SBIR-STTR Award

The purpose of this research is to investigate ways of using Java to address the issues of software portability and reuse in Naval combat systems. Our primary focus will be on the NSSN (Virginia Class Submarine) Exterior Communication System (ECS). In subsequent phases, our results can be applied to a wide variety of DoD and commercial systems. Jackpine Technologies has teamed with Lockheed Martin for a Phase I effort to: 1) Determine the risks of using Java in the ECS environment, including potential incompatibilities and performance problems related to integration with hardware/OS, existing protocols, communication paths, data bases, etc. 2) Analyze ECS applications to determine their suitability for Java implementation. Identify areas of risk where migration to Java will be difficult. Explain the fundamental reasons for the risks, and offer potential solutions to the problems. 3) Develop a software specification for a set of candidate applications described in task 2. In Phase II we will develop the Java and supporting software outlined in Phase I, and demonstrate its portability and performance while integrated with the NSSN ECS test facility.

We propose to implement a "Plug-and-Play" control and management (C&M) system for the Virginia Class (NSSN) submarine's Exterior Communications System (ECS). As outlined in our Phase I research, the COTS-based design allows new devices and control services to be "plugged" into a network, without recompiling or rebuilding core software, user interfaces, databases, or control software. New devices and services will automatically connect to a running system, exchange interface information and control proxies, and make themselves available for use. A graphical user interface (GUI) can automatically reconfigure to provide the monitoring and control graphics needed to operate the new or replaced equipment. Our architecture exploits state-of-the-art COTS Java technologies, such as Jini, JavaBeans, Swing, and JavaSpaces. The system is platform independent, transportable, and interoperable across hardware and operating systems. Jackpine Technologies has teamed with Lockheed Martin, the ECS prime contractor, to implement the Plug-and-Play C&M system. We propose to implement the C&M core, GUIs, databases, and brokering services, along with a set of device interface software needed by the ECS.

Benefits:
Our system will reduce the ECS lifecycle costs associated with replacing equipment, integrating new control software, configuration management, and migration to other platforms. It will also provide a flexible framework for future radio room automation and remote control initiatives. Our software will be immediately applicable to the NSSN ECS "Goal" system, and will help make ECS portable to the 688, Ohio, and Seawolf submarines. Our technology can be later applied to other DoD and commercial environments.

Keywords:
Virginia Class Submarine, NSSN, Software, Portability, Software Reuse, Java, Jini