Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2011-2036 - Defense ...

Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2011-2036
2. The STANAG 4586 Compliance Toolkit (4586CT) is an integrated set of software tools
that provides passive, interactive, and automated test capability. Its core function is to
verify the structure and content of data link interface (DLI) messages against both
STANAG 4586 and “private” messages as defined to support service-, mission-, or
platform-specific requirements. This nonintrusive capability is provided either in real
time or during post-run analysis. Additionally, 4586CT can be interoperable with other
DLI-compatible systems in either manual mode (where an engineer monitors and injects
DLI messages into the network) or automated mode (in which 4586CT interacts directly
with other DLI systems according to user-defined scripts and procedures).
These capabilities enable 4586CT to perform compliance testing at both the message
level and the higher protocol session levels of unmanned systems relative to the
STANAG 4586, and other more specific interoperability profiles. Complex DLI message
dialogs can be monitored and system interaction sequencing verified as 4586CT follows
user-defined test programs. Because 4586CT can function as a proxy for other unmanned
system components, it is also used during system development and task-specific
integration testing to provide insight into unmanned system interaction and performance.
Multiple instances of 4586CT can also be utilized to perform rapid prototyping of
interoperation protocols during profile design; as a result, 4586CT can be a useful tool
during the development of interoperability standards themselves.
The T&E of interoperability continues to evolve with the growth of unmanned systems. The
C2 of these systems presents unique test challenges as autonomous functionality expands to
operating complex equipment over wireless links. The spectrum of test includes assessment of
standards compliance, electromagnetic frequency testing, sensor standards, payload standards,
systems interoperability, quantifiable task assessment, performance measurement, metrics
development, congestion management, and performance baseline measures. The scope of
operation includes operator, platform, communications grid, C2 teams, ground stations, sensor
teams, and collaborating systems. While today’s test represents a migration of the test challenge
represented by proprietary data exchange and data formats towards service-oriented architecture
exchange, it is also conceivable that the cognitive nature of unmanned systems algorithm
development may actually accelerate the need for semantic knowledge exchange T&E.
The rapid acquisition of quickly evolving unmanned systems will require an unmanned
systems T&E capability that evolves at a pace that exceeds this evolution. The T&E of
unmanned systems interoperability requires investment in information architectures,
methodology, test scenario synthesis, model-based T&E, and cross-UAS usage case repositories.
4.5.4 System Migration
Services working with OUSD(AT&L) are exploring the business case for adopting an OA
approach for current and in-development systems. While various challenges still remain in the
adoption of OA, the goal in the next 12 months is to identify migration pathways for all current
programs of record (see Figure 9).
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