Private simulation networks in use with several US aerospace companies are close to being linked together, opening the way for more comprehensive tests of network-centric operations concepts.
On 29 June, the Boeing Integration Center (BIC) in Arlington, Virginia was unveiled as the second of two hubs of an internal modelling, simulation and analysis network. Close to the Pentagon, the new centre allows visitors to tap into Boeing's distributed network of weapons simulators.
The BIC's capabilities were cited as a potential reason for Boeing's victory in the US Navy's Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft competition, and reflects "what our customer's expectations are driving us to," says Carl O'Berry, vice-president of Boeing Strategic Architecture, which operates the BICs.
The customer is the US military, he adds, and its ultimate goal is to connect the BIC with simulation networks owned by other companies, such as Northrop Grumman's Cyber-Warfare Integration Network. "We all have that same goal," says Northrop Grumman.
An aerospace industry consortium assigned to develop and enforce standards and protocols for a common network is in the final stages of negotiation, says Boeing.
The consortium's standards will lead to an open network architecture, available to all US and offshore companies wishing to join the network.
The effort reflects the US military's interest in applying network-centric operations on the battlefield to training systems and wargaming studies. Northrop Grumman, for example, likes the idea of building a single network with multiple simulation nodes as it tests various operational uses for the developmental E-10A Multi-sensor Command and Control Aircraft, which includes a full battle management suite.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
