White Papers
Defense
Phoenix Integration's suite of software is widely used throughout the defense industry. Application areas include:
Future Combat Systems (FCS)
Future Combat Systems (FCS) is a DARPA/Army collaborative program that employs a network centric system-of-systems architecture made up of manned and unmanned ground and air platforms. The FCS program goal is to design a strategic force that provides an optimum balance between critical performance factors, including ground platform strategic, operational and tactical mobility; lethality; survivability; and sustainability. Using a system-of-systems design architecture made up of modeling, simulation and experimentation, the FCS corps will be able to adjust according to a changing set of missions as the deployment progresses.
The Phoenix Solution
Achieving the FCS goal becomes an exercise in exploring a design space of numerous options, brought about by combining multiple capabilities with multiple threats. Phoenix Integration's ModelCenter software provides the ideal environment for merging multiple variables into a cohesive model to determine the optimum solution.
To achieve the FCS goal, Phoenix developed a model that selected the appropriate military technology while using cost as a key driver. Within the example model, platforms become nodes in a grid that can be engaged based on tactical command and control. Designers can then utilize the model to understand how their system (platform/sensor/shooter) fits into an overall grid and the sensitivity of that system to cost and performance.
Missile Defense
Although the danger of a global conflict has been diminished by the conclusion of the Cold War, the threat from foreign missiles continues to grow as more become available on a wider scale. In response to that threat, the U.S. Department of Defense has made Missile Defense research and development a top priority.
The Phoenix Solution
Collaborative design teams at SGI and NASA Langley Research Center used ModelCenter for multi-disciplinary optimization and process integration for an Air Borne Laser (ABL) Optical Bench. ABL is a laser weapon system that is designed to autonomously detect, track and destroy hostile ballistic missiles in the boost phase. ABL operates above the clouds, where it will destroy a missile before the separation of its warheads.
Network Centric Systems
"Network Centric Warfare - Moving away from platform-centric operations and toward networking the decision makers regardless of location, networking sensors regardless of platform, and networking shooters regardless of service."
-- NAVAIR, FORCENet
In order to defeat new worldwide threats and in order to respond with more agility to these threats, the armed forces are moving towards a "Network Centric" System-of-Systems architecture. For engineers, the design problem becomes an exercise in exploring a design space of numerous options, brought about by combining multiple capabilities with multiple threats.
The Phoenix Solution
Phoenix Integration developed a Network Centric System architecture within ModelCenter with a grid framework. Within ModelCenter, platforms become nodes in a grid that can be engaged based on tactical command and control. In addition, a genetic algorithm optimizer plays a crucial role by making discrete system component choices. Designers can then utilize the model to understand how their system (platform/sensor/shooter) fits into an overall grid and the sensitivity of that system to cost and performance.
Designing for Network Centric Systems includes integrating numerous dissimilar platforms and systems into a unified scenario. Each system has it's own unique analysis or simulation tool that must be factored in as part of the engineering decision making process.
Provided below are various defense publications from Phoenix and our customers.
