Kristen Smith 
- The Valkyrie Defense Lab will sit within Old Dominion’s Batten College of Engineering and Technology
- Students will tackle engineering problems alongside industry professionals, with projects starting in fall 2026
- The lab focuses on digital engineering, AI, modeling and simulation, and C5ISR integration
Valkyrie Enterprises is establishing a digital engineering and artificial intelligence lab at Old Dominion University, backing the effort with a $500,000 investment. The university announced the Valkyrie Defense Lab on Wednesday.
The facility will be located within the university’s Batten College of Engineering and Technology and serve as a hub where students tackle engineering problems alongside industry professionals. Katie Smith, an assistant professor of engineering technology and an Old Dominion alumna, will direct it. Programs and student projects are expected to begin in fall 2026.
What Will the Valkyrie Defense Lab Focus On?
The lab will support senior design projects, applied research and workforce development in digital engineering, AI, machine learning, modeling and simulation, and the integration of command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, known as C5ISR. Valkyrie is contributing an enterprise license for JTLS-GO, a wargaming and simulation platform, which will underpin a certification program for military-affiliated and security-cleared students. Josh Jackson, CEO of Valkyrie and a two-time Wash100 Award winner, said the partnership builds a pipeline in which students work directly on defense challenges using digital engineering and AI-enabled tools.
Where Else Is Valkyrie Deploying JTLS-GO?
The lab puts Valkyrie’s JTLS-GO platform in an academic setting. The company has been expanding the software’s reach, signing a memorandum of understanding with BAE Systems OneArc in December 2025 to jointly pursue wargaming and simulation work for the Department of War and allied nations.
Valkyrie’s broader defense work includes a five-year, $48 million contract awarded in February to provide combat systems engineering support at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Dam Neck Activity.
