Spectral Autonomy

GARA: The Air Force's Avionics Integration Reference Architecture

Part of the Open Architecture Field Guide. All information is derived from unclassified, publicly releasable (Distribution A) sources.

GARA, the Government Reference Architecture for avionics, gives Air Force programs a common way to apply open standards on a platform. It does not define new specifications; it references existing ones, chiefly OMS and FACE, and provides the connective guidance that ties them together. It is owned by AFLCMC's Open Architecture Management Office (OAMO).

What it does

Open standards for avionics already exist. OMS defines a mission-system abstraction layer, FACE defines portable software, and several hardware standards define the boxes. The gap has been how a program applies them together on one aircraft, consistently, across both new and old platforms.

GARA fills that gap. It is a reference for using the existing standards rather than a new standard of its own. It gives a program the touch points between OMS, FACE, and the rest, so that avionics built by different vendors on different platforms end up interoperable.

GARA orchestrates existing standardsGARA is a reference for applying existing open standards on a platform, chiefly OMS and FACE, rather than a new specification. It provides the connective guidance that ties the standards together across new and legacy avionics.GARAreference for applying open standards, not a new specREFERENCESOMSFACEHardware standards
Spectral Autonomy
GARA is a reference for applying existing standards such as OMS and FACE, not a new specification.

Two paths onto the architecture

GARA describes a two-architecture strategy. A new platform can be "born open," designed from the start against the open standards. An older platform can be modernized toward open incrementally, replacing closed elements with compliant ones over time. The same reference covers both, which lets a legacy fleet and a new program move toward the same end state on different schedules.

Where it sits

GARA is one of the Air Force's Government Reference Architectures, alongside A-GRA for autonomy, AMS-GRA for mission systems, and W-GRA for weapons. These are separate architectures owned by different offices.

One point clears up a common confusion. GARA is owned by OAMO. Big Iron, the electronic-warfare architecture, is owned by AFLCMC/WA and was integrated into AMS-GRA, not GARA. The two are frequently grouped together in planning material, but GARA does not contain Big Iron.

The Air Force Government Reference Architecture familyFour separate Government Reference Architectures, each owned by a different Air Force office: A-GRA for autonomy, AMS-GRA for mission systems, GARA for avionics integration, and W-GRA for weapons. They are siblings, not a nested set.GOVERNMENT REFERENCE ARCHITECTURES · U.S. AIR FORCEA-GRAAutonomyAir Force (CCA)AMS-GRAMission systemsAFLCMC/WAGARAAvionics integrationAFLCMC OAMOW-GRAWeaponsAFLCMC ArmamentSiblings owned by different offices, not a nested set.
Spectral Autonomy
GARA is one of four sibling Air Force Government Reference Architectures, owned by different offices.

Where this fits

FAQ

Is GARA a new standard?
No. GARA references and applies existing open standards, chiefly OMS and FACE. It does not define new specifications of its own.
Does GARA contain Big Iron?
No. Big Iron is owned by a different office (AFLCMC/WA) and was integrated into AMS-GRA. GARA is owned by OAMO.
What does 'born open' mean?
A platform designed against the open standards from the start, as opposed to a legacy platform modernized toward them over time.

Sources