Department of Defense news release (March 16, 2006): fiscal year 2006 Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations and Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations announced.Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics The Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics is the title of a high-level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy is the principal staff assistant and advisor to both the Secretary of Defense Kenneth J. Krieg has announced the selection of the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD ACTD Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration/Demonstrator (US DoD) ACTD A Call to Duty (Star Trek) ACTD Advanced Concept Technical Demonstration ACTD Australian Conference of TAFE Directors ) and Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD JCTD Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration ) projects for fiscal year 2006. The military services, combatant commanders, defense agencies, and industry submitted more than 100 proposals. The science and technology community of the military services, combatant commanders, and defense agencies reviewed the list of proposals for technical soundness and the potential for operational utility. The Department of Defense then selected proposals for funding based on rankings by the combatant commanders and Services. The ACTDs selected for initiation in fiscal year 2006 in alphabetical order are: * Event Management Framework (EMF emf: see electromotive force. (1) (ElectroMagnetic Field) See electromagnetic radiation. (2) (Enhanced MetaFile) See Windows metafile. ). Provides capability to discover and share information, recognize change, and develop and evaluate courses of action with apparently separate, but related events to develop preplanned courses of action and rapidly respond to crisis. * Extended Space Sensors Architecture (ESSA ESSA Environmental Science Services Administration ESSA Economic Society of South Africa ESSA English Schools Swimming Association ESSA Emergency Social Services Association ESSA Eastern Shan State Army ESSA European Scientists Sequencing Arabidopsis ). Addresses gaps in space situational awareness Situation awareness or situational awareness [1] (SA) is the mental representation and understanding of objects, events, people, system states, interactions, environmental conditions, and other situation-specific factors affecting human performance in that increase risk for successful combatant command A unified or specified command with a broad continuing mission under a single commander established and so designated by the President, through the Secretary of Defense and with the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. mission execution. Integrates technology from different mission areas (missile defense Missile defence is an air defence system, weapon program, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed ICBMs, its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged and space superiority) to give combatant commanders the situational awareness they need to act within their time requirements. * Joint Enable Theater Access (JETA JETA Japan English Teachers Association JETA Joint Experimentation, Tests and ACTDs ). Provides Lightweight Modular Causeway System that enables rapid discharge of combat power and sustainment material at austere sea ports of debarkation. * Multi-service Advanced Sensors to Counter Obscured Targets (MASCOT). Permits warfighters to rapidly find, locate, identify, and report camouflage, concealment, and deception threats through network-centric-enabled collection, processing, and fusion of data from multiple sources. * Node Management And Deployable Depot (NO-MADD). Implements a deployable end-to-end ("factory-to-foxhole") distribution system, including asset visibility using radio-frequency identification. * Small UAV UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle UAV Unmanned Airborne Vehicle UAV Uninhabited Air Vehicle UAV Urban Assault Vehicle UAV Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (less common) . Addresses Joint operational concerns through the integration of new technology across the entire class of small UAVs. Develops new tactics, techniques, and procedures across the military services for small unit real-time reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. The JCTDs selected for initiation in fiscal year 2006 in alphabetical order are: * Counter Intelligence-Human Intelligence Advanced Modernization Program/Intelligence Operations Now (CHAMPION). Optimizes the reporting of critical intelligence-related data in a timely manner, while making data available for analysis by: standardizing data outputs, applying XML-tagging routines, providing geo-referencing and enabling Web services. Improves analysts' link to intelligence collection across the tactical level and to the national level. * Comprehensive Maritime Awareness. Improves maritime security by acquiring, integrating, and exchanging relevant maritime activity information on regional threats and focuses limited interdiction INTERDICTION, civil law. A legal restraint upon a person incapable of managing his estate, because of mental incapacity, from signing any deed or doing any act to his own prejudice, without the consent of his curator or interdictor. 2. and inspection assets on the most probable threats. * Joint Modular Intermodal Distribution System (JMIDS JMIDS Joint Modular Intermodal Distribution System ). Provides a common intermodal container system with automated loading, handling, storage, tracking, and surveillance technology. * Large Data. Demonstrates a highly scalable, rapid, and secure integrated capability to effectively retrieve, store, and share massive amounts of information effectively between global users. Provides very large data storage, communications, and security capabilities that are integrated and globally scaled. The goal of ACTD and JCTD programs is to rapidly move advanced technology into the hands of warfighters in the field. The programs do this by marrying new operational concepts with maturing technologies in a joint environment. Consequently, ACTDs and the newer JCTDs reduce the time required to field new capabilities and increase warfighter involvement in developing solutions. This is the first year of the JCTD business model, which will eventually replace the ACTD model. Building on the successful ACTD model, JCTDs focus more on tailoring projects to a combatant commander's specifically identified needs, emphasizing "needs pull" over historical "technology push." This new program will enable faster project start-up; demand faster spiral fielding of interim capabilities; structure funding to provide incentives for military service participation without requiring the Services or agencies to fund from existing programs; and provide clear visibility of participation in joint efforts. For more information on the ACTD and JCTD programs, go to the Web site: <http://www.acq.osd.mil/actd/>. |
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