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PACE4ACE automatically reroutes network traffic in contested environments to ensure uninterrupted communications
RTX's (NYSE: RTX) BBN Technologies, with funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory, has demonstrated a self-healing system that provides continuous, secure data flow for combat air support even when underlying networks are jammed, fragmented or unavailable.
The system is designed to operate across a diverse range of military and commercial communication pathways, from satellite links to low-power tactical radios. Using the Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency for Agile Combat Employment (PACE4ACE) architecture, the system automatically selects the best available link and reroutes traffic without operator input.
"For warfighters on the ground and in the cockpit, PACE4ACE helps ensure critical data never disappears, even under jamming," said Dr. Sam Nelson, principal investigator at RTX BBN Technologies. "The network self-heals, so crews can focus on the mission instead of troubleshooting communications."
During the exercise, four geographically dispersed sites remained connected. When any of the high-capacity links were jammed, the system instantly switched to the next viable waveform, maintaining situational awareness and keeping Open Mission Systems and Team Awareness Kit applications synchronized.
PACE4ACE offers advanced capabilities engineered to enhance operational efficiency and reliability, including:
- Resilient, self-healing communications, providing continuity if a link is disrupted.
- Compact, low SWaP architecture, suited for space- and power-constrained systems.
- Multiband support, enabling the use of diverse communication channels.
- Plug-and-play integration, simplifying setup with common mission systems.
- Dynamic, real-time routing, helping maintain performance as conditions change.
The demonstration validates the Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, concept for the U.S. Air Force, showing that dispersed, contested air support units can maintain secure communications across any combination of satellite, radio or low‑power links.
Work on PACE4ACE is being conducted in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Long-range radios used in the test were supplied by the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Florida, while high-frequency support was provided by Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, in Ottawa, Canada.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command under Contract No. FA8750-20-C-0544. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Air Force.
About RTX BBN Technologies
Founded in 1948, RTX BBN Technologies provides advanced technology research and development with a focus on national security priorities. From the ARPANET to the first email, through the first metro network protected by quantum cryptography, BBN consistently transitions advanced research to produce innovative solutions for its customers. BBN takes risks and challenges conventions to create solutions in analytics and machine intelligence, non-kinetic domains, intelligent software and systems, and physical sciences.
About RTX
With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated defense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
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SOURCE RTX
