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Air Force Awards Production Contract for Next-Gen Aerospace Readiness Enterprise System

  • Published
  • By Dan Hawkins
  • Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. — Following extensive operator testing, the Department of the Air Force has reached a critical milestone in overhauling its aircrew management systems, officially awarding VivSoft a production Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for the Aerospace Readiness Enterprise System, or ARES.

Because the software was already rigorously tested and approved by actual operators during a prototyping phase, this specialized agreement allows the Air Force to bypass the lengthy, traditional defense-bidding process. By transitioning directly into a production agreement, the service can rapidly scale the user-approved software across the entire enterprise, delivering modern capabilities to the flightline in a fraction of the time.

“The development team is laser-focused on ensuring the warfighter's voice and agile feedback remain baked directly into the platform from day one,” said Col. Eric Robinson, AETC Command Future Enterprise Systems and Production Integrator. “This enterprise consolidation is designed to simplify administrative steps, returning valuable time to the warfighter so they can focus on the mission.”

ARES represents a collaborative effort to modernize Air Force flight operations. Hosted natively within a modern enterprise environment, ARES is designed to consolidate capabilities from six aging legacy platforms into a single, cohesive ecosystem.

Once fully deployed, it will serve as the unified digital backbone for more than 149,000 Airmen.

For operators and schedulers, ARES is designed to reduce multi-hour scheduling tasks into minutes. Commanders will gain a live dashboard that automatically tracks training readiness and routes digital waivers instantly, while resource management teams benefit from automated data synchronization that eliminates redundant administrative entries across the enterprise.

The platform is built around four core capability pillars designed for modern, contested environments.

The first pillar, the Mission Engine, consolidates scheduling, syllabus management, and safety validations into an AI-assisted interface built for high-volume flying operations.

Second, forward-looking intelligence uses predictive modeling to help leadership forecast training pipelines and upgrade timelines months in advance.

Third, seamless integration ensures historical records migrate smoothly, preserving vital training histories.

Finally, ARES provides tactical resiliency; engineered to strict security standards on a Zero Trust architecture, the system is designed to keep mission-essential scheduling online even in contested and degraded environments.

To ensure the platform continuously evolves, joint teams from Kessel Run and VivSoft will soon launch user research trips to Air Force bases nationwide. By shadowing and interviewing personnel in their daily environments, developers can translate real-world flightline feedback directly into rapid system updates.

With the transition officially underway, Airmen can expect localized rollout schedules, training materials, and unit deployment timelines as ARES prepares to launch across major commands next year.

Kessel Run, the development partner for the ARES program, is a division within the Department of the Air Force’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management (PAE C3BM). C3BM is responsible for managing the DAF Battle Network, the integrated system-of-systems connecting sensor, effector, and logistics systems, enabling better situational awareness, faster operational decisions, and decisive direction to the force.