BAE Systems to develop CONTEXTS software

BAE Systems will develop software for DARPA that will aid military planners to understand and address the complex dynamics that drive conflicts around the world.

The company has received a $4.2 million Phase 1 contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory under the Causal Exploration of Complex Operational Environments programme. The programme aims to develop technology to model different political, territorial and economic tensions that often lead to conflicts, helping planners to avoid unexpected outcomes.

The software, called Causal Modeling for Knowledge Transfer, Exploration and Temporal Simulation (CONTEXTS), will be developed by BAE Systems to create interactive models of an operational environment, allowing planners to explore the causes of a conflict and assess potential approaches.

Chris Eisenbies, product line director of the autonomy, controls and estimation group at BAE Systems, said: ‘Military planners often conduct manual research and use limited modelling tools to generate models and evaluate conflict situations, which are extremely time consuming and labor intensive.

‘To break down these barriers, CONTEXTS will use reasoning algorithms and simulations with the goal to give planners a quicker and deeper understanding of conflicts to help avoid unexpected and counterintuitive outcomes.’