Brahms Contested Airspace Simulation Testbed (Brahms-CAST)

ABSTRACT: Remarkable advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and human-systems integration are providing aircrew with cockpit automation systems of unprecedented sophistication. Onboard intelligent assistants monitor the aircraft, interpret and carry out pilot commands, and advise the pilot (onboard or remote) as to aircraft and system status, mission progress, threats and alerts. Because pilots and agents are part of a network that may involve ambiguous communications and dynamic roles and responsibilities, Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2AD) raises significant implications for how aircrew can work with their intelligent associates. There is thus a need for concepts of operations (CONOPS), training, and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to combat the A2AD threat. Current approaches that employ models within simulations of an operating environment (OE) are not adequate to properly capture work practices of the socio-technical system. A2AD effects may disrupt discrete entities but can also have devastating effects on the way people and intelligent systems work together. An urgent need has surfaced for a more robust capability to simulate, test, predict, and evaluate how these human/agent teams can succeed when faced by both nominal and adverse conditions. We propose addressing this urgent need with an innovative application of a sophisticated and proven work practice analysis simulation.; BENEFIT: Results from this work will establish an approach to agent-based modeling that provides a powerful, activity-based approach that represents how functions are carried out in practice, including interactions among aircrew and associate systems. This will pave the way for experimentation, testing and training to research how pilots, remote pilots and their automation systems collaborate in contested environments. Commercial applications include Air Force and DoD agencies and commands with oversight of training, experimentation and testing, where operating in contested environments is an established need. Across DoD, other services have related needs for continuous operations in A2AD conditions as well as specific requirements, such as submarine or littoral operations. The need for manned/unmanned team training in counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, border protection, law enforcement and incident response presents commercial opportunities in other government sectors. Operations in the environment of space share exposure to risks much like those faced by the Air Force in conducting mixed human/autonomous operations under A2AD conditions. The capability for testing, training and validating team operations in any degraded environments that create contested-like conditions will enable a robust array of commercial opportunities.