Agile Mission Suite Government Reference Architecture (AMS GRA)
The Agile Mission Suite Government Reference Architecture (AMS GRA) is the premier government-led architecture for next-generation mission systems. It provides the design guidance to ensure that mission suites are truly modular, vendor-agnostic, and rapidly upgradable.
By defining clear, high-speed interfaces between hardware and software, AMS GRA enables the “App Store” model for mission—allowing for rapid fielding of novel capabilities at the speed of software.
Open Mission Systems (OMS) example training software is avilable, (see Ghost Detector). AMS GRA example software will be avilable late May 2026.
Evolution of Mission Systems
Modern mission systems are evolving from hardware-defined, software-enabled architectures to software-defined, hardware-enabled ecosystems. By decoupling software from hardware, we empower programs to inject new capabilities without waiting for intensive hardware refresh cycles.
Strategic Architectural Philosophy
Just as smartphones leverage standard API abstraction layers to sustain a vibrant application ecosystem, we adapt that same philosophy to military standards. This open pipeline allows commercial and non-traditional vendors to seamlessly deliver innovative solutions into previously closed weapon systems.
- Standardize hardware interfaces natively
- Define message formats centrally
- Enable plug-and-play integration routinely
Historical Standards
AMS GRA was built upon the foundations of several precursor standards that have now been incorporated into the core architecture.
Open Mission Systems
The Open Mission Systems (OMS) standard unlocks mission-level interoperability. It creates a standard abstraction layer to enable the integration of modular components—called Units of Replaceability (UoRs)—such as hardware subsystems and software services into mission packages.
The OMS Definition & Documentation (D&D) is available on our GitLab and GitHub sites.
Big Iron
Big Iron (BI) provides a high-performance software framework for electromagnetic spectrum operations. It provides the modern software framework needed for advanced signal processing and real-time algorithm execution.
Big Iron 4.0 was the last release of the Big Iron framework. That version was incorporated into and superseded by AMS GRA.