November 2025
In a month dedicated to honoring our nation’s veterans, we’re also highlighting our support for future generations. Protecting our warfighters means ensuring they have what they need when they need it. Beyond essentials like fuel and power (read about our BUFFALO and Arctic prototypes below), the military should have timely access to the most advanced technology available.
MITRE’s new Transition Maturity Framework aims to streamline the complex defense acquisition process by replacing the traditional, siloed approach with a collaborative, data-driven methodology.
Warfighter solutions, faster: “We’re hacking the complexity of the defense acquisition system so that America’s technologists can actually focus on solving technology problems and getting those capabilities to the warfighter,” Keoki Jackson, MITRE’s senior vice president for national security, recently said on “The Federal Drive,” a Federal News Network podcast.
6-minute read time
DEFENSE & INTELLIGENCE
Optimizing Bulk Fuel Logistics for Warfighter Success
The U.S. military operates more than half a million aircraft, ground vehicles, and watercraft. For scale, fueling this massive fleet costs the Pentagon roughly $10 billion annually. U.S. Transportation Command, which handles logistics for the mighty task, tapped MITRE to prototype a decision-support tool to help planners determine how much fuel is needed, how to get it where it needs to go, and how to adapt in dynamic and sometimes contested environments.
If/then scenarios: The Bulk Fuel Flow Optimization prototype, known as BUFFALO, uses customized, high-fidelity mathematical models to account for all relevant factors, from supply and demand to tanker availability to port depth. It also enables a range of “what-if” situations to analyze the impact of changing circumstances.
PIN DROP
Innovating Energy and Power Solutions for U.S. Arctic Missions
At the top of the world, where temperatures regularly reach 60 degrees below zero, both human and technological systems face numerous operational obstacles. MITRE partnered with industry and the U.S. military to develop four key cutting-edge solutions aimed to enhance energy efficiency, reduce fuel resupply risks, and provide reliable power for vehicles, base camps, and military personnel.
Why it matters: “As our nation’s adversaries advance at an unprecedented pace in competing for energy resources, we need to stay ahead of them,” says Ariel Castillo, MITRE’s chief engineer for advanced energy.
Bottom line: Military operations in the Arctic are crucial for protecting national security, asserting U.S. sovereignty, securing resources, and maintaining strategic readiness.
EXTRA, EXTRA
Advancing U.S. Interests with NVIDIA Partnership
From stronger telecom to more precise weather forecasting, we’re collaborating with chipmaker NVIDIA to harness AI for the good of our nation. Last month, we led three sessions at NVIDIA’s GTC conference in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate the aforementioned efforts.
Next-generation wireless networks: Together with NVIDIA, Cerberus ODC, and Cisco, MITRE developed the first U.S.-based AI-native 5G/6G network architecture slated to deliver groundbreaking improvements in spectrum agility, performance, and efficiency.
CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
Happy 250th Birthday to the Army, Marines, and Navy!
Rooted in a tradition spanning 250 years, the Army, Marines, and Navy have shown unwavering dedication to safeguarding our nation. The thousands of veterans who work at MITRE uphold that shared mission every day. This Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Month, we proudly honor and celebrate our active duty and retired servicemembers. Check out these videos of our people honoring the services’ 250th birthdays (Army, Marines, and Navy).