Kristen Smith 
- Sabel Systems has launched 97Helix, a digital engineering platform built to help defense agencies and contractors carry out DOW’s digital engineering framework
- The tool supports DoD Instruction 5000.97 and is designed to power digital twins, AI applications and lifecycle management across acquisition programs
- 97Helix is available through hosted, self-hosted and hybrid models and supports commercial cloud, government cloud and classified environments
Sabel Systems has launched 97Helix, a digital engineering platform designed to help defense agencies and contractors implement the Department of War’s digital engineering framework and improve data integration across acquisition programs.
The company said Monday 97Helix is purpose-built to support the requirements outlined in DoD Instruction 5000.97 and provides a standards-based data environment intended to support digital twins, artificial intelligence applications and lifecycle management activities from program inception through sustainment.
How Does 97Helix Support Defense Digital Engineering?
According to Sabel Systems, the platform enables the normalization and alignment of data from disparate systems, allowing organizations to connect existing tools and workflows without replacing current technology investments.
“97Helix is that system, built to accelerate decision velocity and coherence across the acquisition lifecycle, by connecting tools into an environment where data flows, relationships are discoverable, and teams act with clarity,” said Shawn Purvis, president and CEO of Sabel Systems and a four-time Wash100 Award recipient.
The platform builds on technologies previously deployed through programs such as Spacestation, the Digital Acquisition Environment, the Digital Engineering Cloud and nimbusCORE, which have supported U.S. Space Force, Army and Air Force initiatives.
What Capabilities Are Included in the 97Helix Platform?
Sabel said 97Helix features a modular architecture composed of four core components:
- nimbusCORE for hybrid cloud orchestration;
- connectCORE for integrating engineering and acquisition tools;
- dataCORE for standards-based data alignment; and
- collabCORE for workflow management, DevSecOps and program execution.
The modules are unified through helixCORE, a role-based user interface designed to provide a centralized view of program data and activities.
Matt Blackmon, chief product officer at Sabel Systems, said the platform is designed around established defense acquisition standards rather than relying on AI-generated data models.
“The result is program data that belongs to the program – auditable, portable, and built to outlast any single vendor relationship,” Blackmon added.
Where Can Defense Customers Deploy 97Helix?
Sabel Systems said 97Helix is available through hosted, self-hosted and hybrid deployment models and supports commercial cloud, government cloud and classified environments.
The company plans to showcase the platform at the two-day Digital Engineering for Defense Summit, which will start on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
