Theater Multi-Mission Planner
Navy SBIR 2016.1 - Topic N161-042
NAVSEA - Mr. Dean Putnam - [email protected]
Opens: January 11, 2016 - Closes: February 17, 2016

N161-042 TITLE: Theater Multi-Mission Planner

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO IWS 5, Undersea Warfare Systems

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the solicitation. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a theater level multi-mission planner that can assess tradeoffs in mission performance versus risk.

DESCRIPTION: The Navy has a need for a Tactical Decision Aid (TDA) or software component for Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) level multi-mission planning capability that can provide Warfighters the tools needed to develop multi-warfare missions and provide decision makers quantitative information needed to assess multi-mission performance and associated risk management. This technology will provide an automated mission planning capability with algorithm(s) that optimize area allocations based on multiple mission objectives and constraints, asset capability and availability, opposing force capabilities, and environmental factors. This technology will also provide a quantitative measurement of effectiveness for expected mission performance versus risk.

Theater ASW Commanders (TASWC) are tasked to plan, coordinate and direct multiple warfare missions in dynamic and complex regions (Ref. 1and 2). This can be a challenging multi-mission planning problem due to the amount of time and requisite knowledge required to develop the critical factors, Courses of Action (COAs), Enemy Courses of Action (ECOA), and associated alternatives for decision makers to assess each mission�s performance and balance that with quantifiable risk management metrics. "Critical factors are those attributes considered crucial for the accomplishment of the objective. These factors that in effect describe the environment (in relationship to the objective) should be identified and classified as either sufficient (critical strength) or insufficient (critical weakness)" (Ref. 1).

Theater planners respond to operational needs of the Sea Combatant Commander by providing available resources. To fulfill mission objectives, warfare commanders have to balance available resources and assets with real world operations tempo and Combatant Command (COCOM) tasking. Timely development of plans that can account for performance and vulnerability for simultaneous execution of: ASW; Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); Surface Warfare (SUW); and other maritime missions are impractical using today�s mission planning tools and methods. Today, automated multi-mission planning tools do not exist and as such skilled operators are obligated to perform this task manually. (Ref. 4) This manual process is very time consuming and it has the potential to draw operators away from other necessary tasks and risks reducing observations of important information. The Navy seeks to automate this planning process to reduce the time it takes to develop and analyze plans and provide the decision makers with quantitative metrics to assess resource allocation and risk. This is a complex problem and is more likely to reduce the time in a percentage range 300-400% from a current manual process.

Innovative solutions that provide an automated mission planning capability for the Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW-DSS) AN/UYQ-100 at sea for the Sea Combatant Commander (SCC) and the Theater ASW Watch Floor Battle Watch Captain are sought. The prototype/software will be a Tactical Development Aid (TDA) that is compliant with Navy doctrine, tested in the lab during the Phase II effort and evaluated by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for effectiveness. Certification and schedule will be in parallel with transition system certification. As an innovative, new capability, the solution will seek to optimize multiple warfare mission platforms consisting of ASW, Mine-Warfare, Strike-Group ASW, Theater ASW, and Water Space Management to provide a quantitative prediction of effectiveness that compares Navy assigned mission effectiveness thresholds (area clearance, vulnerability) and Navy assigned risk thresholds, for expected mission performance versus risk. The risk threshold metrics could include vulnerability, counter-detection, and impact to mission. Other risk metrics may also be considered.

PHASE I: The company will develop a concept for an innovative Tactical Decision Aid that meets the requirements listed in the description. The company will demonstrate the feasibility of the concept in meeting Navy needs and will establish that the concept can be developed into a useful product for the Navy through testing, and analytical modeling. The company will provide testing facilities and personnel during Phase I. The Phase I deliverable should include the initial key technical milestones and capabilities description to build the Tactical Decision Aid in Phase II.

PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), the company will develop a Tactical Decision Aid prototype for evaluation. This could be either standalone or integrated with existing capabilities depending on what is proposed by the company. The prototype will be evaluated in a land based USW-DSS test environment to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II statement of work and the Navy requirements for an innovative Tactical Decision Aid, as described in Navy doctrine NDP.05 Navy Planning. Since an automated capability for this topic does not currently exist, the system performance will be demonstrated through prototype evaluation or analytical methods that aid the warfighter on how best to utilize available war fighting resources. Evaluation results will be used to refine the Tactical Decision Aid prototype into an initial design that will meet Navy requirements. The Navy will provide secure facilities and test environments. Test and evaluation periods will be determined based on the prototype development schedule and program of record test events; when practical Fleet input may be utilized for in-depth evaluation. The company will deliver a prototype Tactical Decision Aid software application to the Navy at the end of Phase II.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III the company will be expected to support the Navy in transitioning the Tactical Decision Aid for Navy use. The company will finalize its design on an innovative Tactical Decision Aid for evaluation to determine its effectiveness in an operationally relevant environment. Following its completed design at a TRL 8, the company will support the Navy for operational test and validation to certify and qualify the system for Navy use. The Tactical Decision Aid will be implemented into a current USW-DSS build under development for use on the Theater ASW watch floor, i.e. CTF-34 and the Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Sea Combatant Commander Zulu Module. Product test, integration, and validation will be conducted during the program of record development cycle where appropriate. The company will participate in associated Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) such as, but not limited to, development, architecture, test, and integration. The company may be expected to engage with the Configuration Control Board. Commercial applications for mission planning that include risk assessment capabilities vary from simplistic to very complex. Utility companies, commercial transportation companies, and emergency response organizations could all benefit from this capability. Disaster preparedness is a specific area that could successfully employ this capability where environmental and logistical information constraints and likelihoods, disaster response optimization, and predetermined risk factors are weighed against one another to develop the best options for an organization�s response.

REFERENCES:

1. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Naval Warfare Publication Navy Planning (NWP 5-01). Department of the Navy, 2013, https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/171afbf3-a1e2-46b3-b1e9-d1fa4b0fec5a/5-01_(Dec_2013)_(NWP)-(Promulgated).aspx

2. Secretary of the Navy, "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower", March 2015, http://www.navy.mil/local/maritime/150227-CS21R-Final.pdf

3. Reifel, Christopher S., "Quantitative Risk Analysis For Homeland Security Resource Allocation", Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California, December, 2006. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a462640.pdf

4. Silva, Robert A., "Optimizing Multi-Ship, Multi-Mission Operational Planning for the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander", Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California, March 2009. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a497222.pdf

KEYWORDS: Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare Commanders; theater ASW; multi-mission warfare planning; automated mission planning; risk management of Naval operations; COAs

TPOC-1: Abel Ortiz

Phone: 202-781-0530

Email: [email protected]

TPOC-2: Meg Stout

Phone: 202-781-4233

Email: [email protected]

Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **
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