will be the 17th Innovation Foundry event hosted by SOFWERX. Previous iterations have focused on contested logistics, “smart cities” and omnipresent sensor networks, among other challenges.
The organization has also assisted SOCOM with other high-tech initiatives such as “Drone in a Box.”
“Field-forward operations refer to the real-time or near real-time collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence information in the field or at the source to support mission planning and tactical decision making. These activities rely on advanced technologies, including diverse sensors, smart systems, distributed networks, communication platforms, and AI-driven analytical suites. While these technologies offer significant advantages by providing actionable insights in real-time, they also introduce vulnerabilities (e.g., data reliability and accuracy, cybersecurity, processing speed, energy efficiency). Addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial for maximizing the potential of these technologies while minimizing risks, thereby enabling mission success,” officials wrote in a special notice posted Monday about the upcoming Innovation Foundry event.
Personnel from the SOF and IC communities, industry, academia and national labs are expected to discuss the main tech challenges that forward-deployed operators and analysts will face in the future, brainstorm how to apply capabilities to address those issues, and identify near-term investments that SOCOM and intel agencies need to make to foster new tools for tackling those problems.
The event organizers are interested in bringing together experts in special ops and intelligence missions; AI and machine learning; automation systems; communications technology; cybersecurity; data science; edge computing; information ops; internet of things; IT; high-performance computing; and wearable tech, among other capability areas.
Subject matter experts interested in participating must submit a CV by Aug. 25.
The IF17 event is expected to be followed by a rapid capability assessment “to further develop the preliminary capability concepts,” as well as a series of “integrated technology sprints” to demonstrate proofs of concept, according to the special notice.
Officials may negotiate other transaction agreements for research or prototype projects, procurement for experimentation, cooperative research and development agreements, Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contracts, or other arrangements with innovators, per the notice.
