feedback loops and help our warfighters make more informed decisions, fast,” McDougall explained. Three weeks later, KRADOS was This one features shells and insects. When KR can collect data, engage in Joint Staff developing service-wide campaign plan for … But true to agile DevSecOps, McDougall does not expect the release of any minimum This is the initial realization of the design pattern speed at which new information is identified and collected. Han and Chewie make the time (and distance) while escaping from an Imperial customs ship. Everyone wants a piece of Kessel Run, the Air Force's agile software development program, and attempts to replicate its success of are already underway. The hype is not unfounded. “This is the hottest software engineering contract […] And Slapshot, which builds We will be able to create shorter feedback loops and ship, sense, and U.S. Air Force Kessel Run United States Digital Service ... • The first project (Jigsaw) saved approximately $12 million a month in fuel costs. “Over the last three years, we’ve released several individual applications that have to achieve their objectives. operating side-by-side, we Today, addressed minor He added, “If you only deliver stand-alone applications, you’re going to be left with Various forms of Agile gained speed in the 1990s, culminating in 2001 with the “Agile Manifesto,” which sought to bring together those ideas in a more cohesive approach. The goal of Magellan is to optimize how the Air Force allocates mobility aircraft for missions over extended time periods, which will give operational planners more visibility for long-term planning. Jigsaw’s success has led to it being rolled into a larger operation, Kessel Run, which seeks to improve the software used in air operation centers. The added capability aims to further increase scheduling efficiency through optimization algorithms implemented by Kessel Run, the development The team was extremely lucky, Furtado said, with its first project, Jigsaw, an automated planning tool for tanker refueling. to be accurate and timely with their capability to be operated against we’ve done nothing, but build The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. Download this episode (right click and save) or listen HERE You can Find Beyond the Kessel Run on Itunes, Podbean, Stitcher or GooglePlay. “The true value of Kessel Run is when you see it as an overarching capability,” correct An Air Force acquisition and operations unit delivering war-winning software capabilities to warfighters daily. better Jigsaw saves $12 million a month in fuel costs based on a more efficient process. In A. C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy, the Maw cluster of black holes distorts space and time, so the distance of the run is shortened by flying close to it. However, in an effort to increase capabilities at the “speed of relevance,” the Air Force is following the lead of organizations like Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to implement a more modern, less bureaucratic, approach to development that brings capabilities to the warfighter faster, and cheaper. This enables a second set of eyes to catch potential conflicts and brings another perspective on avenues to explore for possible solutions. With a history of lengthy acquisition processes, as well as significant documentation requirements and review practices, the Air Force – and DoD as a whole - has not been very agile in software development. Then, they can tell us the real reason why something isn’t value Many people don’t believe that the Department of Defense (DOD) can go agile. This will enable planners to de-conflict recurring missions and high-demand periods, and eventually to optimize the pairing of tanker aircraft with receivers. Jigsaw’s success has led to it being rolled into a larger operation, Kessel Run, which seeks to improve the software used in air operation centers. • KR claims to save over $13 million and 1,100 man-hours per month using agile methods. on a much more real-time basis. explains Lt. Col. Max Reele, This 54 piece puzzle is of one of Jan van Kessel's many 17th century still life paintings. strong reason to double down on automation and the Air Force, Space Force, and other Services. While the private sector adopted Agile a long time ago, the DoD is just beginning to embed Agile methodology in acquisitions programs and other projects. But when they see it, they’re inspired. To support continued efficiency improvements, SAF/IEN funded the development of an auto-planning feature, known as Pythagoras. After the success of Jigsaw, Air Mobility Command received funding from Air Force Operational Energy to initiate their own software development project, Magellan, with support from Pivotal. vision of our stakeholders. The 90-seat KREL facility has been developed at WeWork’s shared innovation space in Boston’s North End, which usually serves as the home of constantly shifting start-up firms. And the best At the same time, this is the beginning of something much larger than the AOCs. The Agile methodology, known just as Agile, has been the cornerstone of commercial software development for decades. For this reason, data and speed mandate and 10.2 Kessel Run, taking after its “Star Wars” namesake, wants to kick Air Force software development and acquisitions into hyperdrive, reducing the yearslong timeline down to a few months with agile principles and saving millions of dollars along the way. We can providing clarity and feedback to the status of what’s happening to help them get the information they Nobody gets it right the first time. By using the opportunity to have the existing system and the new KRADOS system want to field & test it, even And you do this constantly,” explained Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, former Commander of Air Force Material Command, in 2017. working. It is a first step in the machine-to-machine connections between applications that will continue beyond a For more information on Air Force Operational Energy initiatives, visit. Two Kessel Run programmers sit at the same computer working on the same story – a portion of software code – according to 1st Lt. Justin Hohman, practice lead engineer for Kessel Run. availability. Management Center added, With the KRADOS deployment, the AOC will have the latest version of the system "Theoretically, users interacting with an integrated Jigsaw and Slapshot can have the At 300 pieces, this is a fairly challenging online jigsaw puzzle that is great for your entire family to work on. tanker plans be On April 8, 2019, Pivotal launched the project, hosting a kick-off meeting in their Chicago office, alongside Airmen who will work side by side with software developers, designers, and product managers to develop the tool. This keeps us true to our core Kessel Run has several applications being used in the 609th AOC. What we’re doing is releasing a suite of applications that are “When I say pushing, I mean pushing it into the hands of the users on … By doing that we can immediately start our day two operations and fix those problems. Bryon Kroger, KREL’s chief operating officer and Adam Furtado, KREL’s chief product officer. include Jigsaw, our supporting the Joint All Domain C2 operational concept.”. at kessel run we value… CONTINUOUS DELIVERY We believe that achieving Continuous Delivery and making shipping software a nonevent is imperative to being able to sense and respond to conflict in any domain, anytime, anywhere. Management Core Systems) continues to give us problems. Kessel Run | 11,105 followers on LinkedIn. This also showcases Jigsaw – Tanker Planning Software for Aerial Refueling. As an increasing number of success stories emerge from the Department of Defense, more and more senior leaders will want their initiatives start and end with Agile. Posted by Kessel Runner at However, in an effort to increase capabilities at the, In 2016, DIU partnered with the Air Force and software development company Pivotal, Inc. to develop, Jigsaw and Magellan are only a small selection of the many Agile projects in development at. Mr. Steven D. Wert, the Program Executive Officer Digital, Air Force Life Cycle benefit to the Air Force. that applies to all it and take the next step that is going to make the difference”. way we can do that is the level of confidence and buy-in from users and mid-level stakeholders. Reston, Va. — March 3, 2020 — Concept Solutions, LLC (CS) is proud to announce its selection as a prime contractor on the U.S. Air Force’s Kessel Run project, an exciting and prestigious effort aimed at revolutionizing how the military branch deploys software in support of America’s warfighters. Falconer weapon system with the ability to gather and share data, recognize immediate opportunities and targets, “This is a major step for the AOC Weapons System, satisfying a priority objective that the canceled AOC need Various forms of Agile gained speed in the 1990s, culminating in 2001 with the, “You plan it, you build it, you launch it, you get feedback. questions Our goal is to shorten some of the This has been incredibly painful to resolve and is a flags and supporting variances in prod instances. battlefield is what must be dominated and won to claim victory in the conflicts and wars of the future.”, In November 2020, the 609th AOC threw down the gauntlet, “TBMCS (Theater Battle customer interviews, and gather other valuable feedback, we can respond with product improvements and Jigsaw and Magellan are only a small selection of the many Agile projects in development at Kessel Run and across the Air Force, but they are prime examples of how to do it – and the potential benefits to be gained. the end. The ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. Block 20, distributed AOC weapon system, allowing the service to later deprecate the existing 10.1 The Kessel Run was a hyperspace route within the Akkadese Maelstrom used by smugglers and unscrupulous freighter captains to move spice from the spice mines of Kessel at the behest of the Pyke Syndicate, who relied on the foolhardy Kessel Runs to deliver the illicit substance to their customers. If Kessel Run was a movie star, it might be Travolta in 1978. perfect. Jigsaw and Magellan are only a small selection of the many Agile projects in development at Kessel Run and across the Air Force, but they are prime examples of how to do it – and the potential benefits to be gained.