Authentise, a provider of collaborative manufacturing workflow software, and Kform, an agile engineering and defense-grade manufacturing firm, have launched Project DDNA, the first implementation of a new defense innovation model called Continuous Hardware Ops (CHOPS). Already in deployment with U.S. Department of Defense programs, the system enables engineering teams to compress development timelines, retain context across design cycles, and generate audit-ready, AI-readable outputs by default.
CHOPS replaces conventional siloed and sequential engineering with a continuous, traceable process that spans from concept to delivery. Built on Authentise’s Threads and Flows platforms and Kform’s Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MASS) and Defense Tech Transformation (DTT) infrastructure, DDNA allows decisions, conversations, and assumptions to be captured and embedded within each part’s digital record. The architecture integrates with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), CAD, MES, PLM, and ERP environments, unifying the entire lifecycle through a persistent digital thread.
“We’re not pitching a product,” said Kform CEO Callye Keen. “This is a new category. It connects engineering, manufacturing, and quality assurance in real time. It’s what lets small teams move fast, scaled up for the biggest problems in defense.”
Project DDNA has already supported two high-complexity DoD programs. In one case, Authentise served as prime contractor for the design and production of aerodynamic blades for the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC), the world’s largest wind tunnel. The team coordinated more than 50 subcontractors and Air Force personnel using its Threads platform, capturing over 100 conversations and 140 documents. Data collected during the project was processed by large language models to identify six areas of technical risk, including three that had not been previously considered.
A second deployment led by Kform involved the rapid development of a secure retransmission wearable system. Working across disciplines—including systems, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering—the team drafted requirements from user stories, validated them through live demonstrations, and iterated from additive to precision processes. The full field-ready prototype was delivered in seven weeks. The design and production information required to scale the system was simultaneously generated, reducing total cycle time to approximately 25% of typical development efforts.
The CHOPS framework was developed to address chronic inefficiencies in defense engineering, including delayed accountability, lack of visibility, and fragmented communication between teams. Reverse engineering often requires starting from scratch due to the absence of decision history. DDNA eliminates this friction by embedding persistent context at every stage of execution. All decisions and tradeoffs are linked to artifacts inside Fusion Manage and Authentise’s systems, creating a durable, machine-readable record.
According to Authentise CEO Andre Wegner, the platform emerged from years of observing repeated inefficiencies in reverse engineering work. “Every project starts from zero because none of the prior decisions—why that material, that geometry, that process—are ever captured,” Wegner said. “DDNA changes that. It builds context into the process, so we stop relearning what we already knew.”
Authentise’s Flows and MES tools operate as the system’s execution backbone, synchronizing with platforms such as Autodesk Fusion Manage and NetSuite to ensure real-time tracking of requirements, progress, and quality status. Through API-level integrations, teams gain immediate visibility into material genealogy, manufacturing stages, and revision histories without relying on milestone-based reporting cycles.
Kform’s MASS platform provides on-demand engineering and build support for rapid design-test-manufacture experimentation, while its DTT program transitions defense-focused prototypes from TRL 6+ through low-rate initial production. Together, these systems allow DDNA to support scalable, mission-ready hardware while preserving engineering intent and compliance throughout the product lifecycle.
The system also addresses specific concerns raised by acquisition officers and program managers. For instance, when production quantities are uncertain, DDNA enables transparent technical data packages that allow seamless scaling without redesign. Evolving requirements can be accommodated through iterative prototyping and feedback loops without renegotiating fixed contracts. The system’s persistent digital thread also ensures that five years after initial delivery, a new team or vendor can resume development with full access to historical context, manufacturing parameters, and tooling data. Onboarding time is reduced due to standardized, machine-readable outputs designed for continuity across teams and suppliers.
These structural features position DDNA for long-term strategic advantage. By capturing every decision and revision in context, the system enables smarter re-engineering, reduces onboarding times for new personnel, and ensures that operational knowledge is preserved across contract cycles. Rather than tracking only documents or parts, DDNA tracks engineering rationale—allowing teams to understand not just what was built, but why.
The platform also lays the foundation for AI-assisted operations. Structured data collected during each phase of development allows for predictive cost modeling, risk assessments, and performance simulations. In the NFAC wind tunnel program, for example, Threads was used to extract key risk factors from conversation logs and design inputs using large language models. This resulted in a risk profile that included three issues not previously flagged by manual review.
Authentise, founded in 2012 at Singularity University, originally focused on additive manufacturing traceability and now delivers workflow systems to companies including Eaton, 3M, and Ricoh. Kform specializes in rapid engineering for defense technology transitions, supporting clients through design, prototype validation, and scalable production handoffs.
Together, the two companies are now engaging with early adopters across the U.S. defense ecosystem. They aim to support a new generation of hardware programs built around speed, transparency, and persistent readiness. Their combined infrastructure not only shortens delivery timelines but also ensures that critical design intelligence is retained for future use.
Project DDNA is now live and available to select defense partners. Additional details, including the full whitepaper and case studies, are available on Authentise’s website. A dedicated Startup Defense Podcast episode, hosted by Kform, will be released on July 30 to provide further insight into the platform’s capabilities and applications.
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Featured image shows Diagram of the DDNA platform’s digital thread and flow system. Image via Authentise/Kform.
