Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today announced the opening of its Joint System-of-Systems Collaborative Environment Laboratory (JSCEL) in Suffolk, Va. The laboratory will enhance SAIC's ability to serve its Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) customers and contribute to the readiness of the Joint Forces in both the near term and future by developing and assessing operational and technology solutions to warfighting challenges. "This is an exciting new development for our employees in the Hampton Roads area and for our company," said George Singley, president of SAIC's Transformation, Test, Training and Logistics Group. "The JSCEL provides capabilities for experimenting with new concepts and technologies using distributed simulation and connectivity to the major centers of defense transformation. It will focus early on the most pressing problems facing U.S. forces in the global war on terror." The JSCEL will allow SAIC's customers to see firsthand transformational capabilities such as live-virtual-constructive simulation integration, system- of-systems concepts, rapid prototyping and connectivity to other distributed transformation efforts. With a reconfigurable briefing and workspace providing a portal into distributed live, virtual and constructive simulation capabilities, the JSCEL will support local experimentation, integration and demonstration. The lab also will enable the horizontal integration of SAIC capabilities at the JFCOM component locations. "Connected to military installations world-wide, the JSCEL provides a geographically-centric and logically distributed environment of integrated hardware and software development capable of concurrent and continuous program support," said Beverly Kitoaka, general manager of SAIC's Training and Simulations Business Unit. "By facilitating concept and concept-based requirements development, the JSCEL will play a significant role in the transformation of the Armed Forces." Located in the Bridgeway Technology Center adjacent to the Joint Training, Analysis and Simulation Center and the Joint Futures Laboratory, the SAIC facility has more than 20,000 feet of office space and will house nearly 80 employees. The office features a sensitive compartmented information facility in order to handle classified documents in addition to a 1,900 square-foot laboratory, which will serve as a principle network portal for U.S. Armed Forces to conduct concept experimentation, testing and training.