This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7348, including the Title Page, Copyright information, table of Contents, Introduction (if any), and the Conference Committee listing.

The output of a sensor network intended to detect events or objects generally comprises evidentiary reports of features in the environment that may correspond to those phenomena. Signals from multiple sensors are commonly fused to maximize fidelity of detection through for example synergy between different modes of detection, or simple confirmation. We have previously demonstrated the ability to calculate the meaning of a location report as a probability distribution over potential ground truths by using a stochastic process algebraic model compiled to a discrete-state, continuous-time Markov chain, and performing a transient analysis which resembles the process of parameterizing a Bayesian network. We introduce an approach to representing temporal fusion of multiple heterogeneous sensor detections with different modalities and timing characteristics using a stochastic process algebra. This facilitates analysis of probabilistic properties of the system, and inclusion of those properties into larger models. The formal models are translated into continuous time Markov chains, which provide an important trade-off between the approximation of timing information against complexity of analysis. This is vital to the investigation of analytic computation in real world problems. We illustrate this with an example detection-oriented sensing service model emphasizing the impact of timing. Detection probability and confidence is an essential aspect of the quality of information delivered by a sensing service. The present work is part of an effort to develop a formal event detection calculus that captures the essence of sensor information relating to events, such that features and dependencies can be exploited in re-usable, extendible compositional models.

Thales-Raytheon Systems' Firefinder PC Simulation (PCS) tool allows a rapid simulated evaluation of Firefinder radar performance from a personal desktop computer. Firefinder radars are designed to track hostile rocket, artillery and mortar projectiles in order to accurately estimate weapon ground location. The Firefinder tactical code is used within PCS. This design provides a low risk path to rapid prototyping and evaluation of candidate software changes. PCS is used to evaluate candidate software changes to the Firefinder. Candidate design changes which perform well in PCS testing require minimum system level checkout before being checked into the tactical software baseline. The PCS tool contains a simulation engine which reads program control information from input data files. The PCS tool also generates and maintains simulated targets and clutter, simulates the radar signal processing function, performs Monte-Carlo "batch" processing, produces complex target trajectories internally or from an input text file and creates simulation data recording files identical in format to those created by the actual radar. This paper summarizes the capabilities of the Firefinder PCS and the additional of false location reduction features to the simulation.

The Irma synthetic signature prediction code is being developed by the Munitions Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RWGG) to facilitate the research and development of advanced weapon seekers Irma began as a high-resolution, physics-based infrared (IR) target and background signature model for tactical weapon applications and has grown to include: a laser (or active) channel (1990), improved scene generator to support correlated frame-to-frame imagery (1992), and a passive IR/millimeter wave (MMW) channel for a co-registered active/passive IR/MMW model (1994). Irma version 5.0 was released in 2000 and encompassed several upgrades to both the physical models and software; host support was expanded to Windows, Linux, Solaris, and SGI Irix platforms. In 2005, version 5.1 was released after extensive verification and validation of an upgraded and reengineered ladar channel. In 2007, version 5.2 was released with a reengineered passive channel. The current Irma development effort is focused on the reengineering of the radar channel with an expected release of Irma 5.3 in 2009. This paper reports on two of the radar modes expected to be supported in the radar channel: the fuze mode and the spotlight synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode.

One of the key aspects for the design of a next generation weapon system is the need to operate in cluttered and complex urban environments. Simulation systems rely on accurate representation of these environments and require automated software tools to construct the underlying 3D geometry and associated spectral and material properties that are then formatted for various objective seeker simulation systems. Under an Air Force Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract, we have developed an automated process to generate 3D urban environments with user defined properties. These environments can be composed from a wide variety of source materials, including vector source data, pre-existing 3D models, and digital elevation models, and rapidly organized into a geo-specific visual simulation database. This intermediate representation can be easily inspected in the visible spectrum for content and organization and interactively queried for accuracy. Once the database contains the required contents, it can then be exported into specific synthetic scene generation runtime formats, preserving the relationship between geometry and material properties. To date an exporter for the Irma simulation system developed and maintained by AFRL/Eglin has been created and a second exporter to Real Time Composite Hardbody and Missile Plume (CHAMP) simulation system for real-time use is currently being developed. This process supports significantly more complex target environments than previous approaches to database generation. In this paper we describe the capabilities for content creation for advanced seeker processing algorithms simulation and sensor stimulation, including the overall database compilation process and sample databases produced and exported for the Irma runtime system. We also discuss the addition of object dynamics and viewer dynamics within the visual simulation into the Irma runtime environment.

An integrated array computational imaging system, dubbed PERIODIC, is presented which is capable of exploiting a diverse variety of optical information including sub-pixel displacements, phase, polarization, intensity, and wavelength. Several applications of this technology will be presented including digital superresolution, enhanced dynamic range and multi-spectral imaging. Other applications include polarization based dehazing, extended depth of field and 3D imaging. The optical hardware system and software algorithms are described, and sample results are shown.

Digital lock-in algorithms are routinely used to detect and measure very small AC signals acquired through digital signal analysis equipment, even if the signal may be obscured by coherent or incoherent noise sources many thousands of times larger. Unfortunately, these algorithms are iterative, normally quite complicated in functionality, and utilize digital filters which require large time constants if operating at low frequencies. We have developed passive millimeter-wave imaging systems which have application in defense, security and safety applications. Passive millimeter-wave imaging is challenging in that the amount of energy measured from a scene at these wavelengths is 10⁸ times smaller than energies emitted from terrestrial objects when viewed in the infrared region. As a result, the small measured signal is buried deep in the noise floor. Our imaging systems rely on single pixel rasterizing, where it is desired that the computational time per pixel be small and fixed to avoid spatial resolution problems, but iterative algorithms create spatial registration problems and large time-constant digital filters result in greater than desired total scan times due to longer pixel acquisition periods. A digital lock-in algorithm utilizing a closed form least squares method was developed to resolve these issues. The result was the elimination of digital filtering with their time constants and the replacement of iterative routines with a fixed time computational model where the overhead per pixel was shortened by more than 103. This novel algorithmic approach is portable and can be used wherever digital lock-in is currently utilized.

The acquisition of high-resolution imagery is necessary in a wide variety of fields, such as intelligence gathering, surveillance, and other defense applications. The quality of footage typically determines the usefulness of the obtained information, yet, the use of low-resolution imaging devices may be unavoidable under circumstances where highresolution equipment is unavailable or impossible to deploy. In these scenarios, super resolution methods can be applied to recover lost detail. These methods generally use computationally intense routines to process a series of low-resolution input frames in order to generate a higher-resolution output. Because of the algorithms' computational intensity, realtime operation for moderately-sized frames cannot be realized using general-purpose CPU technology. Modern graphics processing units (GPUs) offer computational performance that far exceeds current CPU technology, allowing real-time operation to be achieved. This paper presents the development of a GPU-accelerated super resolution implementation. The algorithm presented here employs gradient-based registration, weighted nearest neighbor (WNN) interpolation techniques, and Wiener filtering. This accelerated implementation performs at speeds 40 times that of a conventional a CPU implementation, and achieves processing rates suitable for valuable real-time applications.

Close Air Support (CAS) is the use of air power in close proximity to friendly forces against enemy combatants. CAS requires precise and detailed communication between the personnel on the ground and the air vehicles. To be useful, a network simulation should be a superposition on the planning simulations for these activities. In a CAS mission, all of the above activities are critical. A hypothetical CAS mission is modeled as an "as is" solution with stove-piped communications and a "to be" network enabled solution. A co-simulation laboratory using OPNET with SITL (SYSTEM in the Loop, cosim, JFORCES (Joint Force Operational Readiness Combat Effectiveness Simulator), and JSAF (Joint Semi-Automated Forces) simulation system is described.

This paper presents a new methodology for assessing the risks associated with the level of Verification, Validation and Accreditation (VV&A) of a given Model and/or Simulation when used in support of major decisions. As stated by DoD Instruction 5000.61 , "It is DoD policy that: Models and Simulations (M&S) used to support major DoD decision-making organizations and processes shall be accredited for that specific purpose by the DoD Component M&S Application Sponsor." This Instruction applies to "All models and simulations developed, used, or managed by the DoD Components after the effective date of this Instruction." The requirements cited above have set the need for VV&A of M&S at the forefront of concerns for DoD and DoD-Components acquisition personnel. When an acquisition program involves a large number of models, cost associated with VV&A can become enormous. There is a need therefore to have a systematic approach for assessing and prioritizing the risks associated with the level to which individual models have been verified, validated, and accredited. To provide decision makers with a judicious way for determining the risks associated with using a given M&S, and the extent to which VV&A work will be needed to meet these requirements, we have developed a methodology for assessing the risks associated with the level of VV&A of a given M&S when used to support decision-making. This approach parallels the formal DoD Risk Assessment procedure, but with application to the use of M&S, as it relates to VV&A. Risks associated with the levels of VV&A are evaluated and assessed based on the following criteria: - Likelihood of the M&S being inaccurate and/or inappropriate for the application. - Consequences of the M&S being inaccurate and/or inappropriate for the application. - Importance of the (acquisition) decision supported by the M&S. - Level of Reliance of the (acquisition) decision on the M&S. The assessment results are used to classify individual models into three risk categories (Red for High Risk, Yellow for Medium Risk, and Green for Low Risk). All models classified as High Risk, are subjected to further analysis and recommendations made as to further work needed to reduce the risk to an acceptable level through formal VV&A. Models assessed as Medium Risk are also further evaluated and recommendations made with regards to the need for further risk mitigation. Models rated Low Risk are either not of primary importance in supporting the (acquisition) decisions being made, or they may have been assessed to have been satisfactorily verified, validated, and possibly accredited to an acceptable level.

One of the first challenges in addressing the need for Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Verification, Validation, & Accreditation (VV&A) is to develop an approach for applying structured and formalized VV&A processes. The P-8A Poseidon Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) Program Modeling and Simulation Accreditation Strategy documents the P-8A program's approach to VV&A. The P-8A strategy tailors a risk-based approach and leverages existing bodies of knowledge, such as the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office Recommended Practice Guide (DMSO RPG), to make the process practical and efficient. As the program progresses, the M&S team must continue to look for ways to streamline the process, add supplemental steps to enhance the process, and identify and overcome procedural, organizational, and cultural challenges. This paper includes some of the basics of the overall strategy, examples of specific approaches that have worked well, and examples of challenges that the M&S team has faced.

To foster shared battlespace awareness among air strategy planners, BAE Systems has developed Commander's Model Integration and Simulation Toolkit (CMIST), an Integrated Development Environment for authoring, integration, validation, and debugging of models relating multiple domains, including political, military, social, economic and information. CMIST provides a unified graphical user interface for such systems of systems modeling, spanning several disparate modeling paradigms. Here, we briefly review the CMIST architecture and then compare modeling results using two approaches to intent modeling. The first uses reactive agents with simplified behavior models that apply rule-based triggers to initiate actions based solely on observations of the external world at the current time in the simulation. The second method models proactive agents running an embedded CMIST simulation representing their projection of how events may unfold in the future in order to take early preventative action. Finally, we discuss a recent extension to CMIST that incorporates Temporal Bayesian Knowledge Bases for more sophisticated models of adversarial intent that are capable of inferring goals and future actions given evidence of current actions at particular times.

Military organizations embed information systems and networking technologies into their core mission processes as a means to increase operational efficiency, improve decision making quality, and shorten the "kill chain". Unfortunately, this dependence can place the mission at risk when the loss or degradation of the confidentiality, integrity, availability, non-repudiation, or authenticity of a critical information resource or flow occurs. Since the accuracy, conciseness, and timeliness of the information used in command decision making processes impacts the quality of these decisions, and hence, the operational mission outcome; it is imperative to explicitly recognize, quantify, and document critical missioninformation dependencies in order to gain a true appreciation of operational risk. We conjecture what is needed is a structured process to provide decision makers with real-time awareness of the status of critical information resources and timely notification of estimated mission impact, from the time an information incident is declared, until the incident is fully remediated. In this paper, we discuss our initial research towards the development of a mission impact estimation engine which fuses information from subject matter experts, historical mission impacts, and explicit mission models to provide the ability to estimate the mission impacts resulting from an information incident in real-time.

Since developing and promoting a Pacific Rim community emergency response simulation software platform called RimSim, the PARVAC team at the University of Washington has developed a variety of first responder agents who can participate within a response simulation. Agents implement response heuristics and communications strategies in conjunction with live players trying to develop their own heuristics and communications strategies to participate in a successful community response crisis. The effort is facilitated by shared visualization of the affected geographical extent. We present initial findings from interacting with a wide variety of mixed agent simulation sessions and make the software available for others to perform their own experiments.

This paper describes the application of a new parallel and distributed modeling and simulation technology known as HyperWarpSpeed to facilitate the decision-making process in a time-critical simulated Command and Control environment. HyperWarpSpeed enables the exploration of multiple decision branches at key decision points within a single simulation execution. Whereas the traditional Monte Carlo approach re-computes the majority of calculations for each run, HyperWarpSpeed shares computations between the parallel behaviors resulting in run times that are potentially orders of magnitude faster.

Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) is essentially a type of networked training that pulls in participants from all the armed services and, increasingly, allies to permit them to "game" and rehearse highly complex campaigns, using a mix of local, distant, and virtual players. The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is pursuing Science and Technology (S&T) solutions to address technical challenges associated with distributed communications and information management as DMO continues to progressively scale up the number, diversity, and geographic dispersal of participants in training and rehearsal exercises.

In this paper, we describe the design and development of the NeoCITIES Simulation task environment. The enhanced NeoCITIES environment allows repeatable experiments in which artifacts are introduced to improve team performance and measure quantities such as inference accuracy as a function of crisis tempo, data rate, decision complexity and individual factors such as induced stress. NeoCITIES was developed to study the effectiveness of cognitive artifacts within a simulated command and control environment. This paper describes the initial results of a human in the loop experiment to quantify the effects of data overload on human analyst performance. The experiment involves the introduction of cognitive aids to support improved team coordination and understanding of team-member interactions in a simulated extreme events scenario.

The objective of mission training exercises is to immerse the trainees into an environment that enables them to train like they would fight. The integration of modeling and simulation environments that can seamlessly leverage Live systems, and Virtual or Constructive models (LVC) as they are available offers a flexible and cost effective solution to extending the "war-gaming" environment to a realistic mission experience while evolving the development of the net-centric enterprise. From concept to full production, the impact of new capabilities on the infrastructure and concept of operations, can be assessed in the context of the enterprise, while also exposing them to the warfighter. Training is extended to tomorrow's tools, processes, and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs). This paper addresses the challenges of a net-centric modeling and simulation environment that is capable of representing a net-centric enterprise. An overview of the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Airborne Networking Component Architecture Simulation Environment (AN-CASE) is provide as well as a discussion on how it is being used to assess technologies for the purpose of experimenting with new infrastructure mechanisms that enhance the scalability and reliability of the distributed mission operations environment.

Traditionally, terrain profilers have been evaluated based on their ability to reproduce measurements made from some reference device (e.g., a rod and level). The measurement error inherent in these reference measurements has become significant as terrain profilers have become more accurate. The fundamental technical challenge in the design of terrain profilers is the removal of vehicle body motion from the height sensor measurement. The objective of this work is to develop design criteria for an excitation event that will quantitatively highlight the abilities and inadequacies of terrain profilers by testing the profilers under adverse measurement conditions. The design of a characteristic excitation event must fulfill two requirements. First, the event should excite the terrain profiler chassis at its primary ride and wheel-hop frequencies. Using these first two ride frequencies and the suspension damping ratio, relationships are developed that relate these parameters to the geometric excitation event dimensions. The terrain profiler's test velocity is also determined based on these frequencies. Second, the excitation event should be simple, light, inexpensive, and reproducible to ensure that it is used. The result of this work is an excitation event that insures that the terrain profiler will be excited to its highest attainable amplitude (near resonance). This excitation event provides the first step in developing an accuracy test for modern terrain profilers.

As computational power builds to meet the needs of ground vehicle designers, the focus has begun to shift from laboratory testing of prototype parts and subsystems to computational simulations of the vehicle. In the automotive and defense industries, large strides have been made in simulating full vehicle responses, such as durability. These simulations are most meaningful when excited by proper mathematical models that accurately characterize the terrain. It is important to understand the roughness indices that are used to judge the terrain profiles. The state-of-the-art in terrain characterization and modeling is reviewed in this work for models including Power Spectral Density (PSD), Markov Chains, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Parametric Road Spectrum (PRS), Shifted Spatial Range Spectrum (SSR), Direct Spectrum Estimation (DSE) and Transformed Direct Spectrum Estimation (TrDSE). The applicability, limitations, and benefits of these models are assessed based on their effectiveness in capturing the stochastic nature of the terrain being characterized. A discussion of terrain characterization usage to advance reliability testing concludes this work as an example of the applicability of this technology.

The modern graphics processing unit (GPU) found in many off-the shelf personal computers is a very high performance computing engine that often goes unutilized. The tremendous computing power coupled with reasonable pricing has made the GPU a topic of interest in recent research. An application for such power would be the solution to large systems of linear equations. Two popular solution domains are direct solution, via the LU decomposition, and iterative solution, via a solver such as the Generalized Method of Residuals (GMRES). Our research focuses on the acceleration of such processes, utilizing the latest in GPU technologies. We show performance that exceeds that of a standard computer by an order of magnitude, thus significantly reducing the run time of the numerous applications that depend on the solution of a set of linear equations.

The implementation of massive network architectures like the Global Information Grid coupled with the introduction of Internet Protocol Version 6 will change the way in which modeling and simulations will be conducted. Also, emergent requirements for testing and training will dictate changes to current M&S practices and techniques. This paper presents a survey of the future M&S requirements and technologies that must be explored to ensure that M&S is able to support future applications.

A power supply might have passed the MIL standards, however retrofitting it into a system may still have compatibility issues. To investigate such issues in power supplies fitted in a fighter aircraft, modeling and simulations of one such power supply is carried out with the help of PSPICE. Conducted EMI performance of this power supply is analyzed and various steps towards EMI mitigation, like use of snubber circuits and RC gate control, are studied with the help of simulations. The DC bus is modeled by taking into account the transmission line parameters. When power supplies having high frequency switching rates are connected across this DC bus, they generate switching reflections. The interaction between these inter-connected on board power supplies produces time varying loads whose sudden rise and fall times generate high frequency signals on the common DC bus voltage, which, in turn, causes increased EMI. An experimental set-up is established in the laboratory to verify the simulation results. All the results of this study are presented. It is observed that by proper modeling and with the help of simulation tools, the EMI issues can be studied at the design stage itself which saves both time and costs, as there is no need to construct a prototype for EMI investigations.

In this paper, we present novel designs for all optical analog-to-digital converters simulated and realized in photonic crystal platforms. The designs presented were implemented on both photonic bandgap based structures as well as self collimation based structures. Numerical simulation results as well as fabrication results are also included. Characterization results validate the designs presented for a functional all optical two bit analog to digital converters in photonic crystals. The design presented can be further scaled to higher resolution conversion as well as to no optical frequencies if necessary.