MARCH 2, 2021 -- DAU professor, U.S. Air Force Major Jeff Mueller, held a discussion with Kyle Fox, the chief software engineer for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program, on how large, high-profile programs are using the principles of DevSecOps and Agile methodologies to develop better software, faster.
The U.S. Air Force’s GBSD is the weapon system replacement for the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system (ICBM). GBSD represents the modernization of the ground-based leg of the nuclear triad. Software developers for the military's next intercontinental ballistic missile system immediately began using DevSecOps after the program’s engineering and manufacturing development contract was awarded, giving the program a head start on writing code and streamlining the process. GBSD applications will be integrated onto a technology stack the DoD Platform One team uses to build and implement code in security environments. The program's use of DevSecOps allows the software developers to make any needed updates quickly -- faster than the manual approach that many legacy programs currently use.