system concept development laboratory: tooling up for the 21st … · 2015. 5. 21. · system...

286 JOHNSHOPKINSAPLTECHNICALDIGEST,VOLUME23,NUMBERS2and3(2002)

J. A. KRILL and A. F. KRUMMENOEHL

SystemConceptDevelopmentLaboratory:ToolingUpforthe21stCentury

Jerry A. Krill and Arthur F. Krummenoehl

Emergingthreats,acquisitionreformpolicies,andtechnologicalchangesrequirenewapproachestothedevelopmentofadvancedconceptsinairandmissiledefense.Trendsinclude proliferation of hostile cruise and ballistic missiles; acquisition policies involv-ingextensiveuseofmodelingandsimulation;greaterapplicationofsystemsengineeringdisciplinesandrelatedtools;designtototallife-cyclecost;andautomatedsensor,com-mandandcontrol,andweaponsnetworkseffectingbattleforceoperationasanaval,Jointservices, and/or multinational system of systems. Meeting the challenge of developingconceptsforthenextdecadesrequiresnewengineeringtoolsandapproachesthatapplyprovensystemsengineeringprinciples.AnewSystemConceptDevelopmentLaboratoryhasbeendesignedandrecentlyplacedonlinetomeettheconceptdevelopmentneeds.Thislaboratoryfeaturesnewcapabilitiesinmodelingandsimulation,configurationman-agement,collaborativeengineering,element-in-the-loopstimulationandtest,remotetestsupport,andengineeringfacilitiesnetworking.Thesefeaturesaredescribedandexamplespresented.

INTRODUCTIONThis article describes how APL developed the

System Concept Development Laboratory (SCDL)using systems engineering disciplines. Trends lead-ing to theneed for theSCDLaredescribedfirst.ThearticlethenexplainshowtheSCDLitselfwas“systemsengineered.” We begin with the overarching require-ments for such a facility and then present a “conceptofuse,”alongwithconstraintsandassumptions,basedonsystemsengineeringactivitiesrangingfromconceptformulation through system test. We include corre-spondingfunctionallayoutsandscenariosofoperation.Thedesignofeachoftheas-builtSCDLspacesisthen

presented in somedetail.Finally, thepotentialevolu-tionofthisfacilityandofengineeringtoolsingeneralisbrieflydiscussed.

BACKGROUNDAdvances in threats have driven U.S. systems to

be increasingly complex, automated, and networked.Further,thereductioninU.S.forcesandcorrespondingexpenditures in the post–Cold War era has increasedthe need for greater performance from battle forcesof smaller numbers and for operation with Joint andcoalition forces. Complexity has increased with the

JOHNSHOPKINSAPLTECHNICALDIGEST,VOLUME23,NUMBERS2and3(2002) 287

SCDL: TOOLING UP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

use of very advanced technologies; the combinationof complexity, automation, and networking has ledtocombatsystemsthat interactviatacticaldata links(TADILs)and theCooperativeEngagementCapabil-ity (CEC), enabling a force of many ships, aircraft,andmissilebatteries tooperateas a singledistributedsystem. Emerging DoD policies toward reduction ingovernment infrastructure and increased reliance ondefensecontractorengineering requirenewmeans forthe government to maintain a “smart buyer” capabil-ity.AlthoughAPLandotherorganizationshaveplayedkeyrolesinsupportofthisneed,DoDneedsincreasedautomationandquantificationof requirements,bettertrackingofcontractorprogress,andmorequantitativemeanstoevaluatecompetitiveapproachesincomplexsystemandoperatingenvironments.

TRENDS IN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES

Someofthespecificsystemsengineeringchallengesand the technology employed to date by the acquisi-tioncommunitytomeetthosechallengesaredescribedbelow.

Distributed EngineeringSeveral developments over the past few years

employed advanced, geographically distributed engi-neeringfacilities.Forexample,in1990,astheTechni-calDirectionAgentforCEC,APLdevisedanapproachtoconnectland-basedNavytestsitesintoanengineer-ingconfigurationrepresentativeofaCECbattlegroup.ThiswasnecessarybecauseCEChadtobeverifiedinmulti-unit configurations without tying up an entirebattle group for engineering tests. In more recentinteroperability improvement efforts, this idea wasextended to the Navy Distributed Engineering Plant(DEP),whichconsistsofland-basedtestandengineer-ingsitesrepresentingbattlegroupelementslinkedvialandlinestoemulateCECandTADILnetworks.TheNavyDEPisameanstodetermine,andinsomecasescorrect, problems in as-built combat system softwarebefore deployment. Efforts to extend the concept toa Joint servicesDEPanduse it for testingearlier inasystem’sdevelopmentcycleareinprogress.

Wrap-Around Simulation/StimulationWork to more fully integrate automatic detection

andtrackingintotheTerrier/Tartarairdefensesystemsof the 1970s and 1980s required the development ofwrap-aroundsimulationprograms(WASPs)toemulateelementsbuiltbycontractorsbutnotyetavailableforintegration.Thisassuredthematurityofinterfacesandthe early problem resolution of increasingly complexsoftware.TheWASPapproachwasnecessarilyextendedtothedevelopmentofCECtosupportsoftwaretesting

andtotestthemanyinterfacestoCECacrossdifferentcombat systems, each with unique interface require-ments.Weforeseetheextensionofthisapproachtotestnewelementsofabattleforceandtoassesstheproductsofcompetinggovernmentcontractors.

Modeling, Simulation, and VisualizationAssystemsandnetworksofsystemsbecameincreas-

inglycomplex,moresophisticatedmodelingandsimu-lation(M&S)wasrequiredtopredictperformanceandcomplementtesting.Further,asisoccurringinscientificfieldssuchasorganicchemistryandmolecularbiology,theabilityforhumanvisualizationofcomplexinterac-tionsandarchitecturesisbecomingrecognizedasawaytogaininsightsintosystembehavior,andeventoviewthecomplexissuesassociatedwithevaluatingandtrad-ingcompetingdesignfeatures.

Rapid PrototypingIn determining the feasibility of a new technology

ornewlydiscovereddevicephenomena, theability torapidlyprototypeanelementandtestitinavirtualset-tingbecamemoreprevalent.APLfacilitiessuchastheAveryAdvancedTechnologyDevelopmentLaboratorywindtunnels,theGuidanceSystemEvaluationLabora-tory(GSEL),andtheCombatSystemEvaluationLabo-ratory(CSEL)areexamplesofthistrend.

Collaborative Systems EngineeringAsweteachinourJHUpart-timegraduatecourses

in systems engineering, much of this discipline is themethodicalexerciseoftrade-offs,iterativedesign,inter-facecontrol,andmergingofconsiderationsfrommanytechnical specialties.1 This requires methods for col-laboration,communication,andmanagementofdesignprogress.Thesemethodsarebeingpursuedinsuchpro-gramsasDD-XdevelopmentandNavyTheaterWideBallisticMissileDefense.Theconceptofcollaborativeengineeringisnotnew(e.g.,Ref.2),buttheapproachof using technology and automation to facilitate theeffort is gaining ground and is actively being pursuedbytheChiefEngineer,AssistantSecretaryoftheNavyfor Research, Development, and Acquisition. Conse-quently, networking of engineering teams and theirproducts, including documentation, prototypes, andsimulations,isofincreasinginterest.

Remote Test SupportIn 1995, APL connected CEC through the Inter-

national Marine/Maritime Satellite (INMARSAT)network to allow monitoring by, and advice from,Laboratory technical staff during tactical explorationexercisesoftheUSS Dwight D. Eisenhower battlegroupwhile it was deployed in the Mediterranean. A morerecentexampleisAPLsupportofthePacificBlitz2000



Theater Ballistic Missile Defense and Air DefenseWarfare exercises, during which APL monitored thetest events, provided the assessment skills of subjectmatter experts, and collected data remotely, therebysavingtraveltimeandequipmenttransport.Weforeseeanincreasingneedforthiscapabilityasarapidmeansof accessing remotely located technical expertise andprovidinguniquedatareductionandanalysisfacilities.

OVERARCHING SCDL REQUIREMENTS

The ideas, challenges, and technical approachesnotedintheprecedingparagraphswerebroughttogetherin the concept for the SCDL. To meet the emergingengineeringneedsoftheDoDcommunity,APLhadtoimproveitscapabilityforsystemconceptdevelopmentand systems engineering by increased integration ofprototyping,criticaltests,datacollections,simulation,andearlydesigntrade-offevaluation—alltobedoneinacollaborativeenvironment.Theneedtranslatedintodeveloping and combining new systems engineeringtools consistent with well-established systems engi-neeringprinciples.Thenecessary systemsengineeringactivities—formulating concepts, refining conceptsthroughrequirementsanalysis,validatingconceptsandreducingriskthroughcriticalexperiments,integratingprototypesintorepresentativeoperatingenvironments,validating operation of prototypes through testing innaturalenvironments,etc.—aredescribedinRef.3andshowninFig.1withexamplesoftoolsandfacilities.

Because existing facilities already served many sys-tems engineering activities, the new facility conceptwasboundbythefollowingconstraints:

• ExistingAPLandDoDfacilitieshadtobeusedtothegreatestextentpracticable.

• Analogous activities within the DoD communityhadtobeanticipated.

• Growthhadtobeprovidedfor.• Needed toolshad to leveragecurrentAPL tasks to

allowevolutionofnewapproachesandtoolswithoutdisruptionofongoingsponsoredefforts.

TheprimaryrequirementsoftheSCDLweretosup-portallsystemsengineeringactivitiesandensureaccessto the resources needed. These requirements led to adesignrequirementforasinglefacilitywithcollocatedtoolsandaccesstoassetsneededforthesystemsengi-neeringactivities.AccesstoAPLresources,DoDsites,andcontractorfacilitiesfromthesinglefacilityrequiredhigh-bandwidthnetworkswithintheAPLcampusandtoexternalfacilities.TheSCDLwouldhostaminimumofassetssoastoleverageexistingsystemsandresourceswithinAPLandDoD.

SCDL CONCEPTInsystemsdevelopment,asystemconceptandcor-

responding “concept of operations” (use) are oftendevelopedinparallel;thissameprocesswasappliedtoSCDL development. The new facility was to supportthe systems engineering activities depicted in Fig. 1.Beginningatthetopleft,conceptsforemployingtech-nology to meet warfighting demands are established,assessedagainstcertaincriteria,andultimatelyretainedfor elaboration or discarded. This activity is predomi-nantly analytical and collaborative. To support sucheffortsawarroomspaceinthenewfacilitywasdefined.To support multiple projects, or the numerous phases

Figure 1. Systems engineering phases and activities. Development of a major new system begins with concept studies and subsequently includes requirements definition, critical risk reduction experiments, element design, element performance characterization, system development and integration, field testing, and deployment and in-service support.

ofasingleproject,electronicmeansto allowmanywar roomefforts toshare the sameresourceswerealsoprescribed.

As war room efforts involvesynthesizing answers using manydiverse inputs and views of prob-lems and solutions, a means toshowmultiplegraphicalimagesandelectronically link them to back-ground information was defined.The space needed to support thispart of the SCDL concept wastermed the Electronic War Room.Because of the strong connectionbetween concept formation andwarfare analysis, this (and otherSCDL spaces) was interfaced withtheAPLWarfareAnalysisLabora-tory(WAL).4

Following concept formulation(Fig.1)areevaluationofconcepts



andestablishmentofinitialrequirements.Sincevirtuallyallnewwarfightingcapabilitiesintegratewithdeployed,legacy systems, a means for easy access to documentsdescribing such systems was needed. Consequently, alibrarycapabilitywasdefinedwheredocumentswouldbestoredelectronicallyandreadilyaccessed.TheElec-tronicLibrarythusbecamearequirementoftheSCDL;thelibrarycapabilitywasanticipatedasacombinationofaCDjukebox,PCterminals,andsoftwaretomanageandaccessthelibrarycontents.

Theneed forexploringpotentialperformance,andhenceeffectiveness,throughmodelsandsimulationsistied to concept evaluation and requirements analysis.Atthisearlystageofaconcept’sevolutionthereislittleifanyhardwareorsoftwaretobetested;thusdetailedanalysesaredoneviamodels.Becausethemodelsmustrepresentelementsintheabsenceofrealhardware,soft-ware,ortestdata,theymusthaveasubstantialleveloffidelity(themodelisinitiallytheonlyrepresentationofthephysicalenvironmentandthesystemelementstobebuilt).TosupportthisneedaSystemElementModel-ingandVisualization(M&V)spacewasdefinedfortheSCDL. This space would contain powerful computersandgraphicscapabilities toaccommodateaverywiderangeofhigh-fidelitymodelsplannedandcurrentlyinuse. Later, to precisely specify the computers for thisspace,computingrequirements(e.g.,memoryandpro-cessingspeed)wereestablishedtoexecuteextantradar,missilesix-degree-of-freedom(6-DOF)simulations,andweaponsystemmodelsinanend-to-endconfigurationandtosupportseveralmissionareassimultaneously.

MovingdownwardinFig.1,criticalexperimentsareoften performed to obtain data for analysis and/or toreducerisksassociatedwithanadvancedconcept.Somecritical experiments are performed in the field usingprototype capabilities integrated on a trial basis withexistingwarfighting systems.Participation inacriticalexperiment requires the presence of many engineers,scientists,governmentsponsors,andtestersatthesites.Inconsonancewiththerequirementforthenewfacilitytoprovide readyaccess to resources—in this case, thefielded elements of critical experiments—a capabilitytoremotelyparticipateintheexperimentsandexamineexperimentaldatainrealtimewasneeded.ThustheTestParticipationspaceinthenewSCDLbecamearequire-ment.Theintentofthisspaceisto“bringthefieldtotheengineers.”Althoughtestersarestillpresentatthefieldsites,theTestParticipationspaceallowsAPL,gov-ernment,andcontractorstafftoparticipatefirst-handinthefieldexercisesfromtheAPLlocation.Thegoalsofthisspacearetoexpeditetheanalysisofdatacollectedin the field, bring more analysts to bear on problems,andreduceoveralltravelandfieldsupportcosts.Tothisend, test conductor audio, test range instrumentation,andcombatsystemdatawouldbeprovidedinrealtimetotheTestParticipationspace.Fieldtestdatawouldbe

storedandanalyzed in theElectronicLibrary andalsousedasinputstomodelsintheM&Vspace.

Thenextphaseofbringingaconcepttoarealization,assuminggoalsofcriticalexperimentshavebeenmet,is interaction with industry and acquisition-orientedNavyactivitiestotransformtheconceptfromanexper-iment to an engineering development activity. Thiseffortrequiresexposingindustryandgovernmenttotheconcepts and working with them to transform systemrequirements and experimental results into a systemdesign. Ultimately, the implementation of elementssodesignedis insertedintotheacquisitionstream.Toaccomplish these tasksagreatdealof collaboration isneeded;resultsofanalysesandcriticalexperimentsareexplained, and the engineering performed to developrobust elements to achieve the concept and properlyintegrate new and legacy elements. The ElectronicWar Room, Electronic Library, and to some extenttheSystemElementM&Vspaceswouldsupporttheseefforts. Later, as industry produced an engineeringdevelopmentmodel,theTestParticipationspacewouldbeusedtomonitorand/orcontroldevelopmentaltestsperformedatcontractorsites.

Continuing to the right in Fig. 1, system elementsare developed and integrated with legacy warfightingelements. For specialized elements such as a missileseeker, performance validation and characterizationof elements also take place (as in APL’s new GSEL).Integration examines thebehavior of the elements inanenvironmentreflectingtheactualinterfacestootherelements.Ultimately,theactivityexaminesthebehav-iorofthetotalsystem,whichincludesthenewlydevel-opedelements.Acriticalaspectofsystemsengineeringistointegratetheparts,manyofwhichcompriselegacysystems that have undergone only minimal changes,such that thebenefitsof thenewerelementsare fullyachievedintheoperationalenvironment.Thegovern-mentDEP,describedearlier,maybethesurrogatebattleforce for such integration testing.TheTestParticipa-tionspacewouldsupport taskswheresystemelementsandtesttoolsatmultiplesitesmustbenetworked,andwhere element data captured during integration testsmustbeforwardedinrealtimetoAPLforanalysis.TheSystem Element M&V space would also support thisactivity when high-fidelity software-based models areneeded.

Lastly, an engineering development model orits equivalent is brought into the field, installed inits actual operating environment, interfaced to therequired existing systems, and tested. This testing isrigorous in an engineering sense, usually with a testplan,testprocedures,andareportingprocess.TheTestParticipationspacewouldsupportthiseffortbyallowingengineersandanalyststoviewtestsandassociatedreal-time data. The Electronic Library would support dataanalysis and retention,and theElectronicWarRoom



would support hot washups alongwith collaborative preparation ofreportmaterials.

Figure2aillustratestheexpectedAPLon-campusinterfaces.Incon-sonancewiththerequirementthatexisting laboratories and facilitiesbe leveraged, the APL complexwouldnot replace individual facili-ties and laboratories, e.g., thoseused in system modeling andanalysis, test and evaluation, andelement-in-the loop tests. Instead,itwouldallowthesefacilitiestobeelectronically linked and interac-tive,providingagreater capabilityto design and characterize systemscomprehensively and efficiently,and to fill apparent gaps in accessto design and specification data.Thepresentnetwork(Fig.2a)canaccommodate the other principalAPL facilities. This was consid-ered especially important as newtaskswereemergingtoensurethatthe air defense mission would beinteroperable with other missions,such as strike warfare, in which anumberofcombatsystemelementsmustbeshared.Figure2bindicatestheoriginalintentfortheSCDLtobeaprimaryAPLfacilityinterfacetothecombatsystemdevelopmentand test sites of the Navy (andeventually the other services). Aswillbe seen later, such interfacingis presently under considerationwithin tasks to support Naval SeaSystems Command DEP and theassociated Naval Collaborative

layoutandequipment,afinalconceptformeetingtheabove requirements was developed; this is shown inFig.4astheas-builtlaboratoryconfigurationalongwithnamesoftheSCDLspaces.Atthispointintheeffortitwasdetermined,againindesignandusediscussionswithin APL, that the Joint Warfare Analysis Depart-ment (JWAD)wouldhost theForce-on-ForceareaoftheSCDLasmorecloselyrelatedtotheirwarfareassess-mentbusinessarea.Thiswouldbesupportedbyotheractivities and, with their WAL, provide JWAD withauniquecapability formoreautomatedandvisualizedWAL activities in support of analysis of alternatives.TheWALisonthethirdfloorofBuilding26adjacenttotheSCDL.

ThefollowingsectionsdescribetheSCDLspacesinmoredetail.

Figure 2. Concept for interfaces to the SCDL. (a) For on-campus interfaces, connectivity is via secure communications gateways. SCDL also supports links to smaller simula-tion and model development laboratories. (b) For external interfaces, connectivity is via commercial, terrestrial, high-capacity networks; military and commercial SATCOM; and military surface/air networks such as Link-11, Link-16, CEC, and the Global Command and Control System (GCCS).

EngineeringEnvironmentoftheChiefEngineer,Officeof the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research,Development,andAcquisition.

Figure3illustratesfourinitialconceptsofuse:

1. Virtualelement-in-the-loopexperiments2. DistributedM&Sinsupportofwarfareexercises3. Remote test participation applied to network tests

anddatacollection4. Combat system element-in-the-loop testing with

WASPsandremotesites

ThesewillbereferencedbelowastheSCDLareasaredescribedindetail.

On the basis of SCDL requirements, projecteduse concepts, and substantial input from Air DefenseSystems Department systems engineering users of the

Space Department

Power ProjectionSystems Department

GSEL 2000(for hardware-in-the-loop tests)

SCDL/WAL

CSEL(APL surface

combat systemmockup)

Sensorsuite

mockup

SATCOM

Research and TechnologyDevelopment Center

Joint WarfareAnalysis (WAL)

CEC Laboratory

National Security Technology Department

Strategic SystemsDepartment

(a)

(b)

Puerto Rico

Dahlgren

NorfolkSt. Petersburg

Tucson

Kauai

San DiegoAPL

BedfordHanscom

Moorestown

Huntsville

ColoradoSprings



(a)

(c)

(b)

(d)

Figure 3. Four SCDL use concepts: (a) A virtual element-in-the-loop experiment executes an engagement of a Theater Ballistic Missile target using a 6-DOF missile model and Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) seeker in the GSEL, linked via SATCOM to an Aegis cruiser tracking the target. (b) A WAL Exercise (WALEX) is conducted using models resident at APL coupled to models at remote facilities. (c) A test is conducted in real time with at-sea participants, combat system elements, and CEC linked to APL Buildings 6 and 26. SCDL connects to land sites via land lines, to ships at sea via satellite links, and to combatant combat systems via actual military networks. (d) Hardware-in-the-loop elements at multiple remote facilities are integrated as a battle group using CSEL and SCDL to test combat system functions.

Test Participationand Data Collection

Electronic War Room, Electronic Library,and Interactive Simulation

System Element M&V Force-on-Force

Figure 4. As-built SCDL layout.

Electronic War Room and Library Space

The Electronic War Room and Libraryspaceprovidesthebasisforwarroomactivi-ties performed during most stages of con-cept exploration.War roomefforts consistofgatheringdataassociatedwithaspectsofaconcept,devisingoridentifyingkeychar-acteristicsofaconcept,analyzingtradesatafairlyhighlevel,andproducingconclusionsthat are often presented in the form of a“roadmap.”Aroadmapusuallycomprisesareportandanannotatedslidepresentation.Frequent and broad collaboration amongindustry,laboratory,andgovernmentscien-tists andmanagers is the rule.ThisSCDLspaceprovidesthedatabasesandrepositoryfor development-oriented information, in-cluding mission needs statements, opera-tional and system requirements, technical



risk reduction, concept definition, and program andsystemdocumentation.Thecentralthemeofthisspaceis integrated electronic databases, presentation tools,andcollaboration.

Thespacesupportstheseactivitiesbyprovidinganinformation repository, a state-of-the-art presentationcapability, video teleconferencing (VTC), and com-puter-based multisite collaboration tools. The reposi-toryisaDVDRAMjukeboxcapableofstoringroughly1.5 terabytes of data. Its intent is to host historicalprogram-related documents and presentations, systemspecifications,interfacespecifications,testdataassoci-atedwith factorytestsorat-seaexercises, test reports,andplanninginformationforpertinentprograms.Therepositoryisessentiallythelibrarytowhichanalystscangotofindspecificsystemdataneededforevaluatingpro-posedconcepts.InadditiontotheDVDRAMjukebox,thelibrarycontainsPCsforviewinginformation,print-ers,anddocumentmanagementsoftwareforretrievinglibraryarticlesgivenkeyword,author,orcontent.

The Electronic War Room and Library space sup-portsdirectcollaborationbetweenAPLstaffandengi-neersatremotesites.ItcontainsastandardPictureTelVTCunitoperatingwithuptothree128-Kbits/sISDNphonelines.SeveralPCsareconfiguredwithcomputer-to-computercollaborationsoftware,principallyMicro-soft NetMeeting. A virtual private network supportsonline conferencing using servers at government andcontractor sites. Finally, a SIPRNET node allows e-mail,FTP,andbrowserconnectiontoselectedsitesandnodesontheclassifiedSecret-highnetwork.

The space also hosts an electronic presentationcapabilityconsistingofaPC,aspecialgraphicsboard,and three large-screen displays; this setup allows aPowerPointfiletobedisplayedinaformatthreetimesaswideasthenormalview.Thusasinglewide-aspectslide, three slides simultaneously, or three times as

analyzing candidate warfighting systems and/or sub-systemsviasimulation.Suchanalysiseffortsestablishpossible configurations of sensor, weapon, commu-nication, and computing capabilities to support awarfightingconcept;capabilitiesmaycompriseextantsystems,modificationsofextantsystems,systemsunderdevelopment, or altogether new systems. The rule isgenerally some combination of all these. For all butthe simplest concepts, far toomuchhardwareand/orsoftwarewouldneedtobebuilttoexamineconceptsatthisearlystageusingactualelementprototypes.Whilesystems engineering eventually calls for the use ofprototypestodemonstratefeasibilityortoretiredevel-opmental risks, prototypes are too costly for initialconcept analysis as the concept’s potential capabili-tiesareinvariablychangedandrefined.Thus,M&Sischosentorepresentthecandidatesystemcapabilities,elements,orfunctions.(Buildingappropriatemodelsisnotnecessarilyaninexpensiveendeavor.)

Because the models or simulations are the onlyrepresentations of system elements at this early stage(i.e.,noelementsareyetbuilt forwhichperformancecharacterizations can be made), their fidelity mustrepresentcapabilitiesatlevelscommensuratewiththeanalyses being performed. For example, to examine aconceptthatprioritizesaship’sdefenseagainstenemyaircraftbasedontheaircrafts’closestpointsofapproach(CPA), an aircraft model driving the concept algo-rithmscouldsimplyincludeCartesianposition,veloc-ity,andacceleration.Theresultantmodelwouldsimu-lateaircraftmotionusingthreedegreesoffreedomandmaybeconsideredoperatingatamedium-fidelitylevel.Ontheotherhand, if theconceptreliedonhowwella radar tracked one of these aircraft (to be processedby the CPA algorithm), one would need to representradartrackinginbothclearandclutterenvironments.Inthiscasetheaircraftmodelwouldnotonlyneedto

Figure 5. SCDL Electronic War Room space. A 5 17 ft screen driven by a special graph-ics board supports war room and collaborative engineering. VTC links to outside meeting participants. Presentations are shared using collaborative conferencing software.

many slides in the sorter viewcan be shown. This capability isextremely helpful when analyzingdisparate information, organizingpresentationmaterial,andpresent-ing complex ideas using multipleslides.Thereisalsoacapabilityforhypertext links within presenta-tions. The Electronic War RoomandLibrary is oneclassified space.AdividerseparatestheWarRoomand Library areas, allowing long-term flexibility in configuring thespace. Figure 5 is a photograph ofthecompletedspace.

System Element M&V SpaceThe System Element M&V

space provides the means for



simulateaircraftmotionbutalsotheaircraftcharacter-isticstowhichtheradarprocessingissensitive,aswellastheradarsignalprocessinguptoacertainpoint(forexample, the clutter rejection algorithms being stud-ied). These level-of-fidelity considerations influenceddecisionsonthecomputingcapabilitiesoftheSystemElementM&Vspace.

Thespaceprovidespowerfulcomputerscapableofexe-cutingabroadvarietyofmodelsrangingfromthoseoper-atingattheradarsignalprocessingleveltolower-fidelitymission-levelmodels.Theformeraregenerallycomputa-tionallyintensive,requiringhigh-endcapabilitiessuchastheSiliconGraphicsmultipleprocessor sharedmemorysupercomputer.ThelatterapplicationsinvolvemoderatecomputationrequirementsandareoftenMonteCarloinnature,requiringmanyexecutionsofthesameproblem.TheSystemElementM&Vspacesupportstheseapplica-tionsusingamultiplePCcluster,whereeachPCsolvesaproblemindependentlyoftheothers.

Forthecomputationallyintensivemodels,potentialusers of 6-DOF missile aerodynamic models, detailedradarcross-sectionmodels,andradarsignalprocessingmodelsweresurveyed.Thesestaffmemberswereque-ried about the computers and operating systems theyusedaswellasthosethatshouldbeavailableinanewfacility if possible. They were already executing theirmodelsinextantlaboratories,soinquiringabouttheirdesires was an effective method for determining theirplansforgrowth.Responsesshowedthatawiderangeof high-end computers and workstations were beingused.Fortheabovereasons,andfurthermoretosupporta business case for integrating the models in an end-to-endsensewithinasinglefacility, itwasdecidedtoprocureanequallydiversesetofcomputingassets.Thiswouldallowforthebroadestrangeofuserapplicationsaswellasdesiredvisualizations(seethearticlebyCol-bertandRalston,thisissue).Figure6isaphotographof

theM&Vspaceshowingvisualizationandconferenceareas anduser console stations.TheM&Vspace sup-ports individualanalysis anddevelopment inadditiontotheend-to-endmodelintegration.

Test Participation SpaceThe Test Participation space provides the means

for monitoring and potentially controlling tests con-ductedatgovernmenttestsites,industryfacilities,andother laboratories.ThisallowsAPLanalysts toobtaindata from the test assets of these sites in real time ornear–realtime.ForcontroloftestassetsfromAPL,thecontrol data would be sent from APL to the remoteassets in real time.Test assets consist of anoperatingenvironmentandat leastsomereal-timehardware-in-the-loop(HWIL)combatsystemelements.

Fortestsconductedatatestrange,allelementsofthesystems are usually present, including sensors, controlsystems, weapon systems, and tactical operators; testscenariosdefinecontrolledaircraft,drones,andmissilesthatrepresentthreats.Fortestsconductedatlaboratoryandcontractorfacilities,thecombatsystemsofinterestareusuallyHWILelements,whilereal-timestimulatorsprovide the controlled environment to the elementsunder test. Such stimulators represent (i.e., simulate)thecontrolledaircraft,combatantsensorsandweaponsystems,andtacticalcommunication.Thetestdataofinterest include the time/space/position information(TSPI) of the controlled (or simulated) threats, thesensor reports generated for these threats, the tracksgenerated by combat system elements for the threats,the combat system and operator decisions determin-inghowthe threat isengaged,designation toweaponsystems, and the TSPI of weapons as they engage asimulated threat. In a laboratory environment thisinformationcouldconsistofsimulatedthreatpositions,simulated sensor reports, TSPI generated by a missile

Figure 6. SCDL System Element M&V space. A 5 17 ft screen supports three pictures generated by three separate high-fidelity models, and/or multiple views of data generated by a single model. High-end Silicon Graphics computers, Sun workstations, and a 32-PC cluster support a wide variety of engineering-level models and associated visualizations.

simulation, and simulated TADILmessages.

The Test Participation spaceprovides radio connectivity to fieldsites, operator console stations forviewingmonitoreddatainrealtime,softwareprogramstotailorviewsofmonitored data, a Link-16 TADIL(TADIL-J)capability,athreatgen-erationcapability,andsoftwarecon-nectivitytoCEC,ShipSelf-DefenseSystem(SSDS),andtacticalmissiledefenseHWILlaboratoriesatAPL.ThespacewillsupporttheNavyandJoint DEPs once a Secure DefenseResearchandEngineeringNetworkor Defense Information SystemsNetwork–Leading Edge ServicesnodeisavailableatAPL.



Figure7showstwokindsoftestsinvolvingtheTestParticipationspaceandremotesites.Figure7adepictsaland-basedbattle forceexercise,whereagroundtruthtest target scenario is sent in real time from APL toremote stimulators thatdrive shipcombat systemele-mentsundertest,andreal-timetestdataaresentfromtheremotesitestoAPL.Figure7bdepictsconnectiontoa sitewherea factoryacceptance test isbeingper-formedusingstimulatorstodrivethearticlesundertest;groundtruthtesttargetsgeneratedatAPLdrivestimu-lators that interface to the articles under test, whiledetailed data from instrumentation embedded in thetestedarticlesaresenttoAPL.

APL used the Test Participation space to supportthe Pacific Blitz Battle Management Command, Con-trol, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence(BMC4I)TheaterBallisticMissileDefenseexercisecon-ductedinJune2000atthePacificMissileRangeFacility(PMRF).ThemainroleoftheSCDLwastosupporttheDataAnalysisGroupinexaminingtheeffectivenessofTADIL-Jmessagesduringtheexercise.InformationsentfromthefieldtoAPLinrealtimeincludedthedatalinkmessagesgeneratedinresponsetotheTacticalBallisticMissilethreat,testrangeradardataforthethreat,andthetestconductor’svoicecircuit.APLanalystsassessedthedatalinkmessagecontentusingthetestrangeradardata as ground truth. Availability of the voice circuitaidedindeterminingthesequenceofeventsandcorre-latinganomalies(aboutwhichthereweretestconductorcomments)withthedatacollected.

Battle force engineering

Ship Self-Defense System Softwareupdates

Real-timetest scenarios

Real-timeinstrumentation

System testing,prototype development,

debug and analysis

Remote tacticaldisplays,

data extraction,TADILs

– Design Reference Mission (DRM) development– Scenario development– Exercise analysis

Real-time groundtruth scenarios

(a)

(b)

Figure 7. SCDL distributed engineering applications. (a) A battle force engineering appli-cation uses scenarios derived from a Design Reference Mission. SCDL creates scenario ground truth data and passes these data in real time to remote combat system sites. Data extracted in real time from sites are passed to SCDL for analysis. (b) For analysis of SSDS performance using HWIL elements, SCDL creates real-time test scenarios and receives data from instrumentation within the tested elements.

ThesubsequentCoralTalonIIexercisesconductedinFebruary2001builtonthePacificBlitzBMC4Icon-figuration by adding Theater Ballistic Missile DefenseSystem Coordination Center software for displayingand analyzing data link messages in real time, andthe Area Air Defense Commander three-dimensionalEarth-viewdisplaysoftwareforimproved,three-dimen-sionalrenderingofthetestrangedata.

In January2002, in supportof theFlightMissionSM-3testevent,theTestParticipationspacereceivedreal-timevideoandvoicecommunicationfromUSSLake Erie (CG 70) sent via the Pacific Missile TestRange. Shown in real time were the target launchfrom PMRF, the target’s camera video, the SM-3launch from Lake Erie, and infrared imagery fromthe kinetic warhead prior to intercept. Also shownwere PMRF range displays (participant locations)and a virtual intercept using the system test bed atthemissileprimecontractorsiteinTucson,Arizona.Further, telemetry from the missile was receivedon Lake Erie, and the telemetry along with Lake ErieAegisWeaponControlSystemdataweretrans-mitted toAPL,Tucson, andPMRF in real timeviasatelliterelay.

FUTURE EVOLUTIONS

The Virtual Battle ForceEffortsareunderwayatAPLtofurtherleverageand

extendthecapabilitiesoftheSCDL/WALcomplexandnetwork.SeveralAPLbusinessareasaredevelopinganapproach for theJWAD Force-on-Force LaboratoryasabridgebetweentheSCDLandthe WAL to model for the firsttime a battle force at the detailedmodel and simulation level. In theconcept,eachworkstationwillrep-resentacombatantandwillhostthedetailed models of that combatant.Forexample,eachAegisshipwouldbe represented by one workstationwith models of AN/SPY-1 FirmTrack, SM-2 6-DOF, CEC, Tacti-cal Tomahawk Weapon ControlSystem, Tomahawk 6-DOF, etc.Terrestrial and space-based com-munications would be representedin workstations networked to thecombatant workstations to repre-sent battle force architecture. Thisvirtual battle force would be thebaseline force-level model productofSCDLactivitiesandwouldrepre-sentforcecapabilityincertaintypesofWALEXs.



THE AUTHORS

ARTHURF.KRUMMENOEHLisamemberofAPL’sPrincipalProfessionalStaffand Assistant Supervisor of ADSD’s Sensor and Weapon Control EngineeringBranch.HejoinedAPLin1971.HereceivedhisB.S.inelectricalengineeringin1968fromLehighUniversityandanM.S.E.E.in1970fromMIT.Mr.Krummenoehlhasextensiveexperienceinsystemsengineeringandsoftwaredevelopmentforradardetectionandtrackingsystems,CEC,andSSDS;wrap-aroundsimulationstotestsoftware-intensivesystems;theShipSelf-Defensepilotprogram;andtheLPD-17ProbabilityofRaidAnnihilationassessment toolconcept.Hehas led simulationrequirementsontaskforcesfortheNavyandJointDistributedEngineeringPlants.MorerecentlyMr.KrummenoehldeviseddistributedsimulationapproachesfortheNavalCollaborativeEngineeringEnvironmentdevelopedbytheChiefEngineer,AssistantSecretaryoftheNavyforResearch,Development,[email protected].

JERRYA.KRILLreceivedaPh.D. inelectricalengineering fromtheUniversityofMarylandin1978.HejoinedAPLin1973andisHeadofthePowerProjectionSystemsDepartment.Since1983hehasbeenaninstructorofphysicsandsystemsengineering for the JHU Part-Time Graduate Programs. Dr. Krill has publishednumerousarticles inguidedwave technologyandelectromagnetic scatteringandholdsanumberofU.S.patents.Duringthe1970sand1980sheledsystemsengi-neeringeffortsandcriticalexperimentsassociatedwiththeAegisandBattleGroupAAWCoordinationprograms.HeisoneofthefoundersoftheCECconceptandserved as Lead System Engineer for CEC from 1987 through 1996. His [email protected].

Extended Laboratory Facility NetworkAsnewAPLfacilitiesareconstructed,opportunities

willdevelopto further leverageandcontribute to thecapabilities of the Building 26 SCDL/WAL complexinconjunctionwithothermajor facilities suchas theAirDefenseCSEL.Inparticular,anewbuilding,Build-ing17,willhousethebusinessareasofStrikeWarfare,Information Operations, and Defense Communica-tions.Plans are already inplace for thenew facilitiesspanningtheseareastonetworkwiththeBuilding26complextoextendtheSCDL/WALintonationalandother theater warfare areas. We expect that as addi-tionalnewAPL-widefacilitiesareplanned,theywillbesystemsengineeredintoournew-generationengineer-ingcapabilities.

The National and Allied Engineering CommunityAswearealreadybeginningtoobserveforcertain

sponsoredactivities,ourfacilitieswillbeincreasingly

integrated and used in conjunction with other gov-ernment facilities to further our national large-scaleengineering capabilities. As we begin a new centurywith advances in national defense presently beyondthehorizonsofourthinking,westandreadytorespondto the national need with advanced, collaborative,system-of-systems engineering with facilities such astheSCDL.

REFERENCES 1Kossiakoff, A., and Sweet, W. N., “Systems Engineering Principles

andPractices:AGuidetotheEngineeringofComplexSystems,”JHUcoursetext(tobepublishedbyWiley&Sons,NewYork).

2Distributed Engineering Plant—History, Overview and Accomplishments,NAVSEA publication, available at www.nswc.navy.mil/dep (1 Jun2000)(accessed10Jul2002).

3Krill,J.A.,“SystemsEngineeringofAirandMissileDefenses,”Johns Hopkins APL Tech. Dig.22(3),220–233(2001).

4Dean,R.J.,“WarfareAnalysisLaboratory2000,”Johns Hopkins APL Tech. Dig.21(2),231–237(2000).

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