USAF Modeling and Simulation

Abstract

United States Air Force (USAF) Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Program Element (PE) is broken into four thrust areas: Modeling and Simulation Foundations, Accelerated Acquisition, New and Emerging Warfighting Capabilities, and Warfighter Readiness. It directly supports Air Force, Joint, Coalition composite training and rehearsal, concept development, and acquisition and testing through model and simulation development; as well as the integration of these across and within Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environments. This program focuses on support of Department of Defense (DoD) Training Transformation (T2), acquisition excellence initiatives, and foundational capabilities needed for interoperability, accessibility, reuse, and scalability. It allows the authoritative portrayal of new and emerging Air Force capabilities within Army, Navy, Marines, OSD, interagency, and coalition LVC environments; as well as reciprocating their capabilities within our Air Force LVC environments. LVC environments today are used as the most cost effective means to meet mission needs, the most practical means, and sometimes the only way. In support of the DoD T2 initiative, USAF M&S program thrust areas develop and modernize models and simulations that are the constructive backbone of Air Force and Joint Training and Rehearsal. Once these models and simulations are developed, they are integrated across training LVC environments for use by Major and Combatant Commands. This development and integration is imperative to ensure that air, space, and cyberspace training and mission rehearsal activities are supported with realistic, interoperable, and readily available tools, data, and services. These, in turn, enable joint, coalition, and interagency training required to prepare forces for combat by generating the air and space picture for the Air and Space Operations Center (AOC), Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC), and Joint Force Commander in combat exercises; training over 30,000 personnel per year in exercises (e.g., Ulchi Freedom Guardian, Red & Blue Flags, Unified Endeavor, etc). These programs also provide the current foundational environment that enables warfighters to interact with high-fidelity tactical cockpit simulators, like 5th Gen and beyond, which replicate High Demand/Low Density platforms that are often unavailable for training due to real-world operations; while simultaneously linking it to warfighters using their current command and control systems 1,000 miles away and the constructive simulations being run from key operational wargaming and simulation centers worldwide. USAF M&S is integral to inter-agency Homeland Defense exercises chartered to train combat units tasked to protect the Homeland, including the National Capital Region (exercise Amalgam Arrow); generates equipment and manpower efficiencies by using simulations which reduce fuel consumption, aircraft wear and tear, and manpower costs. In support of the DoD drive to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its enterprise-wide acquisition business processes, the USAF M&S PE develops and supports enhancements to models, simulations, tools, and the LVC infrastructure to provide for system-of-systems M&S capabilities across the lifecycle, reduce developmental costs, and minimize risks. These capabilities support the acquisition process from concept development through test and evaluation. This program is in Budget Activity 7 - Operational System Development because it provides RDT&E funding for major USAF Modeling and Simulation efforts.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2011
• Source ID: 0207601F_7_3600_PB_2011
• Change Summary Explanation: The change between the FY 2011 President's previous and current budget is due to a reprogramming adjustments to meet higher Air Force priorities.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• C4I
• Electronic Warfare
• Energy and Power Technologies
• Human Systems
• Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Defense
• Air Force
• Command And Control Systems
• Data Links
• Department Of Defense
• Electronic Warfare
• Information Operations
• Military Science
• Simulations
• Simulators
• Systems Engineering
• Tactical Data Links
• Test And Evaluation
• Training
• Unified Combatant Commands
• Warfare

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Military Training and Readiness Simulation

Technology Areas

• Cyber
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space