SPEAR (Search Planner with Environmentally Adaptive Response) Navy SBIR FY2005.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2005.1 Topic No.: N05-044 Topic Title: SPEAR (Search Planner with Environmentally Adaptive Response) Proposal No.: N051-044-0740 Firm: Planning Systems, Inc., Neptune Sciences division 40201 Highway 190 East Slidell, Louisiana 70461 Contact: Donald Delbalzo Phone: (985) 649-7252 Web Site: www.neptunesci.com Abstract: Since the Second World War, increased performance has been acquired by investing heavily in expensive new sensor hardware, including advanced off-board sensors, at the near exclusion of developing new algorithms and tactics to optimize use of sensors in complex environments. The shift toward threats in just such hostile areas demands a more synergistic approach wherein new sensors breed new tactics, and possibly vice versa. The optimization strategies to date either provide precise answers to sensor usage, but too slowly to be tactically useful, or quick answers that are at best suggestive of the proper strategy. SPEAR (Search Planner with Environmentally Adaptive Response) is a novel approach which combines the best aspects of the most promising existing tactical planners (i.e., GRASP and SCOUT), adds environmental adaptation, and approaches the solution in a sufficiently general way that its capabilities will be useful for all DD(X) ASW missions. Benefits: This research will produce a design and prototype for a tactical decision aid to assist DD(X) mission planning for ASW missions in complicated and dynamic environments. It will provide a plan for joint on-board and off-board sensor usage, considering threat behavior and varying degrees of environmental knowledge. It will lead to a formal mission planner that will have application throughout the entire fleet of DD(X) assets. In fact, the concepts developed here will have broad application and commercialization potential in many military and civilian areas. It will be adaptable to problems where scheduling and adapting sensor use and platform tracks are required. Return