January 01, 2024
Recommended:
Adversarial technological advances in all-domain long-range fires have placed air bases at significantly increased risk. Fiscal and political constraints limit the establishment of new permanent bases. To address these challenges, the Air Force introduced Agile Combat Employment (ACE), a proactive operational scheme of maneuver executed within threat timelines to increase survivability while generating combat power. ACE requires communications that are mobile, survivable, secure, and sustainable across the electromagnetic spectrum to provide access to DOD networks and voice services alongside foreign infrastructure in Contested, Degraded, and Operationally Limited (CDO-L) environments.
Why it matters
Long-range fires from adversaries have made air bases more vulnerable. With budgets and politics limiting new permanent bases, the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) model became essential: mobile, resilient operations in contested spaces.
For ACE to work, communications must be mobile, secure, sustainable—and capable of working across foreign/infrastructure in degraded or denied environments (CDO-L). (Forward Edge AI Help Center)
What we did
Project Phase I: Cyber-Compliant Communications in Expeditionary Environments
Deployed Isidore Quantum — a quantum-resistant encryption platform, protocol-agnostic, built on NSA-derived tech (CNSA 2.0, ML KEM, AES-256 GCM, forward secrecy).
Integrated with Privoro SafeCase® for smartphones to secure camera/microphone risk.
Built on rugged hardware: combined with Cubic Corporation/DTEC M3X compute platform.
Partnered with REBEL Systems to deploy the TUCK-19 embedded compute network platform (mini-TOC): SD-WAN, dual-enclave, automated PACE across SATCOM, Wi-Fi, cellular.
The result
A layered, holistic communications capability that:
Works in austere/contested environments
Leverages commercial & foreign infrastructure (including 5G) safely
Enables mobile, resilient comms even under CDO-L conditions
Why you should care
It sets the foundation for scaling: decentralized, quantum-safe comms across global theaters.
It’s procurement-ready: phase III sole-source contract pathway via SBIR/STTR awards.
It validates through real-world experimentation (e.g., the Evasive Warrior Experiment) showing operational success in adversary-influenced networks.
Forward Edge-AI is integrating Isidore Quantum with REBEL Systems
Forward Edge-AI is integrating Isidore with SafeCase by Privoro. SafeCase is a smartphone-coupled security device providing unprecedented defense against illicit camera and microphone usage while allowing full use of the phone.
Forward Edge-AI is an authorized reseller of the Privoro SafeCase.
Stakeholders
Awards and Recognition
Award a Phase III Sole Source Contract
How to engage:
Commercial Solutions Offering (CSO) - Cyber Assured Communications Ordering Process
Award a Phase III Sole Source Contract
A Federal Agency may enter into a Phase III SBIR/STTR agreement at any time with a Phase I OR II Awardee. A subcontract to a Federally funded prime contract may be a Phase III award.
Step 1 Requirements Document: Prepare a Statement of Work (SOW), Statement of Objectives (SOO), or Performance Work Statement (PWS), or use our automated tool to generate a document
Step 2 Market Research: Use this page as your market research, or view a list of other eligible projects, then request a Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) from Forward Edge-AI
Step 3 Funding: Performed by the government
Step 4 Sole Source Justification: A Memorandum for the Record is required in lieu of a J&A or SSJ
Step 5 Provide Requirements Package to Contracting Officer: Performed by the government
Step 6 Solicitation: Performed by the government
Step 7 Pre-Negotiation Memorandum: Use GSA CALC as a benchmark to determine fair and reasonableness of our ROM
Step 8: Contract Award: Performed by the government
Language for Step 4 (Determination and Finding):
Artificial Intelligence (Anomaly Detector), ATAK, Counter Adversarial AI, Encryption, cybersecurity, 5G, 5G core, quantum resistant, secure enclaves, Zero Trust, WIFI, Command, Control, Communications (C3), Distributed Sensing and Communications, Expeditionary Environments, Contested, Executive Communications, Denied Operationally Limited (CDO-L) environments, Telecommunications
Phase III Sole Source Awards So Far:
Air Force (Secretary of the Air Force/MG) - Artificial Intelligence, Business Transformation, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and Engineering, One Cloud, Robotic Process Automation
Additional Resources
SBIR DATA RIGHTS:
Awarding Agency: US Air Force
Contract Number: FA864923P0345
Contractor Name: Forward Edge-AI, Inc.
Contractor Address: 10108 Carter Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78255
Expiration of SBIR Data: 02 November 2042
Protection Period: 20 years from award of contract on 02 November 2022
The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data or computer software marked with this legend are restricted during the period shown as provided in paragraph (b)(5) of the Rights In Other Than Commercial Technical Data and Computer Software–Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program clause contained in the above identified contract. After the expiration date shown above, the Government has perpetual government purpose rights as provided in paragraph (b)(5) of that clause. Any reproduction of technical data, computer software, or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings.
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