Strategic Mission Planning & Execution System (SMPES)

The Strategic Mission Planning & Execution System (SMPES) is a consolidated program element within the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget, specifically under Budget Activity 7 for Operational Systems Development. SMPES integrates several legacy systems and programs to provide the U.S. Air Force and strategic nuclear forces with principal nuclear planning and analysis tools. The overarching goal is to enhance consequence analysis, deliberate and adaptive planning, and crisis action planning for strategic deterrence. By consolidating six independently managed programs Mission Planning and Analysis System (MPAS), Global Adaptive Planning Collaborative Information Environment (GAP-CIE), NLCC Decision Support System (DSS), Nuclear Planning and Execution System Recapitalization (NPES Recap), Force Status Readiness (FSR), and Force Survivability Analysis and Management (FSAM) SMPES aims to streamline and modernize strategic mission planning capabilities.

The NLCC Decision Support System (DSS) focuses on developing and delivering software solutions to support strategic leaders during time-critical national events. The primary objectives are to improve situational awareness of threats to the U.S. and its allies, aggregate strategic-level information, and provide response options through a resilient and mobile visual display capability. The program includes the development of the Nuclear Command and Control (NC2) Conference Module, which will be integrated into the SMPES enterprise architecture. Two follow-on conference modules are planned to support other mission areas and Combatant Commands, with development activities spanning requirements refinement, integration, and cybersecurity enhancements. The acquisition strategy for NLCC DSS leverages Agile DevSecOps and CI/CD methodologies, with program management provided by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) and contracting support from the 55th Contracting Squadron at Offutt AFB, NE.

The Strategic Mission Planning & Execution System (SMPES) serves as the principal nuclear planning and analysis tool for the Air Force and strategic nuclear forces. Its goals include integrating consequence analysis information and supporting strategic deterrence through a unified software environment. Key planned activities for FY2025 and FY2026 involve building out the Minimum Viable Capability Release (MVCR) to incorporate additional weapon types, implementing Zero Trust cybersecurity measures, and enhancing automated deployments for continuous software delivery. The program also supports Special Access Program (SAP) Mission Planning and Distribution System (SMPDS) requirements, ensuring SAP weapon system planning and integration procedures are fully enabled for operational planning.

The Mission Planning and Analysis System (MPAS) provides comprehensive global strike, coordinated space and missile defense, and information operations capabilities. MPAS is utilized by U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) leadership and war planners to develop nuclear and conventional attack options, supporting both national and theater requirements. Continuous agile software development is conducted for both classified and unclassified networks, with MPAS aligning to the Unified Command Plan and Nuclear Posture Review.

The Global Adaptive Planning Collaborative Information Environment (GAP-CIE) is a web-based joint operation planning application that enables rapid coordination among combatant commanders and strategic leaders. GAP-CIE supports deliberative and crisis action planning, providing decision support tools and the Global Situational Awareness Tool (GSAT) for visualization of geospatial, temporal, and relational planning data. This environment is critical for enhancing collaboration and situational awareness in strategic mission planning.

Nuclear Planning and Execution System Recapitalization (NPES Recap) develops software to facilitate Nuclear Command and Control (NC2) adaptive planning and execution at both fixed and mobile sites in real time. NPES Recap focuses on communication interfaces, data management, software re-engineering, and operational requirements validation and training. Force Status Readiness (FSR) and Force Survivability Analysis and Management (FSAM) provide decision-makers and planners with real-time status and survivability analysis of U.S. nuclear forces, including monitoring the status of missiles, aircraft, submarines, and key personnel, as well as tracking hostile threats and potential vulnerabilities.