Solutions

Solutions for Modern Defense & Intelligence

What is rapid prototyping?

Federal procurement programs are largely designed and implemented around outmoded defense and intelligence missions. Those missions usually were based on predictable actors and threats. Examples are deploying the military against threats by specific nation states or when conflicts are defined by specific military theatres.

In these contexts, the federal procurement process had the luxury of time to develop detailed specifications that theoretically covered all requirements. In turn, contractors developed major programs to customize design and manufacture solutions. Iconic examples are military aircraft, vessels, and ground vehicles. These require huge upfront investments. Development is complex because equipment like this can rarely tap benefits of the commercial world, which has no counterpart. Major programs also require supply chain management, training, and ongoing support on the back end. The result is a massive, complex, inflexible system that is fraught with cost overruns and often results in an endless life of its own. Costs to operate and maintain major programs run higher when the original equipment manufacturer owns the design and intellectual property. By default, there is no opportunity for a competitive environment. With all this, it can take years before warfighters or operators can use the equipment – whether or not it effectively meets the requirements of an agency’s mission.

There is a new reality governing priorities for 21st century defense and intelligence. Nation states can still pose threats, but many of the most urgent threats now come from non-national sources – including independent terrorist organizations and individuals capable of executing acts of mass destruction. Military agencies are also responding to more than irregular warfare, as law enforcement and intelligence increasingly requires help with incidents of coordinated international crime. These threats include illicit trafficking of narcotics, illegal mining, human slavery, counterfeit goods, money laundering, and theft of intellectual property. The new threats change constantly, and so do their players. These asymmetric threats may also come from a combination of rogue nations, terrorists, and criminals.

Traditional solutions and their procurement process cannot meet the rapidly evolving threats of the 21st century. To meet these challenges with agility, federal agencies need a development, manufacturing, procurement, and support process that enables flexibility and more responsiveness. We believe Rapid Prototyping is the strategic solution for this challenge.

“There is a new reality governing priorities for 21st century defense and intelligence. Nation states can still pose threats, but many of the most urgent threats now come from non-national sources – including independent terrorist organizations and individuals capable of executing acts of mass destruction. ”

The Challenge

A Better, Agile Way to Make Solutions for C4ISR

Many solutions for defense and intelligence are often lumped under the “C4ISR” moniker: Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. Contractors have targeted C4ISR solutions at this umbrella since the architecture and framework was established in 1996. Government procurement usually begins by stressing definition of complex requirements, so the response of contractors results in systems development cycles of five, eight, even 12 or more years long. One example is a stealthy super maneuverable fighter aircraft called the F-22 Raptor. Development began in 1981; it became operational in 2011. During its 30-year gestation, the F-22 was plagued with faulty subsystems and frequent groundings. Adversaries are adapting faster than this so the old model is inadequate. Federal agencies need a better, more agile way to make solutions for unpredictable C4ISR mission needs.

To break this pattern, we recommend a shift in defining priorities for C4ISR solutions. The Achilles heel is a traditional penchant for defining every conceivable requirement that might apply to a particular solution throughout its projected lifecycle. Frankly, it is impossible to achieve this goal because requirements to thwart asymmetric threats are continuously evolving. The legacy procurement process therefore sets up users and operators for frustration and impedes mission accomplishment. The new priority should be quickly producing solutions that are “good enough” in providing most mission needs now. Waiting for a perfect solution takes too long and may well not meet the mission need once it becomes available.

This is the essence of Rapid Prototyping. Our concept of Rapid Prototyping produces functional solutions that can be quickly fielded by considering form factor up front. For example, Booz Allen developed, tested, perfected and deployed a new airborne measurement and signature intelligence capability in direct operations within 18 months for a federal client. In another case, a military command asked us to develop a new targeting capability. After a few weeks of laboratory work, we demonstrated sufficient performance with simulated data to be invited to an operational exercise. We expect the system to deploy within four months of successful demonstration.

During the Rapid Prototyping process, people in the field can provide real-world feedback, which we can use to quickly modify and upgrade the solution in response to actual new threats. This is an efficient, adaptable, and interactive lifecycle that accomplishes major goals of the mission.

C4ISR integration is a primary area where Rapid Prototyping will benefit federal agencies. One of the most urgent requirements for defense and intelligence agencies is identifying and tracking emerging threats. C4ISR integration entails combining sensors, radios, and networks on platforms that support new and different missions. We pioneered the use of GoogleTM Earth to fuse pictures, videos, text, and other information into a new functional interface. To illustrate a C4ISR integration, Booz Allen used the Microsoft Kinect for Windows software development kit to, within a week, develop a program that provides 3D mapping prototypes of urban terrain for ground forces. This scenario rapidly leveraged developments in the commercial world for a functional military application – a textbook example of Rapid Prototyping.

Rapid Prototyping also meets challenging fiscal goals as federal budgets tighten funding for defense and intelligence agencies. A key cost-saving aspectof Rapid Prototyping is in the avoidance of original engineering. Whenever possible, solutions developed with Rapid Prototyping use existing, off-the-shelf components that are integrated in a new and different way to achieve intended functionality. In this manner, Rapid Prototyping helps to avoid the obsolescence of traditional systems and, by incorporating field responses with incremental improvements, it can cost-effectively leverage the technology innovations by commercial developers. The mapping system described above costs about $100 but performs in the ballpark of a traditional half-million-dollar military system.

Injecting adaptability into C4ISR systems is another benefit of Rapid Prototyping. A major drawback of managing traditional systems is the uncertainty in knowing what the next conflict will be like and where it will occur. It’s a dual challenge of whether old solutions will have the right response capabilities and if they will be deployable in a different global region. For example, it’s virtually certain that some solutions developed for the arid, desert environments of Iraq and Afghanistan will be unable to operate in a tropical environment with high humidity, salt water and the absence of roads for transporting the solutions. To address adaptability, Booz Allen has used Rapid Prototyping to develop radar systems for foliage and ground penetration for numerous federal agencies. In a military test, we will soon demonstrate an integration that fits on a small tactical Shadow UAV. The project began in January 2012; it will fly on a manned system in May 2012 and could be deployed this year. This is how Rapid Prototyping can quickly surmount unpredictable challenges and adapt solutions to new threats wherever they occur.

The Solution

Leveraging Booz Allen Hamilton for Rapid Prototyping

As federal agencies consider capturing the benefits of Rapid Prototyping, Booz Allen is uniquely positioned to help smooth the transition. Our company has a long relationship with federal agencies, which brings deep insight of individual missions to the Rapid Prototyping process. As a result, we can more effectively tailor Rapid Prototyping solutions to meet mission requirements.

Booz Allen engineers interact with an agency’s users and operators to help them identify solutions that will quickly address unique, emerging threats. Our experience allows us to closely participate in the design and integration process, which helps the resulting 5 Case Study: Wolfhound Sensor Problem Quickly fielding man-portable electronic gear to locate enemy electronic emmitters Solution Booz Allen adopted commercial programmable hardware and software to quickly field an effective solution Result The Wolfhound Sensor saved lives of war fighters solution to be relevant and effective. Booz Allen also has a unique screening process for evaluating candidate technologies for a Rapid Prototyping solution.

Another benefit for federal agencies using Booz Allen’s services for Rapid Prototyping is that the government owns the resulting design and intellectual property (IP). This is different from original equipment manufacturers that often retain ownership of the IP, which locks agencies into the same supplier for future iterations of solutions based on the underlying technology or design. Booz Allen is truly independent, so we are not tied to a specific platform, technology, or vendor – allowing us to offer solutions that are unencumbered and integrated to provide the best functionality. In each case, we provide all intellectual property to the government. For example, our GoogleTM Earth-compliant data packages (called KMZ files), are widely shared across government networks. Pioneering leadership by Booz Allen in openly sharing intelligence products has spawned a “viral” online community of users across government and contractor communities, each contributing and building data layers. In cases where an agency might want to adapt existing proprietary solutions, Booz Allen can reverse engineer mechanical and electrical designs and give the government all the information it needs to competitively procure standard commercial parts for each new solution. As a result, agencies are able to mass produce the best quality tool at the best price. We do this for enhancements of armor and communications of ground vehicles, with turnaround times measured in months, not years.

Conclusions

In summary, Rapid Prototyping is the new strategic way for federal defense and intelligence agencies to stay agile in their response to emerging threats, by quickly getting effective solutions into the hands of warfighters and operators. By making Rapid Prototyping a core strategy for national security, federal agencies will be able to better protect citizens from emerging threats wherever they appear, and to accomplish this critical mission while meeting new fiscal requirements.

Solutions for Modern Defense & Intelligence