A Fully Networked C3I Visualization System

Command, control and communication capabilities are the eyes, ears, and voices for the National command Authorities and are the critical components of the Force xxi directives of the Army and the Joint staff. Advanced communications and information portrayal technologies are required to collect, analyze and distribute Army command and Control System (ACCS) data, as well as combine it with data from joint and multi-national forces. integrated, fast-moving operations will benefit from an integrated battlespace visualization which structures the underlying, abstract information needed during a deployment and presents its complexity in understandable, visual symbols. This proposal seeks to explore C31 systems that are integrated, interoperable and deliver a greater depth of situational awareness across echelons. The objectives of this project are to develop a standardized visual grammar and a robust, networked communications system which provides the ability to meld the diverse information flows needed to coordinate integrated operations. Expressing data as graphical metaphors in an interactive, immersive 3-D environment creates a medium for simplifying large amounts of battlefield data, allowing soldiers to analyze and act on data more quickly and effectively. The Principal investigator will address the Navy's top level need for innovative information management and real-time communications network technologies.