- The Department of War has launched the Secure Space Network initiative
- Mobile SCIFs will expand regional access to classified workspaces
- The effort supports DOW’s push to strengthen the defense industrial base
The Department of War has launched a new effort designed to expand regional access to accredited secure workspaces to enable more defense suppliers to take part in classified development and collaboration.
What Is the Secure Space Network Designed to Do?
DOW said Thursday the initiative, called the Secure Space Network, aims to design, produce and deploy about 50 mobile Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, or SCIFs, and related information systems across the U.S. to broaden access to classified work.
- Deployment locations: Position the mobile SCIFs at military installations, industry-focused sites such as APEX Accelerators and other mission-relevant locations
- Broader regional access: Extend accredited secure workspace availability to companies that currently lack ready access to classified infrastructure
- Industrial base growth: Support the department’s acquisition transformation goals by helping suppliers move from unclassified engagement into classified development and production
What Is the Scope of the Secure Space Network?
The effort is led by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment’s Office of Industrial Base Growth, combining rapidly deployable mobile units with fixed facilities to provide lasting secure collaboration capacity.
The department said the initiative will also build repeatable production capacity for the mobile units, giving it a surge-capable path to add accredited secure workspace as requirements grow. The approach is being carried out in coordination with the Space Development Agency and supports the department’s broader acquisition Transformation efforts, which emphasize an iterative approach to reducing risk and speeding up delivery.
What Did DOW Official James Mismash Say About the Secure Space Network?
James Mismash, deputy assistant secretary of war for industrial base growth and director of the Office of Small Business Programs, said the department is working to make it easier for capable companies to contribute to national security missions at every level.
“Industry has identified access to classified environments as a major barrier, and the Secure Space Network directly addresses that challenge by opening the door to classified work for more companies,” Mismash said. “With strong partnership across the agency and support from Congress, this effort will strengthen our supplier base and help deliver the capabilities our warfighters need faster and at greater scale.”
How Does the Effort Align With DOW’s Push to Widen Industry Access?
The Secure Space Network follows a series of other moves from the department’s Office of Industrial Base Growth aimed at broadening supplier participation. In February, the DOW Office of Small Business Programs rolled out LYNX, a digital platform designed to help new entrants, small businesses and nontraditional suppliers assess their readiness and navigate the process of engaging with the department.
DOW has also named senior officials to oversee its six Critical Technology Areas and expanded its Science, Technology and Innovation Board to 33 members, shaping which technologies and innovators the department prioritizes for engagement.
On the infrastructure side, T2S Solutions secured the $600 million CYBERTRON contract covering zero-trust architecture and key management infrastructure development, work tied to the secure IT backbone that mobile SCIFs and related information systems would rely on once deployed.
