CASE STUDIES

Model-Based Assessment for Enhancing Mission Performance in the Air Operations Center

AOC-PAT Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force.

The Problem

The United States Air Force is formulating new visions, strategies, and concepts, and is building new tools to capitalize on emerging information-age technologies. These new technologies and processes can offer significant enhancements to the ability of an Air Operations Center (AOC) to perform its mission. However, the size and complexity of the AOC make direct performance measures difficult to identify and collect. How can the AOC assess the specific contributions of a technology toward a successful mission? How does the Air Force know the true effectiveness of each innovation?

The Solution

To address the problem, Aptima developed AOC-PAT – the Air Operations Center Process Assessment Tool. AOC-PAT provides a modeling and simulation environment for measuring with confidence how different technologies and processes affect the ability of the AOC to fulfill missions and achieve superior performance. AOC-PAT is a multi-purpose tool that automates three key stages in assessing AOC performance and process:

AOC-PAT Modeling and Simulation Module – This component is used to build models of the AOC and define performance and process measures. Users can draw from a library of standard measures or create custom measures, and define specific test hypotheses for the situation in question.

AOC-PAT Data Collection Module – This module collects the performance and process measurements that provide the empirical data for the AOC assessment. It supports both real-time collection and manual entry of objective and subjective data.

AOC-PAT Assessment Analysis Module – Based on the empirical data collected during exercises, this module evaluates the AOC process and performance measures and helps assess the validity of the hypotheses developed at the modeling stage. In addition, by performing follow-on sensitivity analysis, it increases confidence in the assessment generated by the AOC-PAT tool.

The Results

Aptima has successfully modeled the Block 10.1 AOC architecture and used AOC-PAT as part of the proposal preparation process for the AOC Weapon System Integrator Program.

AOC-PAT provides a multi-purpose tool to analyze the impact of novel technologies on AOC performance and provides an automated environment in which to perform follow-on sensitivity analysis. The information generated by AOC-PAT can be used to inform decision-making during system development for technologies and process modifications, to identify relative advantages, and to shape design strategy.