Bharat Patel currently serves as the Product Lead for Project Linchpin, the U.S. Army’s inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) Program of Record (PoR). In this role, he is dedicated to delivering trusted AI solutions across the Army enterprise through an AI Operations and Services (AIOps+) ecosystem and a comprehensive strategy. Mr. Patel has successfully developed strategic partnerships across the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence Community, maximizing AI investments and breaking down stovepipes of excellence. His efforts have been instrumental in standing up the organizational structure, establishing budgets, and creating detailed plans and architectures to ensure the seamless integration and deployment of AI technologies. Under his leadership, Project Linchpin has pioneered innovative acquisition processes that streamline procurement and foster a competitive ecosystem of industry partners. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for leveraging AI to enhance national security, Bharat Patel is dedicated to driving forwardthinking solutions that meet the evolving needs of the U.S. Army and its mission.

Prior to this role, Mr. Patel led all studies, pilots, and prototyping efforts for Project Manager, Intelligence Systems and Analytics (PM IS&A), including the ground station modernization effort that informed the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN), the Army’s nextgeneration Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance ground station and the Army’s major contribution to Joint All-Domain Command and Control. This position served as a catalyst for the concept of Project Linchpin, as TITAN is enabled by AI and Machine Learning (ML) to process sensor data received from Space, High Altitude, Aerial, and Terrestrial layers. He also served as the Army’s technical lead in support of the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team (a.k.a. Project Maven), deploying Full Motion Video computer vision AI/ML in operations and managing all Science and Technology (S&T) efforts spanning across the IS&A portfolio. In this role, he worked closely with the DoD and Army S&T community to shape strategy, manage efforts, and author transition opportunities while also serving as the lead engineer for a software intensive PoR that fielded capability to the entire Army Intelligence Warfighting function, integrating numerous industry and government capabilities including S&T efforts.

Mr. Patel began his career supporting Program Executive Office Intelligence Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) Headquarters, during which time he guided critical efforts in support of Army modernization. At the PEO level, he was the Strategic Technology Manager working across the PEO portfolio to identify technology gaps to inform the Army requirements community, industry, and the S&T community. He also developed long range technology roadmaps informed by industry and government investments, which he leveraged to communicate technology evolution, leading to shaping modernization efforts including the Army’s Signals Intelligence and the Terrestrial Layer Portfolios. Mr. Patel holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Rutgers University and a graduate certificate in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University