EIT CONNECT

EIT CONNECT is a new start initiative within the Department of the Air Force (DAF) to establish a reliable and resilient diverse data transport solution within the enterprise. The program aims to support Distributed Basing and Agile Combat Employment (ACE)” and Readiness of the DAF to transition to a Wartime Posture Against a Peer Competitor” activities by providing connectivity solutions for tactical communications at the edge across the Joint Force, DAF Enterprise, and allies. Specifically, in FY24, the program will focus on deploying, connecting, and testing SD-WAN solutions in direct support of PACAF, AFFORGEN, and ACE initiatives to enable Combat Air Forces to connect, move, maneuver, and recover safely while reducing risk to mission and life.

The program's objectives include deploying material and non-material solutions for a test campaign to codify operational capabilities for a multi-nodal, multi-level security SD-WAN network in FY24. Additionally, in FY25 and beyond, the program aims to define DAF level standards for ensuring access to a proliferated SD-WAN architecture and deliver critical near-term infrastructure for ACE needs. The program is part of Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development, as it includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year. Overall, the program seeks to provide resilient, distributed, and secure connectivity at the edge to support DAF agile combat employment requirements.