Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - The U.S. Air Force’s journey through the clouds, to the cloud (WPS102)

Summary

Rob Nolan, Chief Technologist for Defense Programs at Amazon, and Jay Bonsi, CTO of the U.S. Air Force, discuss the Air Force's cloud adoption strategy.
The Air Force is leveraging cloud technology for resilience, workforce modernization, security, and IT portfolio management.
The Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) is a key initiative for digitally transforming military operations, ensuring data can be rapidly and reliably shared globally.
The Air Force is the size of a Fortune 10 company in terms of budget and personnel, with about 800,000 users.
Cloud technology is essential for scaling operations, managing data, and supporting AI efforts.
The Air Force has started its cloud journey with intelligence systems and is now focusing on Title 10 space.
Cloud One is the Air Force's enterprise cloud guardrails, providing a framework for cloud adoption and reducing the complexity of cloud migration.
The Cloud-Based Command and Control (CBC2) system is a successful example of a cloud-first initiative that has significantly improved air defense capabilities.
The Air Force is moving from viewing cloud as a cost-saving tool to a platform for resilience, flexibility, and rapid iteration.

The Air Force's approach to cloud adoption can serve as a model for other large organizations, including those in the private sector, especially those with uneven tech baselines due to mergers and acquisitions.
The ABMS program is a testament to the importance of designing architectures that are resilient and can adapt to the unique constraints of military operations.
The Air Force's cloud journey highlights the challenges of balancing legacy systems with modern cloud-based solutions, emphasizing the need for a strategic approach to modernization.
Cloud One demonstrates the value of establishing enterprise cloud guardrails to streamline cloud adoption and ensure compliance with security and operational standards.
The CBC2 system showcases the potential for cloud-first initiatives to rapidly deliver capabilities and drive innovation within the constraints of government operations.
The Air Force's shift in perspective on cloud usage—from cost savings to operational resilience and flexibility—reflects a broader trend in cloud adoption strategies across various industries.