BACKGROUND |
New or modified military organizations, processes, and sytems must constantly respond in terms of human capital availability, hardware/softrware changes, and with training that provides the performance need for mission success. In this context, emerging operational needs require commanders responsible for operational readiness to conceptualize designs for new configurations of functions and capabilities. To accomplish this with physical simulations and prototypes is expensive and provides little flexibility. To meet these new and modified capabilities one must also determine the impact of constantly changing technologies and the context of changing operational scenarios inherent in the alliance’s multiple needs. All of this must be done prior to actual field or operational evaluation during training and field exercises. This approach will subsequently reduce the costs of developing training systems and related experimentation, while providing early data on operational performance capabilities. This combined live, virtual, and constructive (L,V,C) approach along with the inclusion of real system capabilities makes traditional approaches of build then test and modify and then test again, less adequate and certainly more expensive. While existing approaches using protyping have their value, the cost of “doing and then re-doing” requires a less cost intensive approach that also allows one to anticipate the “return on investment” while the budget is still being formulated. This approach should start from the operational side, taking the practical limitations of operational scenarios, commanders needs and intents, and identify metrics based on user’s needs so that the sponsors and users understand how the results will pay off in operational terms. The research challenge is now to identify those assessment metrics and associated techniques that can be applied naturally fitting practical commanders themselves and generate strong, operational and acquisition relevant results.
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OBJECTIVES |
To identify the many opportunities for the use of synthetic test-beds and how they will provide the most cost-effectiveness balanced assessment techniques for the development, acquisition, and training communities. Headquarters and commanders can use to make well-grounded conclusions one the effectiveness of the command and control processes under consideration. The aim of this RTG is to compile data in a practical, usable form of “what works” as well as to design a What Works Guide for system and training readiness assessment’. To accomplish this objective this RTG will: • Identify the many opportunities for the use of synthetic testbeds and how they will provide the most cost effective balanced assessment techniques for the development, acquisition, and training communities, • Identify associated requirements that will guide the technical solution to meet this objective, and • Share and learn lessons from international partners relating to the design, implementation and testing of SEs.
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