Applying a DEVelopment OPerationS (DevOps) Reference Architecture to Accelerate Delivery of Emerging Technologies in Data Analytics, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence to the Afloat U.S. Navy

Abstract

Twenty years ago, the Navy began expanding the use of commercial industry information technology (IT) to employ Internet Protocol (IP)ﾖbased client server and web-based technologies to improve software effectiveness and affordability on ships and submarines. Coupled with wideband satellite capabilities, these systems increased the Navy's ability to plan, communicate, command and control, and execute increasingly complex missions. With a sound foundation in commercial IT installed in the Fleet, the Navy is looking today to improve warfighting by leveraging emerging technologies in Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning (DL). These technologies have the potential to change how the Navy fights and will drive changes to the Fleet's Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) architecture and processes. This paper proposes a reference architecture, new processes, and tools to meet the dynamic nature of these emerging technologies, to include employing the commercial DEVelopment and OPerationS (DevOps) construct. The reference architecture and processes have the potential not only to accelerate the modernization of the afloat Navy networking WAN/LAN infrastructure, but also to deliver important warfighting capabilities to support Command and Control, Intelligence, and Logistics software applications.