Leesburg, VA – August 11, 2025 — Mosaic ATM, Inc. is proud to announce its selection for a U.S. Navy Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract award to develop the Data Aggregation and Relay Tool (DART)—a powerful new capability designed to integrate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) data into the AEGIS Combat System (ACS). This effort supports the Navy’s broader push toward achieving a unified operational picture by seamlessly incorporating unmanned platforms into surface warfare operations.
Bridging the Gap Between UAS and Combat Systems
Modern naval operations increasingly rely on UAS for real-time surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical decision-making. However, existing limitations in communication standards and integration protocols make it challenging to incorporate data from advanced UAS platforms, like Shield AI’s V-BAT, into the Navy’s flagship AEGIS Combat System. DART aims to change that.
DART will function as a unified communication gateway that automatically ingests UAS payload data, performs real-time prioritization and message translation, and enables integration into the ACS architecture. It builds upon Mosaic’s ongoing NAVSEA Phase II SBIR work on Real-Time Simulation Agent (RTS)—a modular AI/ML-based simulation tool for real-time modeling and track fusion within ACS.
A Scalable, Future-Ready Solution
The Phase I project focuses on developing a simulation-backed prototype that simulates multiple drone feeds, prioritizes and translates incoming sensor data using Kafka-based pipelines, and fuses tracks to minimize noise and reduce system load on ACS. The architecture includes:
- Kafka-based ingestion and prioritization of sensor data
- Low-latency translation pipelines optimized for mission-critical messaging
- Track fusion using clustering algorithms to create a single composite image from multiple sensors
- Output to ACS, enabling real-time visualization and enhanced decision-making
Mosaic’s DART system not only strengthens tactical awareness at sea but also lays the groundwork for scalable integration of future unmanned platforms.
Strategic Partnerships
“This project represents the natural evolution of our previous work and provides the Navy with a modern, AI-enabled system to extend the range and effectiveness of AEGIS-equipped vessels,” said Dr. Keith Rudd, Principal Investigator for the project. Dr. Rudd will be joined on the project by Dr. Benjamin Magocs, former simulation lead with Raytheon Technologies, and (retired) Navy Captain Jim Gardner, who will serve as subject matter expert for this work.
Mosaic ATM is collaborating with Shield AI, a recognized leader in maritime UAS. With more than 20 deployments supporting the Navy and Marine Corps since 2019, V-BAT is a TRL-9, operationally proven Group 3 UAS. Over the past year, V-BAT has flown more than 200 sorties in GNSS-denied and RF-contested environments in Ukraine, and it has been named to the DoD DIU Blue UAS list. Shield AI will provide payload samples and domain expertise to inform message prioritization strategies and fusion logic.
Looking Ahead
The DART program is aligned with the Navy’s vision for next-generation networking and decision superiority in complex maritime environments. Phase I lays the foundation for a full prototype under Phase II, with the ultimate goal of operational deployment aboard guided missile cruisers and destroyers.
Beyond naval applications, DART also has potential in civil and commercial aviation, emergency response, and smart transportation systems, where integrated UAS communication and data fusion are critical for real-time operations.
