The US Air Force is pressing ahead with its $99-million Advanced Tracking Architecture Using AI (ATA-AI) project, an effort first launched in July 2024 to outsmart rapidly evolving threats.
The effort “seeks research to design, develop, test, evaluate, and deliver innovative technologies and techniques for Next Generation Target Tracking architectures” using AI, machine learning, and high-powered computing.
The tech must be able to process massive streams of data from multiple sources, crunching 3D pixels, vectors, and point clouds with high speed and accuracy.
It should also handle navigation and positioning data, and extend beyond combat by helping first responders locate disaster victims through phone or wearable device signals.
Work will run through 2029 under multiple contracts valued between $1 million and $10 million.
Interested participants must first submit white papers, as formal proposals are accepted by invitation only.
From Radar to AI
The US Air Force tracks threats today with a mix of radars, infrared sensors, and a global network of satellites and ground stations.
Radar spots objects with radio waves, infrared picks up heat, and networked assets share data across platforms for a coordinated tracking picture.
However, these traditional methods often struggle against emerging threats, such as stealth aircraft, hypersonic weapons, and drone swarms that tend to complicate and slow down tracking and response times.
The ATA-AI project aims to close that gap with AI tools capable of predicting enemy movements, supporting the air force’s goal of AI-enabled multi-domain awareness and decision advantage outlined in a doctrine released in April.
