Executive Airlift’s (EA) Communications Industry Day will be hosted by Air Mobility Command Communications and Requirements Divisions at Joint Base Andrews SMART Center, JBA, MD, 28 October 2026. The primary objective for this year’s Executive Airlift Communications Industry Day is dedicated to enhancing the Air Force's global connectivity and command-and-control (C2) capabilities, highlighting the vital role of Senior Leader Communications. Senior Leader Communications provide critical services to enable high-consequence executive transport and airborne decision-making. These teams are comprised of multiple Air Force disciplines and specialties that must operate effectively in a range of situations to include contested, jammed, or highly compromised electromagnetic spectrum environments. Executive Airlift requires equipment that enhances the passenger’s ability to accelerate secure data dissemination, operate critical communications architecture in degraded and denied environments, conduct complex real-time mission coordination, streamline airborne system integration and hardware modifications, and numerous other critical functions, while delivering comfortable and safe passenger travel. Areas of Opportunity for Executive Airlift Communications 1. Mission Communication Systems (MCS) Executive airlift platforms require resilient, high-bandwidth, and secure communications globally to support senior leader command and control. These platforms often operate using single-threaded, geographically limited, and easily contested communication pathways. An opportunity exists in providing a multi-layered, redundant communications architecture that ensures connectivity in contested environments, polar regions, and during dynamic platform maneuvers. A critical need exists for a hybrid, multi-orbit SATCOM solution integrated with protected tactical waveforms, resilient backup systems, and a unified user interface to deliver seamless, secure, and globally available data, voice, and video across the fleet. 2. Travel Team Communication Technology Advance teams supporting executive airlift missions must establish secure, high-bandwidth command posts in unpredictable foreign environments, often with compromised or non-existent local infrastructure. A capability gap exists in the ability to rapidly deploy a self-contained, secure, and non-attributable communications suite for traveling teams. Current equipment is often heavy, slow to deploy, and reliant on local infrastructure, which exposes teams to surveillance and cyber threats. A critical need exists for a portable, "flyaway" kit that leverages multi-path backhaul (LEO-SATCOM, 5G), provides local secure networking through mobile ad-hoc radios, and applies a Zero-Trust security model to protect government devices from untrusted networks. 3. Small Aircraft-Specific MCS Executive Airlift is seeking innovative industry concepts to maximize communication performance and operational efficiency on smaller, specialized executive airlift platforms, such as Gulfstream-class airframes. These aircraft operate under unique physical limits, presenting a prime opportunity to field next-generation, high-performance hardware and architectures that deliver robust, high-bandwidth capability without the bulk of traditional systems. We invite industry partners to showcase creative, low-impact designs that optimize onboard space and power, reduce external drag, and simplify complex cabin wiring. We are highly interested in scalable, integrated solutions that consolidate multiple network functions, streamline physical footprints, and improve aircraft range, ultimately enabling these vital platforms to match the robust, secure connectivity typically reserved for much larger aircraft. 4. Zero-Trust MCS Upgrades The Department of War is seeking innovative concepts from industry to help transition our airborne Mission Communication Systems from legacy, perimeter-based security models toward a more resilient, zero-trust compliant, modern architecture. As the digital landscape evolves, we see a powerful opportunity to implement advanced, adaptive protection mechanisms that secure onboard networks against sophisticated threats without introducing friction for the user. We invite industry partners to present novel approaches and technologies capable of continuously verifying network integrity, isolating sensitive systems, and detecting anomalous activity in real-time. We are highly interested in flexible, scalable security designs that can operate effectively in constrained or disconnected airborne environments, ultimately ensuring senior leaders can communicate with absolute confidence in the privacy and resilience of their systems. 5. DV & Passenger Experience For senior leaders on executive airlift missions, the ability to communicate reliably and intuitively is mission-critical, time in transit is a vital extension of their command center, presenting a premier opportunity to transform the cabin environment by delivering a seamless, intuitive, and high-performance communication experience that completely eliminates technical friction. The passenger experience is a premier opportunity always striving toward integrating simplified, single-button secure voice and video dialing alongside intelligent, adaptive bandwidth management to dynamically guarantee crystal-clear quality for critical executive communications during all phases of flight. Ultimately, modernizing these touchpoints shifts the passenger focus entirely away from managing the technology, ensuring senior leaders remain fully engaged, productive, and confidently focused on the mission. Please use link to register for attendance: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/fXpSPfc3DC
