Innovative Solutions for Model Based System Engineering

In February, the chapter along with the company GM Spazio, organized the workshop Innovative Solutions for Model Based System Engineering and Test & Evaluation at Casa dell Aviatore. Chapter President Lt. Gen. Antonio Tangorra introduced the event objectives and thanked the Most Honorable Domenico Rossi, Undersecretary of Defense, for his attendance. Rossi underlined the leading role of space activities, more and more interconnected with Homeland Security and defense. Filippo Gemma, GMSPAZIO general manager, opened the workshop presenting the profile of GMSpazio, a company started in 2005, today active in 10 European countries, whose main activities focus on modeling and simulation systems for complex scenarios. GMspazio is also a main distributor for its commercial partners AGI and Phoenix Integration. Gemma then illustrated modeling and simulation techniques, as well as test and evaluation. He also discussed how M&S products can support industrial engineering in the Life Cycle Design and then improve the industrial production strategies, through the collection of a huge quantity of data and test cycle repetitions. Giuseppe Corrao of AGI introduced STK (System Tool Kit), a COTS solution with a wide space, defense and security application range. STK supports modeling, data analysis and export with visualization for platforms and sensors of any kind. Gemmaillustrated some Model Based System Engineering applications, such as real time data streaming simulation, with a communication link between platform and ground facility. He also provided additional information about Test and Evaluation, remarking how new tools can overcome current drawbacks such as high costs, poor accuracy and long test cycles. AGI STK Modeling can build or import models defining the systems to test, assigning the performance parameters, carrying out tests and evaluating results, as well as visualizing video, graphs and tables. Corrao then presented some case studies about test and evaluation, in particular the F-35 Flight Testing, where flight test plans can be improved using STK, including a cyber-attack effects simulation. The workshop continued with some presentations given by end users. Lt. Col. Ferdinando Dolce, Italian Air Force, gave the first speech about modeling and simulation in the aerospace engineering group. He provided an overview of the main results achieved by the group in its aerospace and missile ballistic defense research by using GMSPAZIO technologies. Lt. Col. Alberto Picone, Italian Army, introduced a case study related to the detailed modeling and simulation in scenarios including the use of satellite components. STK is used as a specialized support tool in the Communication Validation System environment for the management of satellite links in the simulated scenarios. With these concluding remarks from the end users, President Antonio Tangorra closed the event thanking GMSPAZIO and Gemma for providing an interesting and exhaustive overview of their activities, as well as all participants to the event.

Event Photographs: