Cyber Command’s first major weapons system needs the cloud

By: Mark Pomerleau  

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The Air Force plans to spend as much as $95 million on cloud services from several companies to work on one of Cyber Command’s first major weapon systems.

Unified Platform will allow cyber teams to share information, conduct mission planning and provide the command and control tools they need to conduct missions. It will consolidate the big data platforms used by Cyber Command and its subordinate organizations, such as the Defense Information Systems Agency.

Cyber Command needs a mix of standardization capabilities to tools to access targets to cause effects to data integration capabilities to cyber deterrence tools.

In a new request for quote, first reported by NextGov and posted online Sept. 17, the Air Force said the cloud services will support the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s LevelUP branch, which is a software factory. As part of the its work with Unified Platform, the Air Force has created a software factory that puts various software containers together, and in the process, allows staff to replicate databases and services in various environments and ultimately allows those services to be scaled on demand.

The Army is beginning to work with the Pentagon on Unified Platform.

The contract noted that the Air Force anticipates to award up to 15 blanket purchase agreements, which, according to the General Services Administration, makes it easier to meet recurring needs. The notice stated the estimated value of the agreement is $95 million.

According to contract documents, the blanket purchase agreement will “eliminate contracting and open market costs such as the search for sources, the development of technical documents and solicitations, and the evaluation of offers. This BPA will further decrease costs, reduce paperwork, and save time by eliminating the need for repetitive and individual purchases.”