FOUNDATION INITIATIVE 2010: THE FOUNDATION FOR RANGE INTEROPERABILITY

Foundation Initiative 2010 (FI 2010) is a joint interoperability initiative of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. The vision of FI 2010 is to enable interoperability among ranges, facilities, and simulations in a timely and cost-efficient manner and to foster reuse of range assets and future range system developments. To achieve this vision, FI 2010 is developing and validating a common architecture with a common range object model, a core set of tools, inter-range communication capabilities, interfaces to existing range assets, interfaces to weapon systems, and recommended procedures for conducting synthetic test events and training exercises. During FY 01, the project is developing the second Test and Training ENabling Architecture (TENA) Middleware Prototype as a basis for range communication. FI 2010 will advance a simulation-based acquisition or a ‘distributed engineering plant’ methodology to streamline weapon system acquisition. Benefits from the FI 2010 products include cost effective replacement of customized data links, enhanced exchange of mission data, organic TENA-compliant capabilities at test sites to be leveraged for future test events, and instrumentation system reuse. Through FI 2010, future inter-range operations, instrumentation development, and range capability sustainment will cost less and incur less risk.