The Future of Defense Collaboration

September 25, 2025

Uncategorized

Key Takeaways:

Warfighters need real-time data delivery, which is why secure collaboration and ChatOps are mission-critical for defense organizations
JADC2 requires secure, interoperable systems that break down silos for faster decisions
AI and mobile are the future of defense collaboration, enabling rapid insights and empowering warfighters at the tactical edge

For decades, defense and intelligence agencies used email to share information and coordinate missions. But as operations grow more complex and data volumes continue to skyrocket, email simply can’t keep pace with the demands of modern missions.

To explore what the future of defense collaboration looks like, former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Operative AJ Nash recently sat down with Mattermost VP of Public Sector Matthew Heideman for a conversation that touched on everything from ChatOps and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) to AI and the critical role mobile plays in empowering Warfighters on the tactical edge.

From Chat to ChatOps

When most people think of collaboration, the first thing that comes to mind is “chat.” But in defense, collaboration goes far beyond simple messaging; the DoD often uses the term ChatOps to describe a much broader capability.

“They’re adding that collaboration piece and how it connects to operations,” Heideman says. “Unpacking ChatOps is a big thing. The chat piece is 10% of what you see. It’s really the ability to bring in all the data and get the human the information they need when they need it.”

In other words, the chat interface is just the tip of the iceberg. The real power lies behind the screen — the ability to pull information from countless systems, aggregate it, and deliver it to the right people at the right time.

In the real world, ChatOps can be transformative. For example, by using Mattermost for secure collaboration, the U.S. Air Force improved mission information availability by 4x.

“We’re more than a chat tool,” Heideman explains. “We’re more of a command-and-control, process automation type of tool.”

Driving Change through JADC2

One of the biggest forces impacting collaboration in defense is JADC2, which aims to integrate data from disparate systems across all branches of the military and allied agencies to give warfighters a complete picture of the battlefield.

“Everything is spread out,” Heideman says. “It’s kind of like, ‘Where do I look for the information when I need it?’ These systems aren’t connected. Search isn’t centralized.”

JADC2 seeks to change this reality by connecting systems and standardizing data to enable faster, more informed decisions. The right collaboration solution can play a vital role here, serving as the connective tissue between cyber defense tools, logistics systems, legacy platforms, and government-of-the-shelf (GOTS) solutions.

Open vs. Closed Systems

Traditionally, closed systems have dominated defense. There are benefits to such systems; Heideman illustrated the point by explaining how F22s are designed to communicate with other F22s. But the tradeoff is that they cannot communicate with other systems.

“If an F22 has a comms system that can only communicate with another F22, you’ve locked it down to that specific type of aircraft,” he says. “However, if you have an F22 and an F16 on the same flight, good luck trying to communicate with each other.”

While closed-source solutions might be perfectly suitable for radar and satellite systems, Heideman sees defense and intelligence agencies increasingly leveraging open source to accelerate innovation.

“If you’re looking at closed systems, it’s hard to innovate fast,” Heideman continues. “The stuff that SpaceX has been able to do in the space industry in just a very short period of time has surpassed the last 40, 50 years of the space program.”

According to Heideman, defense collaboration tools need to strike the perfect balance between strict security capabilities and the openness that is necessary for innovation and interoperability.

The AI advantage

One of the biggest challenges in collaboration today is the sheer volume of information that needs to be processed. There are thousands of channels to monitor, along with endless streams of information.

“Intel people are never going to give up a source of data; they want it all,” he says. “But the question is how long does it take to process.”

This is where artificial intelligence can make a major impact. By processing reams of information rapidly and surfacing the most relevant insights, AI-enabled collaboration tools can help warfighters find the signal in the noise.

Mobile and the Tactical Edge

The future of defense collaboration will happen at the tactical edge. Warfighters are not carrying laptops across the battlefield; they are using mobile devices.

“The ability to deliver content in a fast and rapid way to a mobile device is going to be absolutely critical,” Heideman says. “We’re putting a lot of effort behind mobile and the ability to do more on the tactical edge on a mobile device.”

Beyond defense, these capabilities are also critical for disaster response, healthcare, and interagency missions — anywhere coordination across departments can save lives.