COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors, Project Manager, Intelligence Systems & Analytics
TITLE: Product lead for Project Linchpin, Sensors Artificial Intelligence
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 11
MILITARY OR CIVILIAN: Civilian
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 4
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Practitioner in engineering
EDUCATION: B.S. in computer science, Rutgers University; Graduate certificate in systems engineering, Johns Hopkins
AWARDS: Civilian Service Achievement Medal (2021)

Bharat C. Patel

by Holly DeCarlo-White

A commonality across the Army Acquisition Workforce is that one’s greatest satisfaction is knowing that the work they do directly supports the warfighter. And so is true for Bharat C. Patel.

Patel is responsible for Project Linchpin, the first Army program of record focused on delivering trusted artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities. He is the product lead for Project Linchpin and sensors AI at Project Manager for Intelligence Systems & Analytics (PM IS&A) under the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S).

In Summer 2022, Patel pitched an idea to Army senior leaders on how PEO IEW&S can affordably deliver AI/ML capabilities across their portfolio. “The idea was informed by the many years of lessons learned working with DOD and the intelligence community on AI/ML projects, managing my own AI/ML projects through the science and technology (S&T) community,” he said. In collaboration with Army Research Lab and Army Futures Command’s AI integration hub, the idea moved swiftly from concept to program of record in around 12 months, entering Project Linchpin into the Software Acquisition Pathway in November 2023.

“I have been able to create a program that will deliver AI responsibly, affordably and effectively to the warfighter,” he said. “The capabilities we plan to deliver will significantly reduce Soldiers’ cognitive burden and increase their productivity.”

Patel’s first acquisition position, following four years of service in the Navy, was at a MITRE-Operated Federally Funded Research and Development Center supporting PEO IEW&S headquarters in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey in 2007.

“My first task as a young new employee was to improve technology transition. Yes—I had to figure out how to fix the valley of death,” he said. So, he took introductory acquisition classes which helped him with simple terminology and definitions. He studied the basics of acquisition strategy, systems engineering plans, budget activity 6.1 (basic research) and 6.2. (applied research), the role of sustainment etc. “When people would say something in the meeting I would write it down, look it up, learn. I was constantly listening,” he said, as he learned the PEO IEW&S portfolio.

“I immediately jumped into supporting the S&T portfolio trying better to integrate S&T, requirements and acquisition. I started working on 30-year plans (before they were called LIRA [long-range investment requirements analysis] and SPAR [strategic portfolio analysis review]).” Within four months he was presenting to leaders across the portfolio, explaining the role of science and technology in their acquisition strategy and process, identifying technology needs, how to leverage S&T to accelerate technology and the basics of S&T integration. “I became the ‘MITRE technology guy’ at the PEO,” he said.

Patel transitioned to an Army civilian in 2016 to Project Manager (PM) for Distributed Common Ground System – Army (DCGS-A), today known as PM IS&A. “I was hired to take on the technology manager, chief technology advisor, industry lead, lead engineer … whatever the PM needed,” he said, adding that he learned not only about major source selection and process, but a lot about acquisition law. In 2017, when the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security initiated the Algorithmic Warfare Cross Functional Teams, known as Project Maven, a major DOD initiative to accelerate AI adoption, DCGS-A was assigned. “I ended up being the Army’s technical manager for various AI operational pilots. I learned a lot about operationalizing AI and all of the challenges from technical, cost and schedule perspective,” he said. Noting that it was also key to figure out how to work the acquisition system, requirements process, and use his vast network of friends across DOD, the intelligence community, Army and other services.

It was based on everything he had learned through his career, starting back to his early days at Fort Monmouth, that enabled him to have the knowledge to pitch the idea for Project Linchpin,, by “understanding the role of S&T, innovation, integration into acquisition strategies, working on early concepts informed by operational users and requirements owners, transitioning to a civilian managing millions of dollars to accelerate innovative technologies into the Army, working with major non-traditional defense partners and learning the challenges operationalizing AI,” he said.

“The fun has only begun!” he said.

Through it all, the most important point in his career has been “working with some of the best people” Patel said. “I learned so much with every interaction.” He also has enjoyed being assigned projects with little-to-no direction which have challenged him to just “figure it out.” How he goes about figuring it out is one thing people typically find interesting about his career, he said. In his role, Patel has the flexibility to be creative and he can use anything available in the “acquisition toolbox” to get something done. That includes being able to interact and engage with major technology hubs across the United States, “being able to find my own path and network,” he said.

The most important lesson he has learned is, “No one has the right to tell you “No, that’s not a good idea” or “No, you can’t do that,” Patel said. “I just need to figure out how to work within the system and continue moving the conversation forward … I will find a way if there is a way.”