Blue Force Readiness, Activity, and Capability Modeling Engine (BlueFRAME)

ABSTRACT: In the modern complex battlespace, US forces must operate in a coordinated fashion across organizational and functional lines. Despite the increasing sophistication of information systems supporting them, Warfighters are confronted with stovepipes and infoglut, making it difficult access Blue Force (BLUFOR) information satisfying their needs. Additionally, current command and control systems are unable to represent and communicate complete situation models, including plan- and context-dependent readiness and capability information. Without such BLUFOR situation awareness, decision-making and planning will be degraded. Having successfully completed a Phase I effort to assess feasibility, Charles River Analytics proposes to develop and evaluate a full-scope prototype for a Blue Force Readiness, Activity, and Capability Modeling Engine (BlueFRAME). Our approach includes four components: (1) a representation capability that can capture complex situation models including concepts and associations; (2) an inference capability that analyzes and projects BLUFOR readiness and capabilities based on expressed and inductively inferred knowledge; (3) algorithms for assessing and employing value and cost meta-information in managing BLUFOR information use; and (4) a Composable Warfighter Interface to support situation awareness. During Phase II, we will create a BlueFRAME prototype that leverages in-house and external commercial off-the-shelf products to incrementally deliver a valuable decision support capability. BENEFIT: The research performed under this effort will have immediate benefit to Air Operations Center Weapon System (AOC WS) and its configuration across multiple regional and functional AOCs. Additionally, advances in this area of situation modeling and analysis could help in other military domains across air, maritime, ground, and space operations. This research will also have direct application to enhance our commercial DRIVE product, a software development kit for geospatial visualization.