Air Force confirms KC-46 comm pods as first operational ABMS capability

The Air Force announced today the first operational Advanced Battle Management System capability will be communication pods installed on the KC-46 tanker that will allow the F-22 and F-35 to send and receive data to one another.

The service praised the milestone as a key first step in what will be an incremental effort to field ABMS capabilities. It also addresses a fundamental need for better communication between the fifth-generation fighter aircraft and across the joint force.

"This latest effort allows Air Force and Space Force program officials to test a cornerstone element of ABMS -- the ability to transfer data from a central source to a diverse joint force," the service said in a press release today.

Inside Defense reported last month that the Rapid Capabilities Office, which took over management of ABMS in the fall, plans to release a solicitation this year for the communication pods. An award is expected by the end of fiscal year 2021, and the technology could be fielded in FY-22.

It's not clear how many pods the service intends to buy or what the projected cost is for the effort.

RCO Director Randy Walden said in the press release that along with the initial capability release, the program is preparing for "major investments in digital infrastructure" that will be foundational to future ABMS development.

"To build ABMS, you must first build the digital structures and pathways over which critical data is stored, computed, and moved," Walden said. "The Department of the Air Force needs a smart, fast and resilient 'system of systems' to establish information and decision superiority, and ABMS will be that solution."

The RCO plans to release a digital infrastructure request for information in the fourth quarter of FY-21 and a draft RFP at the beginning of FY-22.