Computer Algorithms and Models/Simulations

"With pressure to shorten acquisition cycles, provide more capability, and reduce costs, the Department of Defense (DoD) has initiated acquisition reforms. One effort that supports these reforms is known as Simulation Based Acquisition (SBA) - a process inwhich DoD and Industry are enabled by robust, collaborative use of simulation technology integrated across acquisition phases and programs. The heart of SBA is a distributed collaborative decision support (DCDS) environment. DCDS entails the applicationof advanced distributed modeling and simulation, information science, and engineering tools in an integrated framework. This multi-phase SBIR provides a DCDS environment and affordability assessment tools which can be used to not only evaluate theaffordability technology investments but also to evaluate the utility of the MDA systems under evaluation. DoD's acquisition community has a problem that is also common to many businesses: determine how to optimize return on investment (ROI) fortechnologies. Decisions to invest in technologies that appear to have large performance potentials but do not deliver the desirable ROI, cost millions in lost opportunities. In their effort to develop and produce systems better, cheaper and faster, manylarge industries, aerospace and automotive, are moving to virtual digital design environments. The objective of this research project is to provide a distributed collaborative decision support environme