<p>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.</p> <p>The deal is part of the USAF SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I program, Constellation <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/constellation-tackles-big-data-and-blockchain-with-the-us-air-force-300907244.html">announced</a> Tuesday, adding that it will provide solutions around interoperability to unlock data securely.</p> <p>"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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Earlier this week, the USAF <a href="https://www.newswire.com/news/simba-chain-chosen-for-air-force-supply-chain-security-20979563">also partnered</a> 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.</p>