Experimentation and Prototyping Laboratories Forge Military Process and Product Improvements

Lewis A. Loren

oint force experiments give the military a chance to test new systems and approaches and find out what works and what doesn't before these tools are used on the battlefield. One good place to practice is in the Air Force "SWIFT" Laboratory. The lab presents an ideal environment in which to use realistic simulations to test, observe, and practice both the science and art of successful joint military operations.

The Software Integration Facility Testbed (SWIFT) Lab was designed to support the evolution of Time-Critical Targeting Functionality (TCTF): that is, being able to detect, track, and destroy a time-sensitive enemy target (such as a mobile SCUD missile launcher) in the most efficient way possible. We helped create a series of simulations and experimentations (SIMEXes) to take advantage of the lab and all it offers. Sponsored by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, SIMEXes bring together participants from various locations to engage in war-game scenarios. Developers from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and other organizations use SIMEXes to test how well their TCTF systems interoperate—testing systems, functions, and human factors.

Two years ago, we used research and TCTF Program funds to build the SWIFT lab, which connects other MITRE and sponsor labs, so that we could help advance TCTF. In three years, we've conducted 14 SIMEXes and helped fine-tune such important new systems as Cursor on Target (see sidebar). The combination of our staff members' expertise in systems engineering and the participants' experience on the battlefield makes the lab a powerful tool. These exercise participants, including military personnel who manned time-critical targeting cells in Afghanistan and Iraq, try out new prototypes in the lab and give us feedback. They are the best people to compare new approaches with how things are done currently in the field.

For example, in the past (and in some cases, today) special ops warriors would find themselves on the battlefield trying to get information about a target back to their command post. They would use a handful of non-integrated machines and manually perform calculations, which they would call in during long voice transmissions over noisy radios. The room for error was large. There was no integrated electronic means to view data gathered in the field and to pass their analysis of that data along to the command chain of the various military branches. Last year, however, some of these warriors helped prototype a new automated Cursor on Target system that sends time-sensitive targeting information from machine to machine, reducing the chance of human error.

The most recent SIMEX was conducted in June and involved 145 distinct simulation and command and control systems manned by more than 30 operators. In one of the exercises, participants investigated the extent to which an Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System improves coordination of information. In another simulation, Navy personnel manned an Air Force weapon-target pairing system to determine whether offering the various military services systems that were developed by the other services could aid collaboration.

After each SIMEX is over, we analyze data on what worked, what didn't, and why. The end result is improved DOD tactics, techniques, procedures, and architectures. For example, we are now helping to develop systems to deliver TCTF data electronically across integrated networks. These systems generally comprise two components: a weapon-target pairing system and an Automated Assistance with Intelligence Preparation of the Battle Space system.

The lab contains numerous technologies and DOD systems, as well as databases containing information about DOD assets, munitions, targets, and enemy installations to support the exercises and simulations. Just a few of the TCTF systems that have been tested during the SIMEXes include Cursor on Target; the Blue Force Tracking Initiative, which focuses on tracking allied forces to help avoid friendly fire casualties; and Work Flow Manager, a system developed to coordinate personnel activities across the services.

MITRE and Air Force staff network with labs in other locations during the 2004 joint simulation exercises.

One added benefit to the SWIFT lab and the SIMEXes is the environment they impart—and not just in terms of technology. The laboratory provides a setting in which failure is allowed. Developers aren't putting their systems into competition; they're exploring the best ways to integrate them and enhance them. System failures during the simulations bring not black marks and bad press, but opportunities to learn, to seek solutions, and to pursue better alternatives.

This philosophy of honest appraisal frees SIMEX participants to focus on the crucial questions: Where did the information or system break down? Were these breakdowns due to operator procedures, incorrectly formatted data, or interoperability problems between systems? How can this be solved?

Of course, MITRE has many other labs throughout the company devoted to solving our sponsors' challenges in warfighting, aviation, and enterprise modernization. These facilities hone our staff's skills and enable us to research and validate emerging technologies and experiment with fielded systems or simulations to determine user impact and the appropriateness of advanced technology. What works and what doesn't? Better to find out before you go into the field.

For more information, please contact Lewis A. Loren using the employee directory.

Solutions That Make a Difference.®
Copyright © 1997-2013, The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved.
MITRE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
Material on this site may be copied and distributed with permission only.

Privacy Policy | Contact Us