Disaster simulation program ordered

PALO ALTO, Calif., July 30 (UPI) -- A Lockheed Martin unit is to help the U.S. Homeland Security Department assess the effects of multiple, concurrent disruptions of the country's infrastructure.

Lockheed's Space Systems Co.'s Advanced Technology Center, under a $7 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security's Science & Technology Directorate for the Complex Event Modeling Simulation and Analysis project, will develop a new modeling, simulation and analysis infrastructure that can be integrated with existing DHS systems for advanced assessment capabilities.

Lockheed Martin said Thursday its Rapid Analysis of Infrastructure Disruption tool is a new modeling and simulation environment that will be more adaptive than current systems and will allow DHS and national leaders to analyze the impact of multiple disruptions at local, regional and national levels in a time frame required to make effective decisions.

"Future system requirements will build upon the work of the CEMSA contract," it said.

Lockheed Martin will deliver a system design -- with associated hardware and software architecture -- and prototype of the CEMSA system within the first 12 months of the project, it said.

"The strength of our RAID tool is the scientific qualifications of the team we have assembled and the specialized modeling and simulation techniques we employ to develop the environment," said Steve Hall, principal software engineer at LMSSC and RAID capture manager. "In addition, we have extensive experience with key technologies including: system of systems engineering, complexity theory, modeling abstraction and adaptive planning; and specific experience in the national infrastructure disturbance impact modeling domain."