STITCHES is a toolchain for efficiently integrating existing and new systems together without requiring them to have a common design (or even a common API). STITCHES allows the differential semantics between interfaces to be defined in a graph (the Field and Transform Graph, FTG) and then uses modern compilation techniques to auto-generate efficient and secure executable binaries. STITCHES has been used to integrate over 73 unique DoD subsystems across 25+ industry and government organizations, many producing demo capabilities in 1-2 weeks with subsystems that had never previously interacted. Originally funded by DARPA, STITCHES became an Air Force Program of Record in 2022 and is referenced in section 804 of the 2021 NDAA.

Controller-Oriented Programming (COP) is a new programming language paradigm build around two core concepts: 1) partitions, which capture sets of implementation options that are extensionally rather than intentionally equivalent, and 2) controllers, which dynamically select among these options and manage side effects and other couplings to enable systems to act like they are decoupled. Together, partitions and controllers allow programmers to avoid making premature choices, while preserving both implementation flexibility and runtime performance. Apogee is both developing new programming languages built around COP (e.g. SymLang) and applying these ideas to solve operationally relevant problems for the DoD.

Current approaches to tracking moving targets fail to meet the needs of the DoD’s future missions for two main reasons. First, they force all targets to be tracked in a common basis; this was fine when trackers were tuned to a single type of sensor data, but future missions require fusing data from hundreds of sources for which no efficient, common basis exists (e.g., lines of bearing that only give angle information with no range cannot be blindly treated as radar measurements that provide range and angle). Second, current approaches require significant manual tuning to handle environmental changes, which is prohibitively expensive in the current age of rapidly changing missions with unpredictable nation state adversaries. Apogee is developing a new approach to tracking that uses run-time controllers to dynamically change which tracking algorithms are used for different targets based on the data available for each target over time. This enables efficient performance across a wide range of configurations and environments without manual tuning. Apogee is simultaneously developing this capability from the ground up and demonstrating performance improvement through modification of existing state-of-the-art trackers in partnership with other industry and Government partners.

Wireless networks routinely fail to provide sufficient bandwidth to allow all data to be distributed everywhere; this limitation is even worse for the DoD, which fields networks that involve legacy systems and that operate in contested environments. Traditional approaches to dealing with these challenges either focus on hardware upgrades (expensive and time consuming) or static messaging frameworks that constrain what data can be sent (lack of flexibility). Apogee is developing a different approach that dynamically tailors what, where, and how data is sent to efficiently satisfy the current mission needs. For example, the data routing controllers might switch from sending regular updates on all tracks to interleaving rapid updates on a small number of critical tracks (in support of a strike mission) with less frequent updates on other tracks (in support of maintaining general situational awareness), using tailored compression techniques to preserve the necessary track quality at the receivers despite the slower rate. The heart of this work marries detailed understanding of the military’s networking protocols and platforms with novel, domain specific data compression techniques and control theory to create improvements in efficiency and flexibility without any hardware changes. Not just theoretical, this work is being demonstrated on multi-domain networks, involving airplanes, satellites, ground nodes, and more.

DoD systems typically tightly couple hardware and software implementations, creating performant but inflexible systems. Requirements for faster adaptation are driving the need for greater flexibility, requiring new approaches to how capabilities are developed. Riffing off work done in the cyber domain on ROP gadgets, Apogee is developing a new approach that decomposes software into gadgets that can then be recomposed for different higher-level capabilities. This work has applications across a number of domains and involves the development of both custom compilers and Domain Specific Languages (DSLs), as well as integration with real hardware to prove out the benefits of this approach in live demos.

Apogee develops a variety of adaptive networking technologies for various DoD applications. A key focus for Apogee is using runtime controllers and STITCHES to integrate systems across heterogeneous IP and non-IP battlefield networks. For instance, Apogee is partnering with BAE Systems on DARPA’s MINC program to create a next-generation secure, adaptable, mission-integrated network to sustain communications in challenging environments. Apogee also works on more traditional networks; for example, under the XD3 DARPA program, Apogee developed firewall technology for defending against algorithmic and volumetric Denial-of-Service attacks (learn more here).

Apogee Research works with members of the 350^th Spectrum Warfare Wing and others to demonstrate how STITCHES allows the Air Force to create new EW capabilities using existing systems without needing to change each system’s original design. In 2022, this works was demonstrated as part of a flight verification test at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Learn more here.

Apogee integrates systems as part of cross-service events, including ones that involve international partners. Examples include the AI Battle labs in INDOPACOM and EUCOM, ABMS On-Ramp Demonstration and the BRAVO hackathon series.

Under DARPA’s Oversight program, Apogee is using STITCHES and COP to manage available space domain resources to enable constant custody to maintain tracking of targets of interest for tactical missions.