Booz Allen Hamilton and L3Harris Technologies on 10th January, 2024 announced a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing mission system integration capabilities to address the critical need for modernization within the Department of Defense (DOD). The primary objective of this partnership is to expedite the development of Combined Joint All-Domain Command & Control (CJADC2) capabilities, ensuring robust support for upcoming warfighters in challenging and contested operational environments.
The cornerstone of this collaboration is Booz Allen’s Distributed Battle Management Node (DBMN) Tactical Operations Center-Light (TOC-L) prototype, which utilizes its Modular Detachment Kit (MDK) as its foundational solution. MDK is a proven and operational multi domain integration agent for tactical command and control (C2), providing holistic integration of disparate tactical C2 data systems.
Steve Escaravage, Executive Vice President at Booz Allen, emphasized "Warfighters need a highly mobile, tailorable, and scalable command and control system at the edge," highlighting that MDK was specifically designed to meet these operational requirements. Booz Allen's Digital Battlespace Platform, known for building modular, scalable, and flexible solutions, has played a key role in developing operational battle management command and control prototypes using MDK as a design baseline.
The MDK architecture, utilizing model-based systems engineering (MBSE) for design rigor, ensures adaptability and informed decision-making. This allows Joint Forces to benefit from a transformational tactical equipment package that can be configured and scaled to meet the commander's intent, complementing Agile Combat Employment (ACE) requirements.
Further, MDK's fielded capability has demonstrated tangible results in multiple domains through live-fire exercises and rapid deployment by the U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), bringing state-of-the-art capabilities for theater C2. The collaboration on TOC-L aligns with L3Harris' focus on fielding integrated, scalable, and resilient solutions for decision-making at the tactical edge.
Booz Allen and L3Harris, each with a rich history in their respective domains, bring over a century of combined expertise to this joint effort. Booz Allen, for over 100 years, has positioned itself at the forefront of complex missions, offering in-depth expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and engineering to the federal government. L3Harris, with a history spanning over 70 years, is an industry leader in tactical radios, datalinks, and waveform development.
The collaboration extends beyond leveraging MDK, as L3Harris' expertise in mission system integration (MSI), scalable sensors and processing, tactical communications, cyber, production, and sustainment will broaden MDK’s applicability. This joint effort is expected to make the solution readily available and accessible to warfighters across services in any domain.
As Khalid Syed, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen, highlighted, "The MDK architecture was built to play a pivotal role in enabling CJADC2 operations by delivering kinetic and non-kinetic effects via data-driven C2 at the edge". He added, "Our collaboration with L3Harris enables large-scale integration and production of our TOC-L prototype utilizing MDK and its future configurations, accelerating delivery to match the speed of our clients’ mission needs.”
