Secure software experimentation
COLOSSEUM
Test commercial software with mission-relevant data—before the ATO catch-22 stops progress.
COLOSSEUM (COLlaborative Laboratory for Operational Showcasing and Experimentation of Urgent Missions)—a CMMC Level 2 secure enclave for evaluating commercial software with CUI data under controlled, mission-relevant conditions.
Secure software experimentation
COLOSSEUM
Test commercial software with mission-relevant data—before the ATO catch-22 stops progress.
COLOSSEUM (COLlaborative Laboratory for Operational Showcasing and Experimentation of Urgent Missions)—a CMMC Level 2 secure enclave for evaluating commercial software with CUI data under controlled, mission-relevant conditions.
The recurring barrier
Software cannot earn mission confidence without being tested under real conditions against real platform data.
Many commercial applications can perform in a demonstration environment. Far fewer have been evaluated using representative workflows, mission-relevant data, and the security controls required to interoperate with military networks.
01
Evidence is required
The software needs credible evidence to justify adoption and procurement.
02
Evidence requires access
Credible evaluation depends on protected environments, data, and representative workflows.
03
Access requires maturity
That access is difficult to obtain before the software has demonstrated sufficient maturity.
COLOSSEUM was built to break that cycle.
The capability
A secure environment for mission-relevant software experimentation.
COLOSSEUM allows mission sponsors, requirements owners, technical teams, and commercial vendors to evaluate software in a secure, controlled environment against a full spectrum of data—from open source to controlled operational-system data.
COLOSSEUM does not replace the software authorization process. It reduces the risk of applying for authorization after mission validation is secured.
Controlled operational-system data
Controlled operational-system data
Visualize range and controlled access—not a claim that every data type is available for every engagement.
01
Test with greater realism
Evaluate applications using representative data, workflows, interfaces, and mission conditions.
02
Find problems earlier
Identify cybersecurity, integration, usability, performance, and data-handling issues earlier.
03
Generate decision-quality evidence
Give sponsors a clearer basis for deciding whether—and how—to advance a capability.
04
Reduce risk before fielding
Resolve critical unknowns before larger integration, authorization, or acquisition efforts.
How an engagement works
From mission question to decision evidence.
01
Define the mission question
Define what must be learned—not merely what the vendor wants to demonstrate.
02
Design the experiment
Identify the data, workflows, security controls, performance measures, and scenarios.
03
Prepare the environment
Coordinate the secure environment, participating technologies, interfaces, and plan.
04
Execute and observe
Evaluate the software under controlled, mission-relevant conditions with the sponsor involved.
05
Deliver the evidence
Document performance, limitations, integration risks, and recommended next steps.
Infrastructure
Purpose-built for controlled experimentation.
Available now
Secure cloud enclave
Controlled cloud infrastructure with multi-tenant architecture for independent, simultaneous application evaluation.
Available now
CMMC Level 2 environment
A secure environment for software experimentation involving CUI data.
Coming in 2027
Hybrid high-performance computing
Planned capacity for AI training and development.
Appropriate use cases
What belongs in COLOSSEUM
Capability in action
Evaluating non-traditional software in Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA).
WOSA case study
A repeatable, level playing field for vendor evaluation.
The Air Force Research Laboratory is using COLOSSEUM to identify and evaluate non-traditional software vendors for potential future platform integration.
The mission need
Commercial applications cannot be compared credibly when vendors arrive with different infrastructure, data access, and test conditions.
How COLOSSEUM is being used
COLOSSEUM provides a WOSA-compliant hardware and networking environment for a series of three-day, hackathon-style evaluation events. Each vendor operates in an isolated tenant.
Common environment
The same representative hardware, networking environment, and mission scenario.
Protected execution
Applications remain isolated, protecting proprietary software and information.
Government-defined scoring
A transparent rubric of mission KPIs established by the Government platform lead.
What the engagement produces
Documented performance against government-defined mission KPIs
Technical and integration findings for each application
Evidence for future platform integration consideration
Bring us the software challenge
Do not ask whether the software looks promising. Determine whether it can perform where the mission needs it.
COLOSSEUM helps defense organizations evaluate commercial software with greater realism, security, and technical rigor—before uncertainty becomes execution risk.
