One of the most innovative organizations within the Department of Defense, the Air Forces’ Kessel Run continues to grow from strength to strength. This summer has 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 June at the same time as Col. Richard Lopez assumed command as the Senior Material Leader. Col. Lopez 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 as its commonly referred to, 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 has recently transitioned to the role of Vice President of Modernization and Innovation Services at sister Chenega company, 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 results have been such that the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded a $47M contract to the Chenega Systems team to design, buildout, and modernize 65,000 square feet of space to support the Kessel Run Hybrid Unified Battle Space Services (HUBS) program.
“This investment will provide AFLCMC/Kessel Run with a comprehensive set of IT services and solutions through the implementation of their MaaS capability,” explained Masten. “We will supply a single turn-key solution that will provide the Software Environment and Management Services to support Kessel Run and its external partners on the Kessel Run Domain,” he noted.
The initial MaaS build out included the identification, acquisition, and build out of 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 “this new HUBS contract will deliver 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.”
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 the continued investment in Kessel Run and other software factories, the Air Force is setting a clear path for mission success.
