DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SELECTS TWELVE ADVANCED CONCEPT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONSFOR FISCAL YEAR 1996
The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Advanced Technology has selected
twelve Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs) for initiation in
Fiscal Year 1996. Final approval for actual initiation will be contingent upon
completion of detailed planning and availability of funding for both the
Service and Agency technology programs, which will be leveraged, and ACTD
integrating funds in the 1996 budget.
The ACTD program was introduced in 1994 as a means of timely, cost effective
introduction of new capabilities. Fundamental to the ACTD process is rapid
integration of maturing technologies to address critical military needs. The
initiative is driven in all phases by strong operational user involvement. The
goal of each ACTD is to address a critical military need, allow the user to
demonstrate and evaluate the capabilities and potential of new technologies in
actual military exercises and operations and, provide the user the soundest
basis possible for investment decision prior to committing to formal
acquisition.
The ACTDs selected for initiation in Fiscal Year 1996 have completed a review
process which included detailed examination and input from the Joint
Warfighting Capability Assessment (JWCA) teams, assessment by the "Breakfast
Club" with representatives of both the Science and Technology and the
operations side of each Service, and review by the Joint Requirement Oversight
Council (JROC). This process was established to ensure that the ACTDs and the
technologies included in each will address critical warfighting needs.
The ACTDs selected for initiation in Fiscal Year 1996 include:
- Combat ID - Logistical (Total Asset Visibility) - Low
Life Cycle Cost, Medium Lift Helicopter - Semi-Automated Imagery
Processing - Battlefield Awareness and Data Dissemination (BADD)
- Counter Proliferation - Military Operations in Built Up Areas
(MOBA) - Ship Defense Against Imaging Infrared Missiles -
Navigation Warfare - Miniature Air Launched Decoy - Land
Vehicle Survivability - Biological Defense Net
Attached is a more detailed description of each of the selected ACTDs.
Fiscal Year 1996 Proposed ACTDs
Combat ID - This ACTD includes field evaluation of ground-to-ground and
air-to-ground combat identification technologies.
Total Asset Visibility - The ACTD objective is to improve logistics visibility
in order to enable rapid redirection of critical material to meet the Joint
task Force requirements.
Low Life Cycle Cost, Medium Lift Helicopter - The objective is to provide a
demonstration of a commercial, "off the shelf" helicopter suitable for Military
Sealift Command fleet lift support.
Semi-Automated Imagery Processing - This ACTD will seek to radically improve
the Image Analysts' ability to cope with the volume of data gathered by wide
area surveillance systems.
Battlefield Awareness and Data Dissemination (BADD) - The objective of this
ACTD is integration of a dynamic information architecture to improve Joint
Task Force commander battlefield awareness and data dissemination.
Counter Proliferation - The objective is to provide an improved capability to
detect the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
Military Operation in Built Up Areas (MOBA) - This ACTD addresses potential
requirements and enhancements in U.S. capabilities to conduct military
operations in built up areas.
Ship Defense Against Imaging Infrared Missiles - The ACTD evaluates
countermeasures against high speed anti-ship missiles.
Navigation Warfare - This ACTD explores enhancements in the use of navigation
systems in military environments.
Miniature Air Launched Decoy - Provides low cost, miniature aircraft decoys
that simulated the flight of aircraft.
Land Vehicle Survivability - Demonstrates enhanced survivability of tactical
land vehiclesin operational missions.
Biological Defense Net - This ACTD demonstrates unmanned, automated biological
detectors to provide near real time biological agent detection warning.
