U.S. Air Force Research Lab Awards GE TEAMS Program

A Project Task Assignment for the Teaming-Enabled Architectures for Manned-Unmanned Systems (TEAMS) prototype program was recently awarded to GE Aviation. The project is under the authority of the Base Vertical Lift Consortium Project Agreement and is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL).

“The TEAMS program is a tremendous opportunity for GE to work closely with AFRL and our industry partners to prototype architectures that will enable the next generation of Manned-Unmanned Teaming capabilities,” says John Kormash, director of Advanced & Special Programs for GE Aviation.  “GE’s experience and investments in the areas of architecture, modeling, simulation, and system instantiations will enhance the AFRL’s objectives of developing open, flexible, and scalable solutions for tomorrow’s autonomous vehicles.”

TEAMS is an architectural modeling and prototyping effort under the AFRL’s Flexible, Assured Manned-Unmanned Systems (FAMUS) program. FAMUS intends to lay a technical foundation for an operational reality where a heterogeneous, multi-man, multi-machine team-of-teams can perform a range of missions in a flexible and assured manner.  

By prototyping an iterative, architecture-centric, and model-based approach under TEAMS, FAMUS intends to define the architectures, processes, methods, tools, and environments necessary to rapidly mature and affordably transition increasingly complex manned-unmanned teaming technologies.

Also contributing to this prototype are team members Modern Technology Solutions (MTSI), Scientific Systems Company (SSCI), Dependable Computing and GE Global Research Center (GRC).  The contract period of performance is 24 months and will be executed at GE Aviation’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, Avionics site as well as team member locations.  This effort is being sponsored by the U.S. Government under Other Transaction number W15QKN-16-9-1001 between Vertical Lift Consortium, Inc. and the Government.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines, avionics, digital solutions, and electrical power systems for aircraft.  GE is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive.  With people, services, technology, and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry.  www.ge.com/aviation