SO/LIC Advanced Development

The SO/LIC Advanced Development program, managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is a Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) initiative under Program Element (PE) 0603121D8Z. Its primary objective is to support the Department of Defense's (DoD) broader goals to deter aggression, defend the homeland, and build sustainable, long-term advantages in the cyber domain. The program is focused on advanced technology development for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC), with an emphasis on cyber resilience, secure communications, and the integration of emerging technologies.

Within this program, the Advanced Development (AD) subgroup of the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) plays a central role. The AD subgroup leverages lessons learned from previous initiatives to develop, test, and deliver advanced cyber tools and capabilities. The subgroup's goals include maximizing cyber capabilities for integrated deterrence, supporting cyber operations to generate asymmetric advantages, and streamlining the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity requirements across IWTSD's project portfolio.

A key objective of the Advanced Development line item is to conduct research, analysis, and development to understand and mitigate the impacts of emerging and disruptive technologies on DoD digital infrastructures. This includes developing tools and concepts to protect and enhance the resilience of DoD and joint operations in the cyber domain. The program also supports the integration, testing, hardening, accreditation, and transition of IWTSD-sponsored tools and capabilities to operational environments, ensuring that new technologies are secure and effective for end users.

In Fiscal Year 2025, the AD subgroup plans to initiate funding for a project focused on developing warfighting capabilities with allies and partners. This project aims to deliver an unintrusive vulnerability and anomaly detection tool for operational technology in air-gapped environments, addressing the unique security challenges of isolated networks. The subgroup will also continue funding four ongoing projects that focus on building cyber resilience, enhancing interoperability, and developing key enabling capabilities.

Ongoing projects include the creation of a secure development, testing, and assessment environment to facilitate enhanced cyber hardening of IWTSD-sponsored capabilities. Another project involves a security analysis and reliability evaluation tool that virtualizes target hardware and emulates embedded software systems, enabling advanced penetration testing and vulnerability detection. The AD subgroup is developing a cyber range that simulates advanced persistent threat (APT) communications, which is essential for the development and testing of detection algorithms. Technical and cybersecurity support is provided to accelerate the testing, fielding, integration, accreditation, and transition of secure prototypes and systems to operational users.

Starting in Fiscal Year 2026, the activities and funding for the SO/LIC Advanced Development program will be realigned to PE0603122D8Z, allowing IWTSD to continue its charter of rapidly developing, delivering, and transitioning secure and resilient irregular warfare capabilities. This realignment is intended to retain critical knowledge and support enhanced cyber hardening and information assurance across the IWTSD portfolio. The transition ensures ongoing development and deployment of new tools and capabilities to protect, support, and enhance DoD and joint operations in the cyber domain.