Army funds networked simulation architecture development

The Army has awarded Dynamic Animation Systems Inc., of Fairfax, Va., an $8.5 million contract to support the Modeling Architecture for Technology, Research and Experimentation (MATREX) program.

The company will provide analysis, design and integration support for MATREX, the architecture the Army is using to link simulations created by different research teams.

The firm was involved in previous phases of the project, but MATREX program manager Chris Metevier said the new contract will essentially make Dynamic Animation Systems the prime contractor for the program. If the Army exercises all the renewal options in the next four years, the contract could be worth as much as $48 million, he added.

Despite its name, the company does more than animation or visualization, he said. In this case, it will work on more fundamental systems engineering tasks related to bringing together multiple high-fidelity simulations – those designed less for war games and more for engineering analysis of aviation or communications systems.

By creating federations of many simulations, the Army can better simulate systems of systems, such as the Future Combat Systems suite of technologies for battlefield communications, command and control.

“A lot of people in the Army build simulations, but they don’t all play together,” Metevier said. MATREX is helping to change that, he added.