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AFEWES Achieves HLA Certification

Fort Worth, Texas, March 26th, 1999 -- The Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator (AFEWES) facility has received High Level Architecture compliance certification from the Department of Defense (DoD). The government facility is operated and maintained by Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth, Texas.

High Level Architecture (HLA) is a standard set of rules and conventions (i.e., protocols) that enhance the ability of different types of simulations to interact, and thus do a better job of meeting emerging DoD needs. HLA is intended to reduce the development time and cost of simulations. The Defense Department has made HLA mandatory for all upgrades to existing simulations after Oct. 1, 1998, and for all simulations beginning Oct. 1, 2000.

The government Defense Modeling and Simulation Office issued the certification following a comprehensive compliance evaluation. AFEWES is the first simulation facility under Air Force Flight Test Center management to receive this required certification.

AFEWES has been instrumental in evaluating and refining HLA performance capabilities since the inception of this new protocol. In 1996, AFEWES was a primary participant in the DoD's HLA Engineering Protofederation exercise, which represented a joint air/land/sea military operations theater. This proof-of-concept demonstration was the first technical evaluation of HLA technology performed for electronic combat test applications.

Currently, AFEWES plays a major role in the Joint Advanced Distributed Simulation Electronic Warfare (JADS EW) program, sponsored by DoD. This initiative is further evaluating the technical utility of HLA for more demanding electronic combat test and evaluation applications. The HLA protocol is being used to electronically link AFEWES with other government test facilities at Patuxent River, Md., and Albuquerque, N.M.

The extent to which HLA can satisfy the demanding JADS EW standards will be measured by comparing open-air flight test results with data obtained using HLA and electronic networking to recreate the same flight test scenario. AFEWES' participation in JADS EW has resulted in the development of enhanced HLA planning tools and processes, tailored for electronic combat test applications.

AFEWES is a major electronic combat test laboratory owned and managed by the 412th Test Wing of the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, Calif. The mission of AFEWES is to evaluate the effectiveness of aircraft self-protection systems and techniques in highly realistic terminal threat environments. For four decades, AFEWES testing has supported all DoD military branches and many allied nations.

Mike Nipper
(817) 777-4973
e-mail: michael.j.nipper@lmco.com