BAE Systems leads region's first defense industry plugfest to advance military interoperability

Collaborative event demonstrates the power of open architecture and seamless system integration

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BAE Systems (LON: BA) recently brought government and defense industry experts together to host the Metro Detroit region's first-ever plugfest at its Virtual Proving Ground in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The two-day event put defense systems to the test in a live, synthetic environment, to rapidly move open standards from concept to proof.

The event – which is similar to a hack-a-thon but focused on hardware and software validation – featured seven hardware and software companies from Metro Detroit and across the globe including representatives from the United States government. Together, participants validated interoperability between competing and complimentary systems and advanced the adoption of open systems architecture standards that are reshaping how defense technology is designed and delivered.

"Secure and reliable interoperability is one of the toughest challenges in defense systems development, and this event showed how we move from talking about open standards to proving they work," said Dr. Adarsh Ayyar, director of Technology for BAE Systems' Combat Mission Systems business. "When industry and government test systems side by side, we reduce risk, lower integration costs and move closer to getting capabilities into the hands of the warfighter faster. That's what this event was all about."

By testing these connections directly, industry can uncover integration gaps early, validate performance and build confidence in shared standard before they ever reach the battlefield.

The results carry weight beyond the event. Proving that open systems architecture and interoperability reduce integration costs and technical risk gives the U.S. military and our allies a faster, more affordable path to fielding new capabilities. By creating a space where partners can collaborate, compete and validate in real time, BAE Systems remains committed to investing in opportunities to accelerate defense technology development.

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Fridenberg, BAE Systems
Mobile: +1 586 212 7837
[email protected]

www.baesystems.com/en-us
@BAESystemsInc

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SOURCE BAE Systems, Inc.