Department of Defense Annual Report

The Holographic Optical Data Storage Disk Prototype program will provide NIMA a demonstration of a prototype holographic storage disk with the critical fundamental functional parameters that could provide high capability data storage and rapid access generated by multiple intelligence and commercial collection sources. The intent is to evaluate the feasibility of developing photopolymer-based disk media suitable for very high-capacity holographic memories.

The Core Tasks provides support for all prototype activities under the NML agreement. Such support includes the infrastructure to execute the prototypes under this agreement; building and maintaining partnerships within the NML alliance to support proposed prototypes; maintaining a website that provides information on the status of the developed prototypes; independent, unbiased evaluation of proposed prototypes and research and development milestones; assessing the technical merit of proposed prototypes and ensuring currency of the technologies being assessed; and participation in selected standards activities.

The Inverse Multiplexing Prototype will provide NIMA with a demonstration of a realizable transmission architecture scaleable to very high speeds and allowing secure access, if needed. Several technologies are being explored as possible solutions to problem of achieving extremely high bandwidth, including all optical, all electronic, and optoelectronic.

The use of an other transaction agreement contributed to the development of inverse multiplexing and the potential benefits of enabling the synchronous, real time transmission of higher data rates than are commercially available today. These increased data rates will provide flexibility in terms of functional locations (for example, processing) and may therefore enable cost savings.

The use of an other transaction agreement will result in technology that will enable high speed transmission of encrypted data, the scalability to very high speeds using optical technologies, the separation of encryption from transmission, and a low power, more compact transmission technology.

The use of an other transaction agreement gives the Government access to a laboratory demonstration of a high-speed optical demultiplexing without charge to the project.

The Operations Support task will provide Government users with prototype solutions, technical support and consultation for operational issues related to the military and intelligence information. Specifically, Operations Support work will cross traditional commercial and Government boundaries to visit end users, assess needs and integrate and install operational prototypes. In addition, Task 0018 will include specific support for the Prototype Digital Information Technology Testbed (DITT) to provide a model Distributed Research Library and functional testbed for electronic information management. The DITT project is a second phase of an effort performed on behalf of the Center for Army Lessons Learned.

The Real-Time Auto-Notification of AOIs and Collaboration between Multimedia Analysis and Archive System (MAAS) Analysts during a UAV mission task will build on the MAAS prototype to provide national and tactical analysts with the ability to use analyses from other MAAS sites on vide they have received locally from a common video downlink. Further it will provide analysts with the ability to set up geographical AOIs and be automatically notified by e-mail when a UAV sensor view has entered the AOI.

The Multimedia Analysis and Archive System (MAAS) Analysis for NIMA National Analysts and NIMA Maps Integrated with MAAS Information Prototype is a proof-of-concept prototype and demonstration using digital video exploitation and archive capability to utilize digital video information for NIMA national analysts. The effort will integrate NIMA in a Box and Predator ESD into MAAS.

The Records Archive Prototype will improve the effectiveness of NIMA and other Government organizations in carrying out their mission by employing the best available information technology in mission planning, targeting, and weapon systems. The task will allow the warfighter to have more effective and efficient access to intelligence reports as well as provide a tool for declassifying documents and allowing for management of official Government documents to meet DoD Standard 5015.2. Phase I includes interviewing and observing NIMA personnel in the creation, maintenance, use and dissemination of imagery and analysis reports as well as building an implementation plan for the construction of the prototype. The Phase II objective is to collect, document, and validate NIMA’s mission-specific and mission-functionality needs for the development of the records management archival prototype.

These two tasks build upon the Multimedia Analysis and Archive System (MAAS) prototype. The first, MPEG-2 and RealVideo Video Formats Integrated into MAAS during a UAV Mission, will make it possible for intelligence analysts to take advantage of the higher resolution offered by MPEG-2 for digital video. This effort includes verifying MAAS works with Windows 2000; providing MAAS with MPEG-2 video encoding, editing; and viewing capabilities; and providing analysts with the ability to request a video clip in either MPEG-1, MPEG-2, or RealVideo format The second task, Evaluate Alternate Video Archiving Storage Technologies, will determine the best video storage capability for the MAAS prototype. The objective of this task is to position MAAS to take advantage of next-generation holographic storage by evaluating two different existing approaches to archiving: PC tape storage and high-performance Ampex tape storage.

The RFID File Tracking System Prototype consists of several prototype solutions for tracking medical records in military hospitals. Included are the Smart Check In and Check Out Stations, Smart Filing Drawers Cabinets, and Smart Filing Shelves Cabinets prototypes. The prototypes will use RFID technology to read and write data to radio frequency tags relevant to the record to which the tag is attached. 3M will integrate these solutions into a Cooperative File Tracking System prototype that the contractor will demonstrate to the Government.

The Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Defense Initiative Prototype is an authoritative and effective resource to catalyze and affect the insertion of prototype equipment/devices of emerging and existing private-sector technologies into Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and other Government agency efforts to counter NBC threats. NML will use the NTA Operational Support Model to focus NML knowledge and capabilities, to cross Government and commercial barriers, and to provide insight beyond current technology limitations by carefully responding to customer needs. NML will update the NBC Defense Matrix identifying resources and customer needs. The deliverable will be documentation of opportunities to insert emerging technologies into U.S. Government prototype programs.

Syracuse Research Corporation is involved with this effort because they are expert in the transport of chemical and biological material, the fate of that material in the environment, and the health risk associated with these materials.

The Operations Support task will provide Government users with prototype technology solutions, technical support and consultation for operational issues related to the collection, exploitation, dissemination, records management, archiving and communication of military and intelligence information. Specifically, Operations Support work will cross traditional commercial and Government boundaries to visit end users, assess needs and integrate and install operational prototypes for NRO/OSO.

The Digital Information Technology Testbed (DITT) is a model Distributed Research Library and functional test bed for information management for DOD. DITT Operational Equipment, Phase 3 (OE-3) Request for Information (RFI) Workflow Prototype, will assess knowledge management technologies to identify workflow process solutions for responding to internal, external, and FOIA requests for information. The icomXpress (formerly Keyflow Commerce) electronic document management system software has been identified as a possible solution. This task will develop and evaluate a prototype workflow process launched from a standard web browser based on icomXpress software. The deliverables include a functioning workflow prototype and a final report providing recommendations for use of the software in the DITT.

The Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Prototype will provide the CNO N20 Staff with an integrated, detailed end-to-end view of programmed technology requirements, ISR system strengths and weaknesses, and a prototype. The prototype will improve the information systems to allow the operator to carry out the mission by employing the best available technology in mission planning, targeting, and weapon systems. Task 0027 is Phase 1 of this two-phased effort and includes the development of investment recommendations for prototype developments to enhance ISR systems. Recommendations will target satisfaction of USN operation mission requirements. Deliverables include status and technical analysis reports, a statement of work for phase 2 and a final report describing the recommended technologies for the prototype.

Holographic Optical Storage Prototype Phase 4 is a new program building on the initial success of phases 2 and 3, which demonstrated the technical feasibility of holographic storage. Task 0028 addresses the demonstration of that process to generate the required investor interest in this technology so that commercialization can occur. The main deliverable will be the design, fabrication, and demonstration of a portable prototype drive.

The objective of this Phase III effort is to test and commercialize an operational prototype application of a dual-frequency, foliage-penetrating, interferometric synthetic aperture radar system.

The use of an other transaction agreement has contributed to a broadening of the technology and industrial base by providing the Government access to a new commercial technology, an airborne, radar-based system for the mapping of the ground under foliage-covered terrain.

The use of an other transaction has resulted in the Government obtaining preferential access for use of the commercialized GeoSAR system. Other benefits expected to be achieved because of the collaborative relationship between EarthData/Calgis and NIMA, include the flexibility to redirect the technical direction of the contractor, the incentive EarthData/Calgis has to success, and the use of commercial practices.

The use of an other transaction has resulted in an additional benefit, not addressed above. Eathdata/Calgis’ inkind contribution of a Gulfstream II aircraft on which the GeoSAR system is mounted is a significant benefit resulting from this 845 agreement. In addition, NIMA will receive royalties from the sale price that EarthData/Calgis receives from any non-Governmental customer for GeoSAR services.