Blog by Jeff Bott, Pace Lab
As a foundational element of the Department of War’s modular open systems approach (MOSA) strategy, the FACE® Technical Standard continues to reshape how software capabilities are acquired, integrated, and sustained. Through a vendor-neutral, standards-based approach, the FACE Approach facilitates:
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Faster delivery of warfighter capabilities
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Reduced integration and lifecycle costs
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Greater software portability and reuse
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Strengthened industrial competition
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Interoperability across platforms and services
Open standards are a key enabler of MOSA (a combat capability), with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard as a primary software implementation of MOSA.
In 2026, we are witnessing the defense acquisition environment undergoing a fundamental shift toward greater speed, adaptability, and affordability. Central to this transformation is MOSA, both a technical and business strategy specifically designed to accelerate the delivery of mission capabilities to the warfighter while reducing lifecycle costs and reliance on single-vendor solutions.
Why MOSA Matters to the Department of War (DOW)
MOSA enables the DOW to field, upgrade, and sustain systems more rapidly by decoupling hardware and software components, fostering competition, and improving long-term affordability.
“Fully implementing MOSA into acquisition strategies for all programs is paramount for promoting interoperability, competition, technology insertion, performance improvements, and overall reducing life cycle costs. Properly implemented, MOSA enables cost-effective and responsive modernization and sustainment of weapons systems, and allows for more competition throughout the programmatic lifecycle, avoiding vendor lock.” (Acquisition Transformation Strategy – Nov 2025)
Key MOSA Enabler
The FACE Technical Standard provides a layered reference architecture and a set of standardized interfaces which enable the reuse of capability-based software components across different hardware computing environments, across various platforms and industries thus enabling true software portability.
At the core of the FACE Technical Standard is a reference architecture divided into five distinct segments ensuring mission software is never hard coded to specific hardware or operating systems. They are:
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Operating System Segment (OSS): Standardized operating system services
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I/O Services Segment (IOSS): Normalizes hardware driver interfaces
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Platform-Specific Services Segment (PSSS): Platform-unique functionality
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Transport Services Segment (TSS): Standardized data movement between modules
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Portable Components Segment (PCS): Mission applications designed for reuse across aircraft and platforms.
The FACE Technical Standard further supports MOSA by being a "standard of standards," incorporating established open protocols to ensure the interfaces are not proprietary to a single vendor.
A critical differentiator of the FACE Technical Standard is the Universal Domain Description Language (Open UDDL), a technical standard for a formal data modeling language used to define, document, and exchange data in a clear, unambiguous way. A Shared Data Model provides consistent interpretation of data—such as altitude, position, or target coordinates—across all modules. By formally defining data semantics in a machine-readable format, the FACE Technical Standard enables seamless reuse throughout the system lifecycle.
Certification, Business Alignment and Long-Term Value
MOSA is truly effective when the modularity and openness of a system can be verified. The Open Group FACE Consortium has an established and mature Conformance Program providing measurable assurance of software portability and interoperability.
From a business perspective, the FACE Technical Standard aligns with a MOSA objective of intellectual property (IP) management. Because the interfaces are open and standardized, the government does not need to own the proprietary source code inside a module. They only need to know the interface which allows for the integration of new modules by third parties.
A Foundation for Modern Defense Systems
Beyond the technical standards, the FACE Approach includes a broad set of support guides, tools, and a reference implementation to speed integration and adoption. The supporting documents convey beneficial guidance and insights for managers, engineers, and acquisition professionals. By providing a scalable and repeatable framework for software modernization, the FACE Technical Standard is a clear, successful path forward for building adaptable, affordable, and future-ready defense systems.
