Project OWL Phase II STTR

A resilient network infrastructure for communications and sensing provides invaluable context for command, control, and situational awareness.  As adversaries develop sophisticated networking their ability to attack and inhibit our own similarly grows.  As a consequence, it is critical to develop innovative secure, isolated, encrypted, and self-configuring and self-healing networks that can be quickly and cost-effectively deployed to GPS-denied dense urban environments or network-degraded austere environments.  This capability is needed by many units in the Air Force but the result of Project OWL’s X20A Phase I STTR was the identification of Air Force 724th Special Tactics Squadron as an end-user deeply interested in this concept and supportive of Project OWL’s research and development goals for a Phase II STTR.  Alongside Columbia University, Project OWL intends to further develop a unique network technology solution that closely aligns with the lofty demands of Air Force 724th. Project OWL has developed an innovative unified network infrastructure of DuckLink hardware, the open-source ClusterDuck Protocol (http://clusterduckprotocol.org/) firmware, and the OWL Data Management System (DMS) software to create a seamless plug-and-play solution. The DuckLink is a wireless device and is part of a D.U.C.K. - a Deployable Ubiquitous Connectivity Kit. The D.U.C.K and its DuckLinks deploy a distributed network in the air, on the ground, on the water, or underground.  Through a gateway backhaul, the data permeating a network flows to the OWL DMS where end-users are provided visualization and management of data as well as APIs to extract information to external systems such as ATAK.  The D.U.C.K. targets an opportunity to provide a solution more cost effective than current MANETs, more customizable than traditional radios through an open-source firmware, less burdensome than heavy radio equipment, and very easy to use.  Last year Project OWL completed 10 deployments including several with IBM, Department of Homeland Security at “Shaken Fury” in July, Department of Defense at “Thunderstorm” in August, and Verizon at Operation Convergent Response in October.  Operating in a more global, connected, and diverse battle environment than ever before, Project OWL can empower the Air Force with enhanced command, control, and situational awareness from GPS-denied dense urban theaters to networking-degraded austere environments.  Even more targeted applications may be developed through this adaptable, cost-effective, customizable technology in the future.