Defense Firms Test Interoperability at New Plugfest

BAE Systems recently brought government and defense industry experts together to host the Metro Detroit region's first plugfest at its Virtual Proving Ground in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The two-day event put defense systems to the test in a live, synthetic environment, to move open standards from concept to proof.

The event, similar to a hack-a-thon but focused on hardware and software validation, featured seven hardware and software companies from Metro Detroit and across the globe, including representatives from the United States government. Participants validated interoperability between systems and worked to advance open systems architecture standards.

"Secure and reliable interoperability is one of the toughest challenges in defense systems development, and this event showed how we move from talking about open standards to proving they work," said Dr. Adarsh Ayyar, director of Technology for BAE Systems' Combat Mission Systems business. "When industry and government test systems side by side, we reduce risk, lower integration costs and move closer to getting capabilities into the hands of the warfighter faster. That's what this event was all about."

By testing these connections directly, industry can uncover integration gaps early, validate performance and build confidence in shared standards before they reach the battlefield.

Proving that open systems architecture and interoperability reduce integration costs and technical risk gives the U.S. military and its allies a faster path to fielding new capabilities. By creating a space where partners can collaborate, compete and validate in real time, BAE Systems is investing in opportunities to accelerate defense technology development.