EIA pegs simulators as major source of S&T business. (10-year forecast by Electronic Industries Association on Dept. of Defense science and technology plans)

(San Diego) Simulation/modeling is the only new DoD Science and Technology (S&T) initiative with a future of certain growth, as the Pentagon has offered no guarantees that other advanced developments will move into acquisition, Geoffrey Bentley, Textron Defense Systems' business research manager, said yesterday at an industry convention here.

"Simulation is a certain growth area and the message to industry is to get on the Defense Simulation Internet and participate in the evolving world of synthetic environments," he said during a presentation at the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) ten-year forecast conference.

Simulators are one of seven technology thrusts contained in the Pentagon Director of Defense Research and Engineering's (DDR&E) S&T strategy, which Bentley portrayed as having an uncertain potential for success. DoD has yet to establish how it will distinguish advanced programs that can move into production against those that should be shelved until they are needed.

"It is all well and good to talk about shelving technology until the need arises, but how do you maintain a profitable and viable research and supplier base in the meantime?" Bentley asked.

With no clear military technological challenges foreseen, S&T efforts can focus on weapon systems improvements, which can be tested via simulations to assure affordability, Bentley said. Integration across systems and services will be stressed, he added.

In a speech given Tuesday at the conference, Gene Porter, acting director of acquisition and program integration in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense/Acquisition, said DoD needs to have a better management interface between S&T and acquisition stages. The seven thrust areas, which in addition to simulators include global surveillance, precision strike, air superiority, sea control, advanced land combat, and technology for affordability, are helping foster that goal, Porter said.

Porter also stressed that DoD will not allow a program to move into the demonstration/validation phase if production is not anticipated.