Spectral Autonomy

UCI: A Common Command-and-Control Message Set

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

UCI, the Universal Command and Control Interface, is a government-owned common message set for mission-level command and control. It lets sensors, air vehicles, and C2 systems task and report to each other without a custom interface for every pair. UCI defines message content, not transport, and is maintained by the Air Force through the Open Architecture Collaborative Working Group (OACWG).

What it does

Connect two systems and you write one interface. Connect many, each to each, and the number of custom interfaces grows past the point of maintaining them. Every new sensor or platform then means another round of point-to-point integration.

UCI replaces the point-to-point interfaces with a common message set. It defines the messages a system uses to task a sensor, report an observation, or coordinate with a platform, along with the rules for how those messages are structured and exchanged. A program adopts only the message sets it needs. Two systems that both speak UCI can work together without a bespoke interface between them.

One common UCI message set across systemsSensors, air vehicles, command-and-control systems, and data products all exchange one common UCI message set, rather than a custom point-to-point interface for every pair of systems.SensorAir vehicleC2 systemData productUCIcommon message set
Spectral Autonomy
Systems exchange one common UCI message set instead of a custom point-to-point interface for every pair.

How it connects

UCI defines the message content. It does not define the transport. That separation is deliberate: a program can move UCI messages over whatever transport it chooses without breaking interoperability. In practice, UCI is carried by the OMS abstraction layer and commonly transported over DDS. UCI covers command and control across domains, spanning air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.

The software and interface stackMission software runs on top of the OMS abstraction layer, which carries UCI messages, commonly transported over DDS. FACE governs software portability alongside them, with no content overlap.FACEsoftware portabilityMission softwareUnits of ReplaceabilityOMSmission abstraction layerUCImessage schemaDDSpublish-subscribe transport
Spectral Autonomy
How the software family fits: OMS carries UCI, commonly over DDS, with FACE governing software portability alongside.

Where it sits

UCI is the message layer of the software and interface family. OMS carries it; DDS commonly transports it. Reference architectures build on it directly: AMS-GRA has its sensor services publish their results as UCI messages, which is how a processed detection reaches the rest of the mission system.

Where this fits

FAQ

What domains does UCI span?
Command and control across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace, so cross-domain systems share one message set.
How is UCI different from OMS?
UCI is the message schema. OMS is the abstraction layer and messaging pattern that carries it. They are released and used together.
Is UCI tied to a specific transport?
No. UCI defines message content and is technology-agnostic. It is commonly carried over OMS and DDS, but it does not require a particular transport.
Who owns UCI?
The Air Force, through the Open Architecture Collaborative Working Group (OACWG).

Sources