Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test Department

The Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test (IBST) Department is the Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) center of excellence and point–of–entry for modeling and simulation of the Battlespace environment. The Department is NAVAIR's lead for the development and creation of synthetic and virtual battlespace environments in support of research, development, testing, training, systems evaluation and experimentation. For large–scale simulations used across an acquisition lifecycle, the department is also the lead for model management, scenario development, interface support, distributed simulation expertise, and Verification, Validation, and Accreditation (VV&A). The IBST Department manages NAVAIR's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Domain and, as part of the NAVAIR's CIO process, oversees the RDT&E Governance Board.

The Department operates, maintains and manages a number of Navy Installed System Test Facilities to support test and evaluation events for a variety of aircraft avionics and weapon systems. These facilities provide both physical and simulated environments and are designed to place test articles in a realistic, yet simulated combat environment. From launch to recovery, every phase and aspect of a mission is simulated to enable engineers to capture data necessary to assess the efficiency and capabilities of the avionics or weapons systems under test. Real–world threat signals are produced to evaluate avionics and sensor system performance while studying and identifying the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) these and other signals have on the avionics and other co–located systems. Pattern–Unit Cockpit training systems are manufactured and placed into simulated combat environments to assess the efficiency of cockpit layout and to evaluate aircrew workload and effectiveness, while a multitude of communications simulations provide assessments of aircraft and aircrew communications and interoperability capabilities. Additional testing provides ground RADAR cross–section measurements, missile fuse characterization and measurements and overall assessments of the entire kill–chain, from target identification, to target engagement, including damage assessment and indication.

The Department operates and maintains the Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility (ACETEF), the Integrated Battlespace Arena (IBAR), the Surface/Aviation Interoperability Lab Branch, the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Facilities (TEMPEST/EMC/NERF/EMP), the Missile Engagement Simulation Arena (MESA), the Radar Reflectivity Lab (RRL), Surface/Aviation Interoperability Laboratory (SAIL), the NAVAIR High Performance Computing (HPC) Centers, the Joint Integrated Mission Model (JIMM) Model Management Office (JMMO). The Next Generation Threat System (NGTS) Model Management Office (NMMO), and the NAVAIR RDT&E Base Area Networks.