STR to Support Agile Planning for Naval Missions via DARPA Contract

STR, a national security focused technology company, was awarded a new contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the Phorcys program to provide automated mission planning in emerging Navy operational needs using sealift assets.

STR, a national security focused technology company, was awarded a new contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the Phorcys program to provide automated mission planning in emerging Navy operational needs using sealift assets.

STR will incorporate artificial intelligence and advanced planning and decision systems providing operational and logistical missions using modern commercial e-commerce and on-demand delivery concepts. Advanced AI techniques are required manage the significant complexity involved with fasted-paced but irregular e-commerce scheduling, enormous numbers of assets and oceanic distances involved.

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To increase the flexibility and agility of global operations, the US Navy requires innovative sealift solutions, including just-in-time delivery of assets to supplement military transport with more widely available commercial options. While the Navy has utilized commercial sealift for many years, the planning process remains largely manual. Under the Phorcys program, STR will support DARPA’s goals of advanced user-centric planning that automatically generates scheduling options and provides real-time monitoring of Naval materiel on commercial vessels. “Phorcys provides a tremendous opportunity to apply the latest innovations in mathematical optimization to enable new options and opportunities for US Navy operations around the world. STR is excited to support DARPA’s Strategic Technologies Office on this effort,” said Dr. Gary Condon, STR’s Senior Vice President for Analytics.

“This problem is uniquely challenging because our supply chains need to meet the tight timing constraints of Naval missions subject to the constraints imposed by commercial shipping schedules. Unlike the delivery of a container of sneakers on the vessel, there are critical consequences if Navy assets on that same vessel are not available on time to support their missions,” said Dr. Hillary Holloway, Principal Investigator for STR’s Phorcys effort. STR will extend and refine modeling and optimization approaches developed on previous efforts to quickly generate robust commercial shipping options, support users in evaluating and selecting the options to execute, and monitoring the assets in motion to trigger contingency plans as needed.

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The STR team includes Aptima, Inc., a leader in the development and sustainment of human-centered solutions; J.F. Taylor, Inc. developers of large-scale simulation systems for the US Navy; and Crowley Government Solutions, which will provide subject matter expertise in military logistics and sealift operation at the United States Transportation Command. DARPA’s Phorcys program will also tap Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for a supporting innovation study. While Phorcys will address a US Navy requirement, DARPA anticipates interest from services to include the United States Marine Corps, United States Special Operations Command, and United States Transportation Command.

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