Support for "Project Maven" follow-on and the JAIC, U.S. defense AI core: ~$5.94M (Johns Hopkins APL) (USAspending)
A ~$5.94 million ($5,942,953) contract to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) for follow-on support to the Department of Defense's "Maven" image-analysis AI project and the then-central DoD AI organization, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). It involves core programs of U.S. defense AI.
Contract key facts
- RecipientTHE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC
- Contract value$5,942,953 (≈$5.9M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDefense Contract Management Agency
- Award typeDELIVERY ORDER
- Period of performance2020-03-10 〜 2022-03-09
- Contract ID (PIID)N0002420F8032
Contract scope (original)
MAVEN FOLLOW ON AND JOINT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER
Key points
- Support for the DoD AI core "Maven follow-on" and the central AI organization "JAIC"
- Recipient Johns Hopkins APL (a university-affiliated research center / UARC), ~$5.94M, 2020–2022
- Project Maven = a DoD AI project analyzing imagery with computer vision
- JAIC = the central org leading DoD-wide AI adoption (later consolidated into the CDAO)
- The scope gives only program names; contract-specific work is not inferred
Project Maven (formally the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team) is widely known as a flagship DoD AI project that uses computer vision (AI) to analyze large volumes of imagery captured by drones and other sensors. The JAIC (Joint Artificial Intelligence Center) was the central organization established to lead AI adoption across the DoD, later consolidated into the CDAO (Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office). The recipient, JHU APL, is a university-affiliated research center (UARC) that performs U.S. government and defense research.
The contract appears to support these core U.S. defense AI efforts, but the scope gives only the program names and does not state specific work. General, public facts about Maven and the JAIC are provided as context, but no contract-specific functions are inferred (refer to primary sources).
Why it matters
A case where a university research center supports emblematic U.S. defense AI programs (Maven, JAIC). For those tracking defense AI organization (JAIC→CDAO) and the military application of computer vision, a useful read on the overall shape of U.S. efforts.
FAQ
What is Project Maven?
What is the JAIC?
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：N0002420F8032