Unstructured has been awarded a $1 million contract by the Department of the Air Force (DAF) Digital Transformation Office (DTO) to build a scalable, vendor-agnostic data layer for generative AI at the tactical edge. The project aims to establish a secure, high-performance foundation that enables the U.S. Air Force to deploy generative AI applications—such as those used in operational planning, mission support, and decision-making—while ensuring full data ownership and control. The solution will focus on organizing and managing unstructured data, a critical challenge for military AI systems that must process vast amounts of text, images, and sensor data across diverse platforms and environments. By creating a unified data layer, Unstructured will help the DAF streamline data access, improve model accuracy, and reduce latency in time-sensitive operations. The contract underscores the growing emphasis within the U.S. military on leveraging generative AI responsibly and securely, especially in high-stakes, low-latency tactical scenarios. The system will be designed to work across multiple cloud environments and on-premises infrastructure, ensuring flexibility and interoperability across existing Air Force systems. Unstructured’s platform is built to handle complex data workflows, including ingestion, preprocessing, indexing, and retrieval, all while maintaining compliance with strict security and privacy standards. The company’s approach prioritizes data sovereignty, allowing the Air Force to retain full control over its information without relying on third-party data storage or processing. The project is part of a broader effort by the DAF DTO to modernize data infrastructure and accelerate AI adoption across the service. By investing in foundational data capabilities, the Air Force aims to empower warfighters with faster, more reliable AI tools that enhance situational awareness and decision-making in real time. The work will be conducted in collaboration with key stakeholders across the Air Force, with initial deliverables expected within the next 12 months. Unstructured’s success in this initiative could serve as a model for other defense agencies seeking to deploy generative AI at scale while maintaining security, compliance, and operational control.