Data fusion and theater undersea warfare - an oceanographer's perspective

The U.S. Navy today is evolving to operate in a more complex and time-constrained mode than ever before. Effective employment of today's increasingly sophisticated weapons systems requires unprecedented coordination and an immediate, thorough, and shared understanding of the battlespace. Fortunately, as the Navy's mission has evolved, so has technology. Remarkable advances in sensor systems, broadband secure communications, image and signal processing, high-performance computing, and knowledge management have opened the door to make the vision of the fully integrated battlespace a reality. Ironically, with these developments, and the ensuing flood of data, comes the very real danger of information overload; intelligently collating and correlating this information becomes absolutely critical. Data fusion technology is the answer. Lockheed Martin Orincon Defense (LMOD) serves as a prime contractor supporting the development of science and technology for Theater Undersea Warfare (TUSW) (one of several overlapping domains in the integrated battlespace). LMOD is working at the cutting edge of data fusion technology as well as signal and image processing, high-speed data communication, and high-performance computing to help bring clarity to the USW picture by integrating disparate, real-time tactical and sensor data and the Navy's best oceanographic, geophysical, and hydrographic data. This work not only supports modeling and simulation for planning and training, but also greatly enhances the on-scene Commander's ability to effectively and correctly determine when, where, and how to employ assets. This paper provides an overview of some of the work being done by LMOD in support of the Navy's TUSW initiatives.