Improving 'Human Element' in 21st Century Warfighting

Applying 'Human Performance' research advances live and simulation-based combat training

Woburn, Mass - December 14, 2009 --[ASDWire]-- As military missions, and the weapons and information systems that support them grow more complex, can warfighters keep up with these escalating combat and technology demands? Aptima, the Massachusetts-based R&D firm specializing in human-centered engineering, is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research - two DoD agencies focused on improving human performance - to develop new performance measurement and training technologies to better prepare individual warfighters, combat teams, and larger joint-mission forces for the complexities of high-tech, information-intensive warfare.

Whether commanding a submarine, leading a formation of jet fighters, or operating a complex command and control center, the ability for humans to execute the right decisions under stress can define a mission's success. Aptima's scientific research of human performance in numerous military settings is being applied to the following real-world requirements:

Air Force LVC Training -- STASH in Action:
As the U.S. military migrates to an integrated mix of field and simulated or virtual training, the Air Force Research Laboratory in Mesa, Arizona, is working to improve the effectiveness of these blended training exercises by pioneering the science of human performance measurement for live, virtual, and constructive (i.e., agent-driven) (LVC) training. Aptima is supporting this effort by developing STASH (the System for Tracking, Assessing, and Standardizing Human-performance), a software technology to manage the measurement and assessment of warfighter skills across diverse training environments.

In a LVC training exercise, which could include a distributed network of live aircraft, manned simulators, and simulated friendly and enemy forces, the ability to collect and integrate data across these different settings to effectively measure and understand how distributed participants perform their missions (oftentimes in a coordinated manner) does not exist. This limits the ability of trainers to provide the feedback needed to correct weaknesses and improve trainee competencies. STASH will address these challenges, particularly within virtual training environments, by managing the collection, combination, and interpretation of dissimilar performance data into a coherent, integrated dashboard view of trainee performance. Ultimately, STASH will contribute to improving assessments of trainee and team performance, as well as aid in the identification of training gaps.

Deep Research for the Navy: Human and Submarine
Aptima's research is also leading to new technologies to measure and train submarine commanders and their crews. These teams require extraordinary decision-making to safely operate and maneuver nuclear subs while relying on electronic sensors and information displays as their virtual eyes and ears. Aptima is working with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on its "Exceptional Expertise for Submarine Command Team Decision Making" (E2SCDM) contract, funded through the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, to better prepare sailors for the sophisticated, information-rich, submarine environment.

Submarine command teams face unique challenges in the underwater battle space, where they're required to operate stealthily while avoiding other marine craft and objects in a sightless environment. The enormity of this challenge is evidenced by collisions over the years between submarines and other objects.

The E2SCDM project continues Aptima's earlier work conducted with PMS-425, and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI, as an SBIR Phase II contract. That project, DIVES (Data Integration for Validation and Effectiveness of Systems), measured and evaluated the performance of sailors whose jobs require monitoring complex information displays and passing critical communications to commanders. Work in DIVES both assessed the functions of these sailors, and also the effectiveness of prototype display and sensor technologies they were using - ultimately helping to inform submarine design. Work on the E2SCDM program extends this earlier work by specifically addressing how to measure and enhance command team decision making.

Source : Aptima, Inc. - click here for more information