Proceedings Article | 19 September 2009
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Defense and security, Defense technologies, Information security, Radar, Telecommunications, Control systems, Data fusion, System integration, Cameras
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) defines 'force protection' as "preventive measures taken to mitigate
hostile actions against DoD personnel (to include family members), resources, facilities, and critical information."
Advanced technologies enable significant improvements in automating and distributing situation awareness, optimizing
operator time, and improving sustainability, which enhance protection and lower costs. The JFPASS Joint Capability
Technology Demonstration (JCTD) demonstrates a force protection environment that combines physical security and
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) defense through the application of integrated
command and control and data fusion. The JFPASS JCTD provides a layered approach to force protection by
integrating traditional sensors used in physical security, such as video cameras, battlefield surveillance radars, unmanned
and unattended ground sensors. The optimization of human participation and automation of processes is achieved by
employment of unmanned ground vehicles, along with remotely operated lethal and less-than-lethal weapon systems.
These capabilities are integrated via a tailorable, user-defined common operational picture display through a data fusion
engine operating in the background. The combined systems automate the screening of alarms, manage the information
displays, and provide assessment and response measures. The data fusion engine links disparate sensors and systems,
and applies tailored logic to focus the assessment of events. It enables timely responses by providing the user with
automated and semi-automated decision support tools. The JFPASS JCTD uses standard communication/data exchange
protocols, which allow the system to incorporate future sensor technologies or communication networks, while
maintaining the ability to communicate with legacy or existing systems.
