TIPping Point: AFRL GCP—Defying the Valley of Death
You’ve probably heard of the “valley of death” in technology development—that frustrating gap where promising prototypes go to die before they’ve reached their full potential. This is a challenge for any new technology, but it’s especially tough for software in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
Why? Because traditional DAF processes are geared toward hardware, not the digital tools our Airmen and Guardians need. This leaves software developers struggling to navigate scaling limitations, stringent security requirements, integration challenges, and lack of long-term support options.
But there’s good news! Dr. Dan Berrigan is tackling this challenge with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Google Cloud Pilot (GCP). Think of GCP as a test kitchen for new software recipes. It’s an environment that aims to provide:
- Secure and Scalable Testing Ground: Developers can test and improve their software in GCP to ensure it’s ready for DAF systems and large-scale use.
- Clear, Standardized Processes: No more guessing games! GCP establishes a standard approach for development, cybersecurity compliance, and seamless integration across DAF systems.
- A Path to Long-Term Support: This initiative helps developers plan for deployment in government environments and highlights the contracting approaches needed to guarantee ongoing support and updates.
This is a game-changer and provides critical test infrastructure for DAF software development, just like the rocket test stands AFRL provides for its industry partners to test rocket prototypes. But this is still a work of transformation in progress. Dr. Berrigan and his team are establishing the standard processes and resources described above, with the help of small business partners who are helping AFRL shape this crucial enabler for DAF digital innovation. It will be exciting to see GCP help software projects vault over the “valley of death” and into the hands of Airmen and Guardians who need them!
Many thanks to Dr. Dan Berrigan, Google Cloud Pilot Lead, who provided the information for this story.
This article was approved for public release; please reference case AFMC-2025-0018.
