The U.S. Air Force established Kessel Run in 2017 as a military-commercial partnership and an Airmen-led “software factory.” This initiative was a direct response to challenges encountered during the rollout of Air Operations Center (AOC) 10.2. The program’s name, derived from the Star Wars franchise reference to a fast smuggling route, was intended to inspire Airmen coders to develop software rapidly and overcome complex demands and bureaucratic hurdles, mirroring the fictional challenges of the Kessel Run.
Kessel Run achieved early successes, notably with “Jigsaw,” a cloud-based application designed for tanker aircraft planning. This achievement contributed to the proliferation of similar software factories across the Air Force. In 2020, NATO adopted Jigsaw, and Kessel Run’s All Domain Operations Suite (KRADOS) facilitated the generation of the first cloud-based Air Tasking Order. The organization also played a critical role in August 2021 by injecting real-time software updates for command-and-control operations during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
A significant milestone occurred a month later when Kessel Run formalized a user agreement with Air Combat Command, integrating the organization into the Pentagon’s official software acquisition pathway. In 2025, Kessel Run transitioned from its original model of small teams of Active-duty coders to a “government-led, vendor-managed” structure. Under this new model, Kessel Run initiated its most ambitious project yet in February of this year: developing the “next generation” of Air Operations Centers, designed to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advanced data fusion capabilities.
Colonel Brian Viola assumed leadership of Kessel Run in June, taking on the responsibility of guiding the organization’s efforts to modernize the AOCs, which are central to the Air Force’s updated command and control network. Colonel Viola’s career includes experience at the Air Force Research Laboratory, the National Security Agency, and the Idaho National Laboratory. He previously commanded the 346th Test Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, which conducts independent operational testing and evaluation of cyber capabilities. He also served as the inaugural leader of “Platform One,” a Department of the Air Force entity based in San Antonio that provides Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps) as a service.
In a recent interview, Colonel Viola discussed Kessel Run’s trajectory and future objectives. He clarified that Kessel Run’s core mission to deliver the AOC weapons system has not changed despite its operational model shifting from an organic software factory to a contractor-led approach. This transition, he explained, reflects an adaptation to the current technological landscape and changes in acquisition strategies over the past five to eight years. He noted that continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, once pioneering within the Department of Defense, are now widely adopted by industry and can be procured as a commodity, similar to the evolution of cloud computing services.
Regarding the modernization of the AOC, Colonel Viola indicated an interest in exploring how commercial operations centers manage large-scale, complex logistics. He is planning to visit an airline’s global operations center to assess potential parallels. Airlines manage tens of thousands of flights daily, navigating challenges such as global weather patterns, crew availability, and aircraft repositioning for optimal efficiency and cost. Colonel Viola questioned whether the tools and algorithms used by airlines, perhaps with adjusted weighting for different objectives, could be adapted to the specific needs of Air Operations Centers.
Artificial intelligence plays a dual role in Kessel Run’s objectives, according to Colonel Viola. First, AI can accelerate the production and delivery of capabilities, particularly through partnerships with the defense industrial base. Second, AI can be integrated directly into operational processes. Kessel Run maintains ongoing discussions with AOC commanders, Air Combat Command, and the broader Department of the Air Force to identify available enterprise-level AI solutions and determine how best to apply them to specific problem sets. Colonel Viola emphasized Kessel Run’s culture of pushing boundaries to deliver advanced capabilities to warfighters, especially when new solutions from various sources become available.
The Air Force recently announced a partnership between Kessel Run, Air Combat Command, and Air Education and Training Command on the Aerospace Readiness Enterprise System (ARES), aimed at improving aircrew readiness. Colonel Viola highlighted the broader implications of ARES within the context of AOC modernization. While aircrew readiness has distinct requirements during peacetime versus wartime, he noted that fundamental elements, such as crew rest, maintenance cycles, certifications, and personnel movement, remain critical in all scenarios. Optimizing these assets is paramount for dynamic mission replanning within an AOC. He stressed that optimizing assets without considering strategic objectives, or vice versa, could lead to suboptimal outcomes. Kessel Run’s goal is to achieve synergies across this spectrum, addressing day-to-day and wartime operational dynamics simultaneously to ensure comprehensive readiness and effective asset management.
Why This Matters
The modernization efforts undertaken by Kessel Run are critical for the future operational effectiveness and strategic advantage of the U.S. Air Force and its allies. Air Operations Centers (AOCs) serve as the central nervous system for airpower, orchestrating complex missions from planning to execution. Enhancing their capabilities directly translates to faster decision-making, improved resource allocation, and more agile responses to global threats.
The shift to a “government-led, vendor-managed” model signifies a broader strategic evolution in defense acquisition. By leveraging commercial industry’s rapid advancements in software development and adopting commodity services, the Air Force aims to accelerate innovation cycles, reduce development costs, and deliver cutting-edge tools to warfighters more efficiently. This approach could serve as a blueprint for other defense programs seeking to overcome traditional bureaucratic hurdles and keep pace with technological change.
Integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into AOC operations promises to revolutionize command and control. AI can process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and recommend optimal courses of action far more quickly than human operators alone, thereby enhancing situational awareness and operational efficiency. Furthermore, Kessel Run’s exploration of adapting commercial logistics models, such as those used by airlines, highlights a pragmatic approach to innovation, seeking proven solutions that can be tailored for military application to achieve greater optimization and readiness.
Projects like the Aerospace Readiness Enterprise System (ARES), which tie aircrew readiness directly into AOC planning, underscore the holistic nature of these modernization efforts. Ensuring that personnel and platforms are optimally prepared and available is fundamental to effective mission execution, particularly in dynamic wartime scenarios. Ultimately, Kessel Run’s work is not merely about developing software; it is about transforming how the Air Force plans, commands, and executes air operations in an increasingly complex and contested global environment, ensuring continued dominance and preparedness for future challenges.