BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La — In an era of Great Power Competition, technology remains key to maintaining a competitive edge in our nation’s defense. However, many small businesses continue to struggle with integrating their technology solutions into the Department of Defense (DOD).

As Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin stated in the 2023 DoD Small Business Strategy, “If the Department does not work to reverse the decline of small business contracting, then the industrial base that equips our military will weaken.”

This trend is slowly reversing thanks to new organizations at Barksdale Air Force Base such as Air Force Global Strike Command’s A5N Division, known as the Commercial Capabilities Integration and Transition (CCIT) Division, along with efforts from the Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s 767th Enterprise Sourcing Flight, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), and AFLCMC’s Bomber Directorate.

Partnership opportunities like these were made possible by the Air Force Office of Small Business Programs utilizing the DoD Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to harness the talents of our nation’s small technology companies.

Formed in 2023, the CCIT forges historic connections between small business innovators and the DoD. The division’s work secured a $26 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award for AFGSC in August 2023, the first funding award of this magnitude for the command. This award was accomplished through AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force (DAF) that is powered by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The funding allowed the team to create a collaborative framework between the command and commercial companies, such as this instance with Outerlink Global Solutions, a Shreveport-based aviation communications company. Outerlink’s high-speed satellite-transmitted communication technology, called Iridium Certus (IRIS), proved to be a critical boost to the B-52 Stratofortress communication capabilities.

The Commercial Capabilities Integration and Transition Division to date has secured contracts totaling $240 million of outside AFGSC funding for 70 modernization technologies from U.S. small businesses, with an additional $74.3 million in pending contracts for 13 other bonus technologies. The division credits their success to teaming with cooperative organizations in the DAF, including the 767th ESF.

Innovative small businesses like Outerlink require sound, mutually beneficial contracts to bring their technology to the DAF. This is where the Airmen of the 767th ESF step in to rapidly lead capability development and resources prioritization, being a driving force for the DAF’s modernization efforts. The flight provides expert contracting support to award and administer all above-wing acquisitions for AFGSC. These same Airmen accomplish this heavy lift while also managing a $1.2 billion portfolio in around-the-clock support of long-range precision global strike operations, including the nation’s fleet of bomber aircraft and the land-based leg of the nuclear triad.

“The 767th works to act as an intermediary between CCIT, AFWERX, and the contractor to ensure SBIR policy compliance and all organizations involved are receiving the greatest benefit,” said Mark De La Rosa, 767th ESF contracting officer and flight chief.

The collaboration increased the flight’s contract activity by 860%, rising from five SBIR actions to 48 actions during the 2024 fiscal year alone.

“By creating local standards and procedures the 767th ESF has streamlined the communication with CCIT, decreasing the acquisition timeline exponentially,” said De La Rosa.

Since October 2023, the 767th ESF team successfully executed 18 SBIR actions with speed and accuracy. With 17 more initiatives currently underway, the team claims to be months ahead of the required AFWERX timeline. Creating custom templates and standardizing set development is how the team was able to streamline the increased research and development demand.

Notably, the team processed the first-ever Phase I Specific Topics for AFGSC with 12 awards granted 30 days ahead of schedule, paving the way for future Phase II and III contract award opportunities.

“Out of our 118 current pre-awards and awards, 41 are CCIT SBIRs (34.75%). This totals $17.4 million in awards and $150 million in pre-awards,” noted Capt. Jessica Cleaver, 767th ESF contracting officer and technologies acquisition manager. “As we work to bridge the gap between ideas and reality through contracts, we also work to bridge the gap between organizations to make the process as seamless as possible.”

The next challenge lies in adapting the acquired commercial technology onto secure Air Force platforms, which is where the AFLCMC and the Bomber Directorate provide project management expertise to translate theoretical processes into tangible integration. Both entities work closely with CCIT and the 767th ESF to make it possible for them to put these cutting-edge capabilities into the hands of warfighters.

Tapping into the diverse pool of small business solutions requires local economic insight. To this end, CCIT also works closely with its Louisiana-based consultants — the Small Business Consulting Corporation, BRF, and its Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) — to address modernization needs quickly, locally, and with a discerning eye for quality. The EAP aids new startups in northern Louisiana by nurturing innovation right in Barksdale’s backyard. The contract between AFGSC and Outerlink was negotiated in part due to the longstanding relationship with these champions of local entrepreneurship.

“EAP’s specialty is accessing new companies and determining their viability, strengths, weaknesses and threats,” said EAP Executive Director Dave Smith. “This commercial focus contributes to the CCIT by helping ensure the initiative picks technologies developed by companies which have business plans that can gain enough traction for their commercial projects to see their contributions to [Air Force Global Strike Command] completed.”

Additional Louisiana-based companies introduced to AFGSC by the CCIT include Praeses, Archem, and BetaFlix, providing modernization capabilities locally and affordably while also creating jobs for the greater Louisiana community. In 2023, Archem was awarded a Small Business Innovation & Research Phase II award to research and develop advanced fuels and fuel additives for the B-52 Stratofortress.

“Barksdale AFB and Global Strike Command are incredible drivers of economic activity,” agreed Archem CEO Alex Burke. “It’s a win-win for everyone. There are a lot of stories about technologies sitting on the shelf too long and companies folding while waiting for budget cycles or other missed opportunities. Sufficient investment came at the right time for us to put advanced chemistry and our people to work.”

This concerted effort between the CCIT and key organizations like the 767 ESF, AFLCMC, and the AFLCMC Bomber Directorate has fostered a wave of small business commercial technology adaptation that promises to ensure the U.S. remains a leader in defense technology.

“The relationships between the Department of the Air Force, industry, and academia will continue to deepen, enabling the rapid development and integration of commercial technologies that support our national security,” said De La Rosa.