ACADEMIA

MENLO PARK, CA -- SRI International, a leading independent research institute based in Silicon Valley, today announced that it has been awarded an $8.8 million Department of Defense contract for the development and delivery of combat training instrumentation systems. These training systems, known as Deployable Force-on-Force Instrumented Range Systems(TM) (DFIRST(TM)), provide a low-cost, state-of-the-art training system to increase the combat readiness of Army National Guard armored units. Since the Cold War, the National Guard has comprised over one-half of the Army's mechanized and armored forces. The Army National Guard armored brigades are expected to be fully combat-ready within 90 days after they are called to active duty. Because of this fact, it is critical that National Guard units are trained as thoroughly and efficiently as possible during the roughly 39 training days of training they receive each year. Using a highly innovative application of the Global Positioning System (GPS) along with high-speed wireless communications and advanced data visualization tools, SRI's DFIRST system allows Army National Guard personnel to engage in sophisticated tank battle simulations, with the opportunity to play back the battle simulations in an after-action review facility. The DFIRST system shows National Guard personnel a complete picture of the battlefield, including both friendly and "enemy" tank locations at all times. Playing back the exercise allows the National Guard personnel to compare what they thought they saw during the battle, to what the "enemy" was actually doing. The GPS-based system can be installed in a fraction of the time required for conventional laser-based training systems, maximizing the limited training time Army National Guard personnel have available. "When a military conflict calls the National Guard into action, it is crucial that they are as prepared as possible to engage in actual combat. DFIRST prepares National Guard personnel by simulating the high intensity of combat during their routine training exercises," said Chris Terndrup, Program Director for Instrumentation and Simulation Systems at SRI. SRI has been developing and fielding DFIRST since 1994. SRI will use this $8.8 million contract to develop three new systems for National Guard units in Washington, Kentucky, and Texas. Previous contracts have provided funding for the development and fielding of DFIRST systems for units in Idaho, California, Virginia, and Mississippi. For more information visit www.sri.com