N093-192 TITLE: Real-time Decision Aid for Enhancing Ship’s Self-defense

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Ground/Sea Vehicles

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Submarine Combat Systems Program Office (PMS425) ACAT III

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this project is to research adaptive intelligent distributed computing environment used for submarine training, simulation, and warfare. Specifically, the topic shall address with targeted R&D the high level cognitive and human systems automated control theory algorithms, which will be integrated for a seamless sensor-to commander/warfighter information distribution for new and emerging torpedo countermeasures during hostile encounters, while providing the commanding officer and tracking party a tool set for automatically selecting and presetting these countermeasures for rapid reaction. Additionally the integration and implementation must eliminate the intensive operator interactivity required in this high stress environment and allow for the capability to automatically preset Torpedo Defensive Weapons and Devices from the submarine attack center utilizing existing and newly developed tactics (real time), for organic detection and contact management capabilities, environmental inputs, and navigational inputs.

DESCRIPTION: Currently US submarine onboard self-defense systems suffer from a lack of integration automated workflow, resulting in an extreme unnecessary reliance on mental calculations and approximations to execute pre-planned evasion and counter-fire procedures. During a self-defense scenario, the combination of rapidly changing tactical conditions and high stress make this an error prone evolution with potentially severe consequences. Additionally, the command party attention now focused on mental calculations under current doctrine is not being directed to other necessary considerations such as damage control preparations, long-term evasion or re-engagement plans, or other urgent planning considerations. A cognitive automated capability is critically needed to decrease submarine crew reaction time to detected threats and weapons by providing a reliable and effective HSI capability to automatically identify weapon threats, determine the most effective countermeasure(s) (CM) presets, and rapidly develop a dynamic, in-situ CM deployment and evasion scheme designed to destroy or negate the effectiveness of enemy sub-surface threats and to protect U.S. and coalition forces and assets.

The challenge is to complete the multi-spatial Control theory R&D to provide an integrated near-real-time identification of the threat based on onboard sensor information, and presenting a CM employment plan and evasion scheme to the Officer of the Deck (OOD). Much of the present day guidance to accomplish this task is contained in written guidelines which shipboard personnel must refer to during high stress situations, or have committed to memory. This is already prone to error and dependent on assumptions used to simplify the problem, and as countermeasures continue to evolve with new capabilities available as presets selectable by an operator, this will only become more complicated as options evolve. In addition, defensive weapons employment should be integrated into this formula to provide a rapid counter-fire capability against a hostile adversary. The topic must address an integrated algorithm approach for HSI and workflow for providing current doctrine, updates by appropriate authorities, and local changes authorized by the ship’s commanding officer.

PHASE I: Research the control theory, AI, and HSI algorithms needed to support a new system design for an integrated and automated submarine self-defense system that incorporates counter-measure deployment aids, evasion guidance and self-defense weapon presetting thereby eliminating the burden of the operator and increasing the likely hood of a successful evasion. Document the planned design in an unclassified system design document and program plan to support Phase II prototype development.

PHASE II: Design an unclassified prototype and demonstrate a fully automated self-defense architecture/application in a lab/shipboard environment.

PHASE III: Build an engineering development model ( this EDM may be classified or unclassified ) automated self-defense application. Utilize the system to preset and launch self-defense weapons/countermeasures in a realistic at-sea engagement scenario demonstrating all aspects of the self-defense tactical decision aid system.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This self-defense tactical decision aid can be applied with little additional modification to US Navy and allied surface ships of all classes. Automated self-defense systems capitalizing on the core architecture of a submarine system design can be used in similar ways on other military assets, as well as in foreign military sales.

REFERENCES:
1. http://www.uky.edu/BusinessEconomics/dssakba/bkpg1.htm

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge-based_systems

KEYWORDS: submarine, self-defense, countermeasure, torpedoes, knowledge based systems, decision support

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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