Ditto, the only mobile database with built-in edge device connectivity, has been selected for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) opportunity by AFWERX (or SpaceWERX), the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, with funding of up to $28 million. The initiative is open to small businesses with SBIR Phase II contracts awarded within the past two years, allowing them to apply for funding through an annual notice of opportunity. By connecting private-sector innovators, defense stakeholders, and investors, STRATFI strengthens the defense industrial base and accelerates the transition of advanced capabilities to the warfighter.

The STRATFI agreement reinforces Ditto’s strategic role in maintaining U.S. information dominance and decision superiority, particularly addressing critical security concerns in the Indo-Pacific theater. As tensions rise in the Pacific, ensuring resilient communications and seamless data sharing from isolated airbases to interconnected island networks is paramount. Ditto’s innovative Edge Sync Platform directly supports this mission, moving beyond traditional hub-and-spoke connectivity to create highly redundant, adaptable mesh networks that are resilient to communication disruption.

By partnering with the Air Force’s BESPIN software factory on the Mobile Operational Support Suite initiative (MOSS), Ditto integrates seamlessly into critical Air Force systems, including the Pluto aircraft maintenance application, Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), ARRAKIS, and other data applications. The introduction of Small Peer and Big Peer architectures empowers Air Force personnel with robust, scalable, and rapid-response network capabilities, significantly enhancing tactical decision-making speed and accuracy.

Ditto advances the Department of the Air Force's goal of "decision superiority at the tactical edge," providing multi-transport, resilient data movement in denied or disrupted environments. Ditto’s auto-PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency) connectivity ensures continuous data flow, enabling real-time updates, rapid deployment of AI and machine learning models at the edge, and synchronized MLOps infrastructure across dispersed operational units.

Additional strategic use cases include:

• Immediate data backhaul from remote ships and aircraft
• Peer-to-peer mesh networking among mobile devices in austere environments
• Multi-hop communications enhancing autonomous vehicle operations
• Accelerating autonomous vehicle decision loops (OODA)
• Facilitating interoperability and communication among multiple drone manufacturers

This partnership represents a significant step forward in delivering scalable, interoperable decision-making capabilities from the tactical edge to the cloud, ensuring U.S. military readiness and operational superiority in contested and geographically dispersed theaters of operation.

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About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX

As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

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