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ITT Advanced Engineering & Sciences Provides
Simulation and Training for Chemical and Biological Defense
ITT
Advanced Engineering & Sciences is a leading developer of
high-fidelity simulation and training products for the nuclear,
biological and chemical (NBC) defense community and has developed
training systems for every major U.S. NBC reconnaissance platform.
Recent events have driven home the need for both military and
civilian personnel – from first responders to soldiers in a forward
battlefield environment – to be able to test new sensor technologies
and train to deal with a chemical or biological attack. To provide
that critical training and simulation, Advanced Engineering &
Sciences (AES) is providing leading technologies and solutions.
Providing Real-World Training and
Simulation - Virtually
In
order to evaluate the performance characteristics of a system or how
well a sensor will detect a particular environment there must be
data to analyze. Because of the lethal and environmentally damaging
nature of the chem/bio agents, it isn’t practical – or in some cases
treaty compliant – to provide training or evaluation tests by
releasing hazardous agents or even simulants into the environment.
As explained by Charlie Woodhouse, manager of the modeling and
simulation department for AES, "To do real training exercises, you
would need an exceptionally expensive lab, and even with that you
would putting your staff in harm’s way. The advantage of computer
simulation is that you can virtually represent a hazard for systems
in development or you can create virtual prototypes to see how well
a system may perform." This can’t be done in a vacuum; real testing
is required to collect validation data for the models and to test
where the models don’t work. To be cost effective, the two must be
used in conjunction.
AES
has a legacy of providing computer simulation solutions. This
experience began with work performed for the Ballistic Missile
Defense community that provided visual simulation of the effects of
destroying a warhead containing a chem/bio payload. As Dr. Claudia
Randolph, manager of the special projects department at AES notes,
"There are many companies that can provide a detailed transport
dispersion of those types of events. However, there aren’t many that
can work out how the sensors interact in those cases so sensor
performance can be understood." AES provides sensor performance
modeling for chem/bio events. This modeling provides an
understanding for how a sensor should be deployed or what the
concept of operations should be for a sensor in order to provide
optimal performance in a real environment. AES has provided
simulation work for most of the chem/bio systems in development or
in operation. This includes point sensors for both chemical and
biological agents as well as active systems that employ Light
Detection and Ranging (LIDAR ) or other laser identification
techniques.
Simulation Develops Battlefield
Tactics and Techniques
In
an example of this modeling and simulation capability, AES provided
a
solution for the use of a LIDAR system developed for long range
detection of biological hazards called the Biological Stand Off
Detection System, BSDS. This system was designed to fly on an UH-60
in battlefield conditions.
The
problems began with the fact that the UH-60 helicopter is an
aviation community asset and the LIDAR detector is a chemical
community asset.
As
explained by Woodhouse, "The chemical community was writing the
tactics, techniques and procedures for flying these missions – which
to them meant flying up as close to the forward line of troops as
possible at 5,000 feet." Woodhouse continued, "The aviation
community told them that if the mission flew that way, there would
be a high probability of failure. The aviation community wanted to
fly in tree tops, well back from the forward lines."
To
solve this issue, AES installed a LIDAR simulator system at Fort
Rucker, the primary Army Aviation school. Training crews from the
aviation and chemical communities were brought together, given
threat briefings, and simulated missions were flown. After a series
of missions with different parameters and results, a set of tactics,
techniques, and procedures were developed for different types of
terrain. According to Randolph, "When we combined the aviation
simulators at Fort Rucker with our chem/bio simulators, we had the
aviation and chemical people understand how each had to work with
the other and come to a concept of operations that would satisfy
both communities."
Training For FOX NBC System
AES
simulation systems are key to crew training for the FOX NBC
reconnaissance System (NBCRS). FOX is a detection, warning,
communication, and NBC intelligence gathering system that is fully
integrated into an armored, wheeled vehicle. The FOX is capable of
detecting NBC contamination, integrating contamination information
with data received from other on-board systems, and transmitting
contamination hazard and clear area intelligence to the tactical
operations centers and other battlefield entities. To train FOX
crews, AES installed and integrated the Close Combat Tactical
Trainer (CCTT) FOX simulator at Fort Hood. The CCTT is a networked
system of manned simulators, supported by emulators that support
collective training on a synthetic combined arms battlefield.
Woodhouse notes that, "CCTT is really about team operations…how does
a platoon of tanks maneuver with another platoon of tanks against an
opposing force." With the AES trainers, the FOX crews can be put
into virtual battlefields with hazards in the environment to teach
them how to interoperate with a maneuver force.
Recently, AES installed another simulator at the U.S. Army Chemical
School for crew training. At this facility, the FOX vehicles learn
how to operate in pairs in order to operate more effectively to map
battlefield contaminants.
Restoration of Operations
Another important area of simulation work for AES is in the
development of situational awareness tools for Restoration of
Operations (RESTOPS).
The
RESTOPS program furthers the development of technologies that
enhance U.S. forces' ability to survive and restore to full
operational capability after chemical and biological warfare
attacks.
As
applied to the real world, RESTOPS provides information technologies
that allow a forward airbase, for instance, to get back up to speed
and full sortie rate after a chem/bio attack. Key to restoring
operations is setting up procedures for assessing any chem/ bio
event and minimizing its impact. Working with the Air Force Research
Lab and the Soldier Biological Chemical Command, AES is modifying
existing tools to better address these important issues.
As
part of that process, AES is creating a situational awareness tool
for military bases, which combines a Geographic Information System
(GIS) coupled with a workflow database. Digitally connected sensors
are arrayed around a base and are combined into the GIS.
When
the sensors are activated, they are displayed on a map, giving a
commander a current view of the threat situation on his base. Built
into this map are additional layers of information such as the base
alarm state and the protective posture of his staff. The aggregation
of these sensors and ther data input builds a "picture of
prediction" of what is occurring and what the appropriate response
should be.
RESTOPS software is now being deployed across Pacific Air Force
bases.
Virtual Prototyping
AES
provides systems and technologies for chem/bio simulation in another
important area known as virtual prototyping. Virtual prototyping
technology enables the creation of a software-based platform that
can fully mirror the functionality of a physical system which can
then be evaluated without the fabrication of physical prototypes.
In
the development of a chem/bio sensor, for example, virtual
prototyping allows a computer to analyze the first order of
characteristics of a system. Woodhouse notes that, "Regardless of
the type of system, virtual prototyping brings the advantage of
being able to look at the characteristics of a system and drive
engineering down a more optimum path before you ever bend metal. Our
models are constantly getting better and our computers are getting
faster and in some cases we analyze the second order phenomena and
parameters of a system under development."
In
addition to the cost savings created by virtual prototyping, AES
simulation technologies can also save money in training. Most
battlefield chem/bio training is very expensive, especially when
putting out sensor arrays and teaching people how to use and
maintain them. Added to that is the fact that most chem/bio training
must use costly expendables. As Randolph notes, "You want to do as
much training as possible without using live agents or expendables.
With simulation, you can stimulate a sensor in a virtual manner. It
will act like it saw an actual event and then you can train people
in response tactics as if that sensor went off for real."
Counterproliferation Modeling &
Simulation
In
the area of counterproliferation, AES scientists are working on
developing modeling and simulation software code to test the
effectiveness of offensive scenarios to prevent the use of weapons
of mass destruction. AES' models are used by the Air Force to
compare the result of using various weapons against facilities used
to manufacture and store weapons of mass destruction and the
resultant neutralization and/or dispersion of these lethal agents.
Agent Transport Modeling
"Puff models" have been a standard method used by the chem/bio
community for many years to track chem/bio agents. These models
provide a reasonable answer in many cases. However they break down
when modeling agent transport in complex urban situations. AES
scientists have been developing new "particle-based" codes to
provide modeling for chem/bio agent dispersion in complex
environments. According to Vern Smith and Steve Diehl, Research
Scientists for AES, "We use a numerical technique involving the use
of tracer particles undergoing random-walk excursions to simulate
the gradient-transfer diffusion process. Using this technique, any
particle can go in any direction as dictated by the turbulence or
flow. We are not bound by puff model limitations."
Particle-based codes provide much higher fidelity in complex
situations. AES is currently pursuing this approach to develop a
detailed capability to model urban transport as well as the
transport of chem/bio agents throughout a building ventilation
system. Both of these efforts will help to understand the threat of
a chem/bio terrorist event in urban settings. Also in the works is
the continued development of an ITT AES IR&D project involving
"reverse transport" modeling. As Smith explains, "If sensors detect
the presence of a chem/ bio agent, we can run a code that will
provide information that gives us the highest probability of where
that agent came from and how much was released."
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