// UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND NEXT-GEN WARFARE TERM
Data Fabric
A data fabric in military terms is a system that connects all different data sources and users, allowing information to flow smoothly and securely across various military systems and domains, making it readily available for decision-making.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Within military C4ISR and JADC2 architectures, a data fabric is a distributed data management and integration layer providing ubiquitous, secure, and real-time access to disparate data sources across all warfighting domains, enabling enhanced data governance, interoperability, and AI-powered decision support for joint operations.
BACKGROUND
The Internet of Military Things (IoMT) is a class of Internet of things for combat operations and warfare. It is a complex network of interconnected entities, or "things", in the military domain that continually communicate with each other to coordinate, learn, and interact with the physical environment to accomplish a broad range of activities in a more efficient and informed manner. The concept of IoMT is largely driven by the idea that future military battles will be dominated by machine intelligence and cyber warfare and will likely take place in urban environments. By creating a miniature ecosystem of smart technology capable of distilling sensory information and autonomously governing multiple tasks at once, the IoMT is conceptually designed to offload much of the physical and mental burden that warfighters encounter in a combat setting.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Unified Data Layer
- Enterprise Data Grid
- Distributed Data Platform
- Data Integration Layer
- Cross-Domain Data Mesh
USAGE NOTE
Data fabric is essential for achieving information superiority and enabling timely, data-driven decisions in the complex, multi-domain operations required by JADC2.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Data Fabric.
Palantir provides data integration and analysis platforms that help defense and intelligence agencies unify disparate data sources, enabling comprehensive insights for national security operations, which is a core function of a data fabric.
C3.ai delivers enterprise AI applications and a development platform that requires robust data integration across vast datasets, often leveraging data fabric principles to serve defense organizations with predictive intelligence and operational efficiency.
As a major defense contractor, Lockheed Martin is heavily invested in digital transformation, including the development of advanced data architectures and integrated data environments to support Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) and the digital battlespace, aligning with data fabric concepts.
Northrop Grumman focuses on multi-domain command and control (C2) and advanced sensor integration, requiring sophisticated data management and a unified data environment (data fabric) to connect disparate systems and provide a comprehensive operational picture for defense clients.
RTX develops advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and C5I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber-defense, and Intelligence) systems that demand complex data integration and real-time data access across diverse platforms and domains, embodying data fabric architectures.
Anduril builds autonomous defense systems and a software-defined defense platform that integrates data from various sensors and effectors into a common operational picture, effectively creating a data fabric to power AI-driven decision-making and rapid deployment.
As a leading government and defense consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton advises on and implements data strategy, digital modernization, and advanced analytics solutions for military clients, often architecting and deploying data fabric frameworks to integrate critical operational data.