NC3 Commercial Development & Prototyping

The NC3 Commercial Development & Prototyping program, managed by the Air Force, is designed to enhance the resilience and efficiency of the Department of Defense's nuclear enterprise by utilizing commercial technologies. The primary goal is to explore and prototype commercially-derived technologies that can augment existing government systems. This initiative focuses on reducing risks associated with adopting emerging commercial technologies by fostering partnerships between government entities and industry leaders. The program seeks to ensure that the U.S. maintains a competitive edge in key technological areas relevant to national security.

A significant objective of this program is to develop prototypes for communication systems that can seamlessly switch between multiple commercial and government satellite links. This involves creating terminals capable of accessing various communication paths, thereby increasing resilience and ensuring secure data flow across networks. The program also emphasizes experimenting with secure data transport techniques in collaboration with both commercial vendors and Department of Defense partners. These efforts aim to integrate hybrid architectures under the United States Space Force and across terrestrial networks, enhancing overall system robustness.

Another focus area is the development of a coarse navigation capability using commercially-derived approaches. This capability provides a backup navigation option for scenarios where advanced precision systems like GPS are unavailable. While not intended to replace existing high-precision systems, this solution offers a resilient alternative for disadvantaged users within the Department of Defense. The program includes operational experimentation to validate these technologies' performance and security, facilitating their transition into warfighting capabilities more rapidly and cost-effectively.

The NC3 Commercial Development & Prototyping program is structured around strategic partnerships with industry to militarize emerging commercial capabilities. By taking calculated risks early in the acquisition process, the program aims to optimize and streamline future acquisitions, ultimately enhancing technological capabilities within the nuclear command, control, and communications domain.