High Performance Computing Engine for Predictive Battlespace Awareness

A major advance in the application of simulation technology is to use analytical simulations dynamically, helping to predict the future and providing real-time decision support. In military terms, this means using simulations to provide Predictive Battlespace Awareness (PBA) and assistance to commanders trying to determine the best course of action (COA) to take in important situations. The foundation for such a system is what might be termed an "emulation"--a simulation running at wall-clock speed, continually being fed the latest information available, so that it mirrors the state of the battlefield. This provides a simulated version of the battlefield which can be used to glimpse the future and to assess possible COAs. In Phase I, we investigated the feasibility of various aspects of such a system and proposed a design based on Metron's parallel simulation framework, SPEEDES. Given the ability to run multiple parallel simulations simultaneously, this system will be able to exploit the massive computing power available in High-performance Computers (HPCs) or clusters to enhance PBA and make better decisions quicker. In Phase II, we propose to build a prototype system and test it using an analytical military simulation.