One of the most innovative organizations within the Department of War, the Air Force’s Kessel Run software delivery division continues to grow from strength to strength. The last few years have seen not only new leadership and a transition to its own division, but significant new investments that will enable it to continue to quickly deliver innovative solutions to the warfighter.
Kessel Run—or as it is more formally known, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Detachment 12—transitioned to its own division under the Digital Directorate, AFLCMC in 2022 at the same time as Col. Richard Lopez assumed command as the Senior Material Leader. Col. Lopez, who retired earlier this year, noted at the assumption of his command that the Kessel Run “team has one of the most important jobs in the entire United States Air Force and the Department of Defense … [to] deliver … operational air power to deter our enemies, and defeat them when deterrence fails.”
Since its inception in 2017, Kessel Run has embraced a modern approach to development ensuring that all solutions and systems created and incubated at the software factory are scalable and secure to support the warfighter in critical combat missions and combat environments. To keep pace with the speed of technological development and the need to recruit and retain tech-savvy personnel, Kessel Run embraced Modernization as-a-Service.
Modernization as-a-Service, or MaaS, was pioneered by Chenega Applied Solutions under the direction of then Vice President of Operations, Michael C. Masten. “Approaching Modernization as-a-Service has enabled Air Force teams looking to perform mission-critical software and solution development nimbly to get off base and immerse themselves in the technology communities that would support agility and help them successfully compete for the right talent,” explained Masten. Masten now holds the role of Vice President of Modernization and Innovation Services at Chenega Systems.
In the years since embracing MaaS, the Air Force has been able to drive innovative design more quickly and securely at Kessel Run. “The Air Force requires near-turnkey solutions that can be quickly customized and implemented to support Kessel Run and its external partners on the Kessel Run Domain,” explained Masten. “MaaS is ultimately a collaborative model that channels industry knowledge to support the mission environment without requiring the Air Force to spend years developing bespoke solutions internally.”
The initial MaaS build out supporting the Kessel Run Hybrid Unified Battle Space Services (HUBS) program included the identification, acquisition, and buildout of a Silicon Valley-style office space in Boston, Massachusetts, that showcased the Air Force’s embrace of a new approach to acquisition and development. Added Masten, “The HUBS contract delivered networking infrastructure, support personnel, equipment, supplies, software tools, design, and management services culminating in an end-to-end hybrid software solution that will support agile development and the rapid development of mission-critical software.”
The speed and customizability of MaaS positions Chenega to support Air Force missions with up-to-date understanding of trends in threats, technology, and policy. “The ability to define operational problems, move quickly, and deliver usable capability under real mission conditions lets us act not just as a vendor but as an execution partner,” Masten said. “We share and manage execution and integration risk to reduce operational burden and let our government partners move the mission forward.”
As the threat environment facing the United States continues to intensify across all domains and the Air Force’s mission becomes even more complex, these investments not just in technology, but in wholescale modernization, will become even more important. With continued investment in Kessel Run and other development environments, the Air Force is setting a clear path for mission success.