Defense Kicks Off First Series of Global Information Dominance Experiments Program

The data analytics research and development office of the U.S. Department of Defense announced the relaunch of its collaborative experimental projects centered on the intersection of data analytics and artificial intelligence. 

Global Information Dominance Experiments, an initiative within Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, works in tandem with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to marry data integration systems with AI and machine learning technologies for Defense operations.

“We want to rapidly improve access to data across the Joint force – from the strategic level to our tactical warfighters,” Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Craig Martell said in prepared comments. “The intended outcome of these experiments is two-fold. First, we want to identify where we may have barriers in policy, security, connectivity, user-interface, or other areas that prohibit data sharing across the Joint force. Second, we want to show how data, analytics, and AI can improve Joint workflows in a variety of missions from global integrated deterrence through targeting and fires.”

This is the fifth iteration of the GIDE program. Participation in the program will be hosted both physically and virtually, concluding on Thursday, Feb. 2. More meetings will be programmed for 2023 in alignment with the Joint Warfighting Concept and the JADC2 Implementation Strategy. The latter is a larger strategy that works to cultivate a department-wide warfighting innovation program. 

Defense officials have been working to incorporate data into warfighting since 2021. GIDE in particular has been a vehicle to prove how weapon systems can benefit with advanced data processing capabilities. 

“GIDE serves as an opportunity to stress-test our current systems and processes, introduce new technologies and approaches, and learn in an experimentation environment that replicates real-world operations,” said Col. Matthew Strohmeyer, GIDE V Mission Commander in prepared comments. “We have developed a metrics-based approach to assessing GIDE V so we are positioned to make improvements in future experiments.”