US Army’s New Unified Data Architecture Implementation Already Underway

The U.S. Army’s efforts to implement its Unified Data Reference Architecture (UDRA) are already underway, according to Jen Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software.

The Army has successfully accomplished various initial tasks associated with the implementation plan of UDRA, Swanson revealed while speaking at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) Army IT Day event, last week.

The implementation process is now well beyond the halfway point and a 100-day plan is in progress to pinpoint the specific programs that will initiate the implementation of the architecture. 

“It’s going to build that infrastructure that is the plug and play for data and allow us to expose all of our data that is largely locked in systems now. We will be able to view and use data as a product, and exchange that data seamlessly across all our programs,” Swanson reportedly said.

The new data architecture will empower the Army to manage and utilize its extensive data resources with effectiveness and efficiency. It is anticipated to consolidate principles and plans related to data mesh and fabric.

At the event, Swanson also revealed that the Army will soon launch an innovation exchange lab next month.

Moreover, the Army has for long talked about simplifying its IT networks, and significant progress has been made in this regard. Just over a year ago, the service's IT portfolio comprised 42 distinct organizational networks. However, this has been streamlined to 14, with the overarching objective being the consolidation into a single, larger Army network by the year 2027.

In 2024, the Army will focus on consolidating the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the Army Materiel Command’s IT networks, according to media reports.

Last year, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George emphasized that the consolidation of the network stands as the Army's foremost modernization priority.