CHI Systems, Inc. awarded Lockheed Martin a $600,000, two-year follow-on contract to continue development of the Debriefing Distributed Simulation-Based Exercises (DDSBE) program. This brings Lockheed Martin's total program value to $1.1 million.

Funded by the Office of Naval Research and managed by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Orlando, DDSBE will combine Lockheed Martin's expertise in cutting-edge learning and training technologies with its integration experience in advanced, embedded and simulation-based training systems. The result will enable distributed teams of Naval aviators to train as they fight. The system also will enable instructors to recognize patterns of team performance and evaluate team proficiency.

For the follow-on effort, the program will develop technologies - including automated, distributed, team-performance observation; automated assessment integration; and evaluation infrastructures - to automatically assess, diagnose, and assist in debriefing team performance. It will also develop, integrate and demonstrate a multi-team prototype system for testing with Navy operational and instructional personnel. The program will include distributed, multi-team simulation environments with E-2C Hawkeyes and F/A-18 Hornets performing coordinated mission exercises through a federation of simulators.

The DDSBE team recently completed the initial development effort when Naval personnel successfully demonstrated and validated a prototype system at Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories. The system automatically and semi-automatically collected and assessed data on a command-and-control team prosecuting a strike mission in an E-2C Hawkeye equipment simulator.

"Our continuing development will enable the DDSBE program to create an intelligent framework uniquely tailored to the performance evaluation and debriefing of multiple distributed teams," said Dr. Peter Bilazarian, principal investigator, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories.

NAVAIR plans to transition DDSBE into the Navy's advanced Distributed Mission Training Test Beds and into active Naval aviation and surface training environments.

"Our technology will let teams train on their own simulators and platforms, while enhancing crucial distributed team coordination skills," said Bilazarian. "This may produce millions of dollars in savings for the Defense Department over the cost of always using live exercises to train."

The DDSBE team includes CHI Systems, Inc., as prime contractor; Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories; Aptima, Inc.; Micro Analysis and Design, Inc.; and Sonalysts, Inc.

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in research, design, development, manufacture, and integration of advanced technology systems, products, and services.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin