US Air Force ties up with blockchain startup to secure defense data

The United States Air Force (USAF), the aerial and space warfare service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, has signed a deal with blockchain startup Constellation Network to secure defense data.

The deal is part of the USAF SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I program, Constellation announced Tuesday, adding that it will provide solutions around interoperability to unlock data securely.

"The USAF has a multitude of data sources like drones, planes, and satellites that need to be secured. Clean and consolidated data that can be queried instantly is a big need within the defense apparatus," said Benjamin Diggles, VP of business development at Constellation.

Constellation further said that it will provide "decentralized security" to USAF data pipelines with encryption, as well as create "audit trails and a live overview of the status of any data source." This is important because of the recent attacks on centralized systems like Equifax and Visa, said the startup.

Earlier this week, the USAF also partnered with SIMBA Chain to secure its supply chain using blockchain technology. The startup will mainly help with registration and tracking of additive manufacturing components during their entire lifecycle.