MCLEAN, Va., July 15, 2026 — BigBear.ai, a specialized defense and security technology company providing mission-ready AI, today announced a significant expansion of its generative AI platform, introducing new capabilities designed to give Department of Defense (DoD) mission teams greater flexibility and control over where generative AI runs, how models are accessed, and how generative AI capabilities are procured. The expanded platform incorporates new air-gapped hardware, an additional delivery option, and flexible tenant configurations to support both cloud-connected deployments and fully local deployments in disconnected environments, making generative AI capabilities accessible to operators in more environments.
Combined, the new capabilities and delivery options support the Department’s AI Acceleration Strategy by extending secure generative AI capabilities into new operational environments at speed. Since the acquisition of Ask Sage, BigBear.ai has refactored and enhanced the underlying model-agnostic, multimodal generative AI platform and built a new technology portfolio around it. To give customers more control and flexibility, BigBear.ai is introducing new procurement and delivery options, including dedicated tenant environments that customers can white-label. As part of this transition, the Ask Sage product brand will be phased out for DoD customers in favor of a redesigned BigBear.ai generative AI platform.
“The Department of [Defense] has set a clear objective: accelerate AI adoption and translate innovation into mission capability,” said Kevin McAleenan, Chief Executive Officer of BigBear.ai. “To us, delivering mission-ready AI means giving the customer control and flexibility, and building technology that works in the conditions operators face, including disconnected and air-gapped environments.”
BigBear.ai’s Generative AI Platform Includes Local Deployments up to Top Secret/SCI
To help DoD access the most advanced frontier models no matter where they need to be used, the expanded portfolio makes the platform’s enterprise capabilities, management tools, and agentic workflows available to mission operators through both cloud-connected and fully local deployments. Cloud-hosted configurations provide access to a broad catalog of AI models and support deployments up to DoD Cloud Impact Level (IL) 6. The new local device is designed for locally connected as well as air-gapped deployments up to Top Secret/SCI. When connected, users can access cloud-hosted models; when disconnected or air-gapped, locally hosted models provide continued access to the platform’s core generative AI capabilities without an external network connection.
Additional Delivery Option Gives More Control and Flexibility, Including ‘Bring-Your-Own-Model’
The additional delivery option separates secure workspace and platform licensing from model access. Customers that procure model capacity through their own agreements can license BigBear.ai’s integrated, multi-model platform directly, while those who prefer BigBear.ai to procure and manage model access can continue using its managed token-based option. Both approaches run on the same underlying platform for deployment, orchestration, tooling, and management.
“Mission needs have changed massively in the past six months. We have worked around the clock to build a set of capabilities that are designed to solve the day-to-day problems that our customers across [DoD] are facing, while advancing the Department’s AI Acceleration Strategy. We are deeply grateful to our customers for believing in the power of our model-agnostic platform and its ability to support operators in critical missions,” said Jason Layman, Executive Vice President of Generative AI Products and Platforms, BigBear.ai.
The air-gapped AI device will be demonstrated at the AFCEA TechNet Augusta event (August 17-20, 2026) and is available now. The ‘Bring-Your-Own-Model’ delivery option is expected to be available for dedicated tenants through BigBear.ai’s contract vehicles in approximately Q3 2026. Existing customers can continue using BigBear.ai’s current cloud deployments and managed token-based option.
To learn more about BigBear.ai’s Generative AI Platforms & Products, visit bigbear.ai.
About BigBear.ai
BigBear.ai is a specialized defense technology company, developing and deploying mission-ready AI solutions and services. Customers and partners rely on BigBear.ai’s artificial intelligence and predictive analytics capabilities in highly complex, distributed, mission-based operating environments. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, BigBear.ai is a public company traded on the NYSE under the symbol BBAI.
Source: BigBear.ai
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