REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 9, 2023 – C3 AI (NYSE: AI), the Enterprise AI application software company, was awarded a contract in partnership with Intelligent Waves LLC to provide mission-critical AI applications for the U.S. Air Force Crowd-Sourced Flight Data Program.
The Crowd-Sourced Flight Data Program, run by the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron (59TES) at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, is focused on enabling the rapid delivery of software-defined warfighter capabilities. The program’s first focus is the F-35A, the U.S. Air Force’s latest fifth-generation fighter aircraft with enhanced sensor and data fusion capabilities that allow it to operate in advanced threat environments.
C3 AI is working with the 59TES to accelerate and scale the Crowd-Sourced Flight Data solution for combat F-35A aircraft through the rapid development and operational deployment of a roadmap of mission-critical AI applications. These applications, which work in compliment to existing data capture and compute investments, leverage the terabytes of high-fidelity data now recorded on both test and operational aircraft.
“We are honored to support such a vital program to strengthen our country’s warfighter capabilities,” said C3 AI CEO Thomas M. Siebel. “The traditional test paradigm for advanced weapons systems, such as the F-35, takes too long to keep pace with emerging threats. Enabling programs like the Crowd-Sourced Flight Data program to operate at the needed scale and velocity is how the United States can maintain a position of power on all battlefields.”
The program, including investments in data collection, compute, and networking, has already demonstrated the ability to minimize the risk to operational forces by discovering and resolving anomalies in fielded weapon systems before those systems are required in combat. The successes from the Crowd-Sourced Flight Data Program, funded by various stakeholders, including the Test Resource Management Center, will help accelerate the application to other advanced weapon systems, including the F-22, F-15E, and others.
The 59TES is responsible for the management of F-35, F-22, F-15, F-16, and A-10 weapon system testing, including tactics and software development and evaluations. The squadron also manages the Operational Test and Evaluation of weapons and support systems to improve current and future U.S. Air Force combat capabilities.
