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COMMERCE BUSINESS DAILY ISSUE OF JUNE 30,1997 PSA#1877ROME LABORATORY'S DRAFT FY98 SBIR TOPICS PART 4 OF 6. ROME LABORATORY'S
DRAFT FY 98 SBIR TOPICS. ROME LABORATORY IS PLEASED TO MAKE AVAILABLE
THE FOLLOWING DRAFT SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM
TOPICS. THESE TOPICS ARE NOT APPROVED AND ALL MAY NOT APPEAR IN THE
FINAL SOLICITATION: SBIR TOPIC #AF98-125. TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT:
Anthony M. Newton, RL/C3AB (315) 330-3096. TITLE: Object Oriented
Design of Legacy Systems. CATEGORY: Exploratory Development. DOD
CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA: B19. SERVICE CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA: AF1.
OBJECTIVE: Develop a method for harvesting and exploiting object
oriented data from IDEF models of command and control systems.
DESCRIPTION: As we move into the 21st century, the Air Force faces the
daunting task of re-engineering legacy systems to take advantage of
advances in Information Technology. The DOD Joint Technical
Architecture (JTA), requires an open, standard-based approach offering
significant opportunities for reducing cost and cutting development
and fielding time through enhancing software portability ease of
systems upgrade, and hardware independence. The basis for the JTA is
the Defense Information Infrastructure (DII) Common Operating
Environment (COE). The COE concept provides for a reusable sense of
common software services via standard application program interfaces
(API). This concept mandates the use of object-oriented technology in
both the analysis and design of current and future systems. Both the
Global Command and Control System (GCCS) and the Global Combat Support
System (GCSS), which are being built upon the JTA and COE standards,
require the migration of legacy command and control systems to these
new, unified systems. Successful migration of these legacy systems will
require the evolution of those systems to object oriented technology.
The advantages of object oriented technology in reusability,
efficiency, and development are well-established. What isn't so well
established is how one takes advantage of this technology in order to
evolve legacy systems or develop new ones.Part of the re-engineering,
or even understanding, of any system is the modeling of that system.
Modeling techniques mandated by the JTA include IDEF0 for activity
modeling and IDEF1X for data modeling. There can be much
object-oriented information implicit in such models. Exploitation of
such information would allow object-oriented analysis and design,
which, in turn, would lead to the building of a new, evolved
object-oriented system. The Air Force, then, is looking for methods of
extracting object-oriented information from IDEF models and using it
to expedite the object-oriented analysis and design of new systems.
PHASE I: Design and demonstrate the feasibility of a technique for
extracting object oriented data from IDEF models; design and
demonstrate a technique for using this data for the object-oriented
analysis of an existing system and the object-oriented analysis and
design of a future system. PHASE II: Construct and demonstrate a
software tool based on the technique developed in Phase I. Demonstrate
the effectiveness of this technique. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:
This software will be useful in the evolution of any information
technology reliant system, whether for commercial or defense
applications. The DOD Joint Technical Architecture (JTA), with its
foundation in the DII COE, has a great need for such software in the
evolution of legacy command and control systems, the development of new
command and control systems, and in ensuring compliance of developing
systems with DII COE standards. This software could also be highly
useful throughout the spiral development process delineated in the
Electronic Systems Center (ESC) Command and Control Acquisition
Framework. In the commercial sector, similar trends in systems and
software development require a tool for object oriented analysis and
design of existing and future products. This software would greatly
assist the Object Modeling Technique (OMT) process, from requirements
and analysis through design and coding. The prevalence of IDEF modeling
in the commercial sector testifies to the need to turn conceptual
models into real systems. This software will provide the means for
accomplishing this transformation. KEY WORDS: Object Oriented Analysis,
Object Oriented Design, Object Oriented Technology, Object Oriented
Data, IDEF Command and Control Models, Migration of Legacy Systems,
Reusable Software, System Modeling. SBIR TOPIC #AF98-126. TECHNICAL
POINT OF CONTACT: Jerry L. Dussault, RL/C3AB (315) 330-2067. TITLE:
Advanced Distributed C4I Simulation Capabilities. CATEGORY: Exploratory
Development. DOD CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA: B19. SERVICE CRITICAL
TECHNOLOGY AREA: AF1. OBJECTIVE: Develop Modeling and Simulation
technology for use in analysis, training, and acquisition based
modeling. DESCRIPTION: Historically, Modeling and Simulation (M&S)
programs have been developed to serve particular purposes, with little
or no attention to later integration or interoperability. The Air
Force has recognized these deficiencies and is now emphasizing the
definitionof standard architectures, frameworks, representations, etc.
The goals are to reduce the number of models and simulations employed,
and to maximize re-use, interoperability, and utility. The research
proposed under this topic may address different domains of simulation,
such as training, analysis, test and evaluation, etc., and varying
degrees of resolution, such as entity or aggregate levels. Or, the
research may span interoperability questions across varying domains or
levels of resolution. Unique and innovative applications of existing
commercial tools will be considered. The following is a specific list
of interest areas: a. ADVANCED VIRTUAL BATTLESPACE SYNTHETIC
ENVIRONMENT: The use of advanced visual and distributed computing
techniques to provide synthetic battlespace feeds to real command and
control (C2), such as those which enhance the operation of the ESC
Command and Control Unified Battlespace Environment (CUBE). b.
INTER-DOMAIN SIMULATION INTEROPERABILITY: The integration of various
M&S capabilities, initially intended for a specific purpose (e.g.,
training, analysis, etc.) and now interoperating in a high level
architecture, into common frameworks for the future. c. MULTI-LEVEL
SIMULATION INTEROPERABILITY: Correlation of models which currently
represent various levels (e.g., system, engagement, mission, theater)
of war within a given domain of modeling and simulation. d. ADVANCED
EXERCISE SCENARIO GENERATION: Advanced capabilities to generate visual
scenarios such as system laydown, geographical representation, weather
effects, etc., for use in ESC's Modeling and Simulation Center (MASC).
e. ADVANCED EXERCISE AFTER ACTION REVIEW AND ANALYSIS (AARA): Tools
which can be used for AARA, such as statistical analysis, plotting,
etc., and used for either training or analysis purposes. f. COMMAND &
CONTROL (C2): Simulation tools, designs, approaches, etc., which
enhance C2 processes, operations, stimulation, or embedded capability.
g. SPIRAL DEVELOPMENT: Tools, techniques, strategies, etc., which
contribute to the ESC spiral development methodology. PHASE I: In Phase
I the contractor is expected to research and analyze the modeling and
simulation state, specifically relative to C2 issues, provide a plan
for addressing one or more aspects of the enhancement of C2 modeling,
simulation, training, and/or analysis, and demonstrate the feasibility
of the proposed approach. PHASE II: Develop a prototype of the
proposed approach and demonstrate its capability to be employed in
ESC's Modeling and Simulation Center (MASC) or C2 Unified Battlespace
Environment (CUBE) as part of spiral engine toolkit capability. PHASE
III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The modeling and simulation area is
significantly ripe for both commercialization and dual use
applications. Modeling and simulation is currently used extensively in
the private sector, for both business and pleasure (games, amusement
parks, etc.). The tools, prototypes, and research developed under this
topic will be broadly applicable to the commercial sector with
application to games, business use, the medical community, etc. KEY
WORDS: Automated, Scenario Generation, Virtual Environment, Synthetic
Environment, High Level Architecture, Inter-Domain Simulation
Interoperability, C2 Simulation, Spiral Development. SBIR TOPIC
#AF98-127. TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT: Margot R. Ashcroft, RL/XPD (315)
330-3021. TITLE: Innovative C4I Technologies. CATEGORY: Research and
Development. DOD CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA: B07. SERVICE CRITICAL
TECHNOLOGY AREA: AF1. OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative technologies for
enhancing the performance, availability, and affordability of C4I
systems and subsystems. DESCRIPTION: Proposals may address any aspect
of C4I pervasive technologies not specifically covered by other SBIR
topics. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, innovative
concepts and technologies in: Global Awareness, Dynamic Planning and
Execution, and Global Information Exchange. 1. Global Awareness: Global
Awareness encompasses the requirements for intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance and provides consistent battlespace knowledge and
precision information in a global information base. Global Awareness
develops the common picture of the battlespace providing enhanced
real-time information to the warfighter which is as complete and on
demand as required. It entails the operational capability for all
pertinent levels of command to know and understand the relevant global
military situation on a common, consistent basis. The functional
capabilities necessary to achieve Global Awareness are: Consistent
Battlespace Knowledge: The capability to elevate the level and speed of
the warfighter's cognitive understanding of friendly, enemy, neutral,
and geospatial situations, and to maintain consistency in that view
across strategic, tactical and support forces. Precision Information:
The capability to develop and manage sufficient and timely multi-modal
operational information to assure an accurate and precise situational
awareness to promote Consistent Battlespace Knowledge. Global
Information Base: The capability to acquire, deconflict, fuse, store,
maintain, support, and display worldwide operationally relevant data.
Specific features include in-time tasking and "zooming," consistency,
integrity and authentication. 2. Dynamic Planning and Execution Dynamic
Planning and Execution is the operational capability to rapidly acquire
and exploit superior consistent knowledge of the battlespace in order
to shape and control the pace and phasing of engagements. Dynamic
planning and execution encompasses a total warfare planning process
from readiness and deployment planning to shooter engagement across the
full spectrum of foreseeable military operations. All effort is focused
on exploiting a superior understanding of the battlespace in order to
shape expected actions within the adversary's decision cycle to
proactively engage in rapid, tailorable, planning and execution
integrated vertically and horizontally across mission, functions, and
organizations. The intent is to construct agile robust plansin which
near-real time modifications can be triggered by changes in the
battlespace while maintaining consistency and minimizing disruption.
The functional capabilities necessary to achieve Dynamic Planning and
Execution are: Predictive Planning and Preemption: The capability to be
proactive in the planning process across echelons, missions,
components, and coalition forces. These capabilities extend to
integrating other than hard kill weapons, mobility, logistics and ISR
management into the planning process, as well as planning to anticipate
and avoid surprise. The goal is to have a predictive understanding of
the battlespace and to exploit it to shape expected actions within the
adversary's decision cycle. Integrated Force Management and Execution:
The ability to rapidly interleave planning and execution in order to
achieve "just-in-time" tasking tied to a central strategy that spans
the battlespace. The goal is to gain efficiency and agility in the
pursuit of the commander's objectives within a dynamic battlespace.
Execution of Time Critical Missions and Real-Time Sensor to Shooter
Operations: The capability needed to enable target acquisition, battle
management analysis, decision, and resource assignment, and in-time
engagement. These requirements extend to a broad spectrum of time
critical missions, from time phased attack of fixed and moving targets
to the use of hunter-controller-killer assets. Since the C3I decision
time cannot exceed the target exposure time, a key capability is C3I
time critical operations. Joint, Combined and Coalition Operations: The
capability and enabling decision making infrastructure needed to
achieve dynamic synchronization of large scale missions and resources
from components and coalition forces. 3. Global Information Exchange:
Global Information Exchange is the ability to interconnect all members
of the Air Force via a netted communication and information system,
available everywhere for any task or mission. The ability to
communicate, to move raw and processed information throughout a global
communications grid, is fundamental to command and control. Inherent
in this capability is the idea of universal information availability
across different transmission media with different characteristics. The
Air Force's information network must have global reach for its normal
day-to-day operations as well as the capability to allow an instant
surge of connectivity and capacity into a localized theater for mobile
and fixed-site users. The latter capability is the most difficult and
costly to provide but is a very critical and important tool for
tactical theater operations. The functional capabilities necessary to
achieve Global Information Exchange are: Distributed Information
Infrastructure: Providing all mechanisms and services required to allow
the commander to craft his C3I information environment, including the
ability to establish distributed virtual staffs, to share a common
consistent perception of the battlespace, and to construct distributed
task teams among sensors, shooters, movers, and command posts.
Universal transaction services: The ability to move information on
demand from network to network or link to link without translation or
conversion. Assurance of Services: Providing high quality services the
warfighter can rely on to be available whenever and wherever needed,
can be adapted, scaled, and be projected to meet dynamically changing
demands and service capacities, and can be defended against physical
and information warfare threats. Global Connection to Aerospace Force:
Developing and demonstrating technologies for global access to
command, control, and intelligence information among warfighting
forces. PHASE I: Provide a report describing the proposed concept in
detail and show its viability and feasibility. PHASE II: Fabricate and
demonstrate a prototype device, subsystem, or software program. PHASE
III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Many C4I technologies have substantial
dual-use potential and will impact competitiveness and performance of
the commercial sector as well as the military sector. All solutions
proposed must have potential for use/application in the commercial as
well as military sector, and potential commercial applications must be
discussed in the proposal. KEYWORDS: Command, Control, Communications,
Computers Intelligence, Global Awareness, Dynamic Planning and
Execution, Global Information Exchange. SBIR TOPIC #AF98-128. TECHNICAL
POINT OF CONTACT: Joseph P. Cavano, RL/C3CB (315) 330-4033. TITLE:
Mobile, Adaptive Knowledge Base Decision Agents. CATEGORY: Research and
Development. DOD CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA: B08. SERVICE CRITICAL
TECHNOLOGY AREA: AF1. OBJECTIVE: To develop collaborative software
agents that can play an active role in decision-making while solving
the challenges of a global, net-based C4I information environment.
DESCRIPTION: Autonomous software components that are active, persistent
and can reason and communicate while navigating heterogeneous computing
environments are typically considered intelligent agents.' Most agents
perform a specific task on behalf of a user but usually they do not
interact with others in a collaborative paradigm. They also tend to
concentrate on the first phase of decision-making (i.e., searching the
environment for information). This topic seeks to build upon agent
technology developed by DARPA and Rome Lab and their corresponding
access to existing C4I knowledge bases and expand it into the second
and third phases of decision-making inventing, developing and analyzing
possible courses of action and then selecting, recommending and
communicating the best course of action. Agents need to be accessible
from anywhere on the globe and be able to communicate key findings and
results to appropriate entities, whether human or other machine
agents. Agents may also be lazy in that they do not have to perform all
the work themselves; instead, they can take advantage of other agents,
information servers or problem solvers. Finally, agents must be
adaptable and capable of serving a hierarchy of military users. PHASE
I: Identify and justify a multi-agent technology approach to the
decision-making process. The approach must be platform neutral,
globally available, and build upon sound commercial technology whenever
possible. Provide a report describing the concept and architecture in
detail and develop an archetype knowledge base decision agent. PHASE
II: Build an initial system by constructing several such agents and
evaluate their effectiveness in solving specific C4I problems.
COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: Phase III will develop a full-scale system that
will commercialize the results of this Phase I and Phase II. Agent
technology can augment human decision-making and build upon Internet
information. It will have enormous applicability to military and
commercial domains in the information age, ranging from law
enforcement, finance, education, news delivery and health. KEYWORDS:
Adaptive Information, Knowledge Bases, Collaborative Decision Making,
Intelligent Agent. SBIR TOPIC #AF98-129. TECHNICAL POINTS OF CONTACT:
Robert M. Flo, RL/C3AB,(315) 330-2334; Peter A. Jedrysik, RL/C3AB (315)
330-2158 ;Richard C. Metzger, RL/C3CA (315) 330-7652. TITLE: Data
Visualization for Collaborative Wargaming and Battlefield Management of
C4I System. CATEGORY: Research and Development. DOD CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY
AREA: B07. SERVICE CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA: AF1. OBJECTIVE: Develop
innovative technologies for improving current data visualization and
manipulation capabilities for collaborative wargaming and battlefield
management of C4I systems and large plans to enhance the overall
decision-making process. DESCRIPTION: At the height of a military
conflict, there is an abundance of automated information that must be
managed efficiently to increase the pace of combat operations, improve
the decision-making process, and synchronize various combat actions.
The ultimate goal is: Give the battlefield commander, and his support
staff, access to all information needed to win the war. And, more
importantly, give it to him when he wants it, where he wants it, and
how he wants it thus assisting the commander in more timely, informed,
decisions on modifications to the present plan. Advancements in these
C4I technology areas must be made in order for the tri-services to
interact together effectively and with accurate information. The
challenge of this effort is the development of innovative techniques
and approaches which enhance Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0541 19970630\SP-0007.MSC)
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