Publications

Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2008
Shaping Defence and Security Capabilities Through Science and Technology

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Partnering for Increased S&T Capacity

DRDC aims to provide clients and stakeholders with the most cost-effective scientific and technological solutions to the challenges they face. We work with other organizations, nationally and internationally, and partner with the Defence Science and Technology (S&T) Enterprise, to leverage resources, knowledge, experience and technology.

This chapter features examples of our collaborations with national and international organizations and with the Defence S&T Enterprise.

Partnering Within the Defence S&T Enterprise

The Defence S&T Enterprise manages the Department of National Defence’s investment in science and technology. It is a matrix organization that connects the individuals in the Canadian Forces and the Department who direct, deliver and exploit the outputs from the investment.

The Enterprise achieves maximum impact through coordination and harmonization of effort. It maintains purpose-built linkages with external stakeholders such as other federal organizations, the defence and security science and technology community of Canada’s allies, and Canadian industry and academia. As such, the Enterprise provides a window on the global science and technology knowledge base.

Examples of DRDC’s partnerships with members of the Defence S&T Enterprise follow.

Making better, faster decisions in joint fires

Based on lessons learned from the counter-insurgency warfare in Afghanistan, the Canadian Forces need better situational awareness and tools to ensure that resources are optimized and decisions are made faster to address time-sensitive targets and reduce the risk of fratricide. DRDC is responding to this need by investigating and prototyping a joint fires support capability that will allow any land, sea, air or coalition spotter to call for fire on a land-based target, and the best shooter, whether air, land, sea or special operations, will be assigned based upon factors that include response time, accuracy and rate of fire, desired effect, collateral damage and rules of engagement.

DRDC’s goal is to develop a capability that will enable the Forces to undertake and successfully execute more firing missions. The net-centric battlefield of the future requires new tools and new techniques to perform today’s tasks better, faster and possibly differently.

In a collaborative effort, DRDC and the Canadian Forces Experimentation Centre developed a concept of operations that was adopted by The Technical Cooperation Program’s Joint Strategic Analysis group to create the Combined Fires Concept of Operations. The Joint Fires programs in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are leveraging the concept of operations to build their projects. We also produced a weapons review and made changes to the Ship Area Air Defence Model that will be used to help identify the optimal mix of weapons for the Canadian Surface Combatant ship to support forces ashore. In addition, we facilitated improvements that enhance the transfer of information between the command and control systems of the army, navy and air force.

Halfway through the life cycle of the project, it earned “Gold Card Status,” which is reserved for DRDC projects that are not only meeting all of their scientific and technical and program objectives, but are also engaging broadly and effectively with the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Forces and our allies.

Improving Arctic surveillance

Canada’s RADARSAT-2, launched in December 2007, provides better performance and new capabilities that will bolster the Department of National Defence’s surveillance activities. DRDC is working with the Polar Epsilon Project Management Office to use RADARSAT-2 to improve the surveillance of Canada’s Arctic by the Canadian Forces and to reinforce Canada’s ocean monitoring and environmental sensing capabilities.

A tanker vessel and tug boats that were captured by synthetic aperture radar

The Polar Epsilon project is implementing new capabilities for joint space-based wide area surveillance and support with a focus on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from RADARSAT-2. Polar Epsilon will implement Arctic surveillance and near-real-time ship detection using RADARSAT-2. This will be facilitated by the construction and commissioning of reception stations on the east and west coasts, and the implementation of new maritime surveillance modes for RADARSAT-2.

Our contributions to the project include support for the development of the operational ship detection software, along with the implementation of new target models to reduce false alarms. DRDC also demonstrated mission planning software and the use of polarimetry for maritime surveillance to enhance ship detection while minimizing the impact on other federal RADARSAT-2 users such as the Canadian Ice Service. This and on-going work with Polar Epsilon will result in enhanced surveillance capabilities, not only for the Department of National Defence, but also for other government departments engaged in surveillance activities.

International Collaborations

DRDC engages in many collaborative activities with other nations. In this way, we benefit from joint research, obtaining increased value by leveraging financial and human resources.

DRDC’s goal is to leverage a value of $40 million each year through our international collaborations. We estimate the value of collaborations on the likely cost of acquiring similar value through research contracts. We approximate the value of our international collaboration in fiscal year 2007–2008 to be $82 million. The following chart shows a five-year history of the value of our leveraging from international collaborations.

Value of international leveraging ($M)

A large number of DRDC’s collaborations are carried out with allied countries under international agreements, most notably The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Research and Technology Organization (RTO). DRDC actively participates in all TTCP groups and NATO panels, which span the wide range of their research and technology activities. (For more information on these organizations, visit their web sites, at www.dtic.mil/ttcp and www.rta.nato.int.)

DRDC also participates in other international agreements, such as the Multilateral Master Information Exchange Memorandum of Understanding with Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States; the Memorandum of Understanding concerning cooperative science and technology with The Netherlands; and the Trilateral Technology Research and Development Projects agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States. These agreements are of particular importance as they promote interoperability, facilitate collaboration, and help us obtain the most efficient and cost-effective results through cooperation in joint research activities.

A list of the international agreements in which we participated in the period covered by this report and the approximate number of projects we undertook under each agreement can be found in Appendix 6.

The following examples demonstrate some of our collaborations with our allies.

Examining coalition mine-countermeasure capabilities

In June 2007, a TTCP technical panel examining mine warfare conducted a collaborative trial called MONGOOSE ’07 at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, Florida. The trial investigated the scope of interoperability between the evolved minecountermeasure capabilities of TTCP nations, focussing on unmanned vehicles. Four TTCP nations deployed 25 separate systems, with 80 to100 people participating, making this one of the largest, most complex TTCP trials ever held.

At the international level, MONGOOSE ’07 exposed military commanders to potential gains in capability efficiency and effectiveness offered by enhanced coalition interoperability with unmanned systems and network-enabled warfare. It also addressed problems associated with safely operating unmanned underwater vehicles in waters with divers present, and the application of cross-national standards for signature measurement and vulnerability assessments.

The Remote Minehunting System was one of the technologies developed by DRDC that was tested at MONGOOSE ’07

At the national level, MONGOOSE ’07 was an important milestone in the continuing development of a mine warfare capability for the Canadian navy. MONGOOSE ’07 represented the first operation of the Remote Minehunting System as an operational capability manned with a dedicated Canadian Forces navy detachment. This enabled the navy to explore the interoperability of the system with other coalition assets and, in particular, to interface with the United States’ Mine Warfare Environmental Decision Aids Library.

During the trial, DRDC tested and evaluated the Diver Signature Integrated Measurement System (DSIMS) and compared its operational characteristics to similar systems from coalition nations. As a result of the successful operation of DSIMS at exercises such as MONGOOSE ’07, DRDC advanced this technology to the point where the Canadian navy will put it into operational use in the next year.

Developing vaccines against bio-threats

Under the auspices of TTCP, DRDC is working with Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to develop a safe, fast-acting vaccine to protect war fighters and civilians from the bio-threat of three alphaviruses: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV). These are potential biological weapon and bioterrorism agents because they are relatively stable in a natural environment, highly infectious after being aerosolized and easy to produce in large quantities. They could be used as either an incapacitating or a lethal agent.

Antiviral drugs against alphaviruses do not exist and treatment focusses only on easing clinical symptoms. However, researchers have developed inactivated vaccines for VEEV, EEEV and WEEV to protect laboratory workers at risk of exposure to these viruses. These vaccines are safe, but they require multiple injections and annual boosters to be effective. Researchers also developed a live attenuated vaccine for VEEV that requires only a single injection to be effective, but it causes severe side effects.

To make safer and more effective vaccines for alphaviruses, DRDC developed an adenovirus vector platform for vaccine development. The adenovirus vector is a harmless virus that delivers vaccine but does not cause disease. DRDC scientists have found that the alphaviral vaccine delivered by the adenovirus vector is safe and has the potential to be used as a single-dose, fast-acting vaccine against the alphavirus threat.

Replacing the small arms fleet

The Canadian Forces will soon start the process of replacing its small arms fleet. The Small Arms Replacement Project 2 (SARP 2) is taking a systems approach and aims to produce a comprehensive suite of weapons to enhance the capabilities that form a subsystem of the larger soldier system. The SARP 2 will look for improvements by including areas such as lethality and multiple effects, human factors integration, fire control, and power and data transmission within the weapon. In support of that process, DRDC has been participating in a NATO RTO working group on future small arms development.

This group, representing 10 NATO countries, was established in 2005 and is investigating a variety of capabilities related to the development of future small arms. It has three teams, each addressing a different area: human factors, power and technical interface design.

The working group has so far completed a study of the effects of changes in weapon weight and centre of mass on soldier performance, developed a prototype weapon rail capable of transmitting power and data, and recommended specifications on power architecture for small arms. Participation in this working group will allow DRDC to leverage research and development conducted by our NATO partners to support the SARP 2.

The SARP 2 has led to the creation of the Soldier Integrated Precision Effects System project that aims to demonstrate the viability, utility and usability of integrated and high-payoff novel small arms-related lethal and non-lethal technologies for future lightweight, small-calibre weapons systems for the Canadian Forces.

DRDC leads NATO working group on modelling and simulation for network-enabled capability

Many NATO nations and NATO Partnership for Peace nations are transforming, driven by a desire to achieve effects-based operations through a more network-centric force. Effects-based operations are military operations that use both traditional military means and nontraditional, non-military means to achieve a goal. One such means which NATO is exploring is the development of network-enabled capability.

The fundamental concept in network-enabled capability is that shared knowledge and shared technical connectivity dramatically enhance mission effectiveness and efficiency. Further modelling and simulation, as a lead science and technology investment, facilitates analysis, design and experimentation with network-enabled capability-based approaches to improve understanding, interoperability, doctrine development, mission rehearsal, training and acquisition support.

The extent to which NATO countries have embraced these processes and technologies varies considerably, and there is a critical need to develop a shared understanding between countries through the exchange of views and approaches. Consequently, NATO established a working group to explore how modelling and simulation can support network-enabled capability development across the defence and security domains. Canada, through DRDC, is leading this working group in the development of a guide to modelling and simulation for network-enabled capability based on best practices, with participation from Australia, the Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The group’s kick-off meeting took place in Paris, followed by workshops in Ottawa, London, The Hague and Oslo. Each workshop featured state-of-the-art briefings and demonstrations by the host nation. The final outcome will be a guide based on the best evidence from real-world case studies presented at the workshops, and a set of agreed-on principles that document how best to employ modelling and simulation for NATO networkenabled capability. This will ensure that NATO and all member nation programs are able to support the development of force and public security capabilities in a smart, net-enabled approach.

National Collaborations

DRDC collaborates with many Canadian organizations, including industry, academia and government, on joint projects. Leveraging the expertise and resources of our partners increases the rate of return on our investment and optimizes the funding we receive from the Department of National Defence.

The goal of DRDC is to leverage a value of $30 million each year from national collaborations. We estimate that the value of our national leveraging in fiscal year 2007–2008 was approximately $41 million. The following chart shows a five-year history of the value of our leveraging from national organizations.

Value of national leveraging ($M)

Examples of our collaboration with national organizations follow.

Mapping the Arctic Ocean floor

Mapping the Arctic Ocean floor to determine the outer limit of the continental shelf is a key step in supporting Canada’s jurisdictional claim in the Arctic. DRDC assisted in the mapping work by helping Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to extend their surveys into the more remote northern regions.

NRCan and DFO have been conducting Arctic surveys for the past three years. Their goal is to substantiate Canada’s submission to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concerning jurisdiction over the area beyond the 200-Mile Exclusive Economic Zone in the North. The implementation of Article 76 of the UNCLOS requires the analysis and interpretation of the depth of the sea floor and the thickness of the underlying sedimentary layer, as well as determining the appurtenance of submarine elevations (plateaux, rises, caps, banks) by ascertaining whether they are natural prolongations of the land territory of the coastal state.

A Natural Resources Canada ice camp set up for an appurtenance field experiment

One of the geobuoys embedded in the ice

NRCan and DFO scientists were using sound waves to probe the geological characteristics of undersea ridges and sediments. However, they had difficulty mapping the more remote reaches of the survey due to the logistics of deploying and recovering instruments in those areas. Using technology developed for submarine surveillance in the Arctic and deployed by a Canadian Forces CP-140 Aurora, DRDC helped the scientists to significantly extend the range of the survey into the remote areas.

The Aurora dropped seismic receivers known as geobuoys. The sensors embedded themselves in the ice and then transmitted the under-ice ocean-acoustic data back to the aircraft, where they were recorded and processed. Rather than listening for submarines, the geobuoys detected the sound waves generated by NRCan personnel at ice camps further south.

DRDC helped to develop the concept, assess the suitability of the geobuoy for this experiment and plan the scientific aspects of the mission. DRDC personnel also participated in the Aurora flights.

Responders and federal S&T experts collaborate at counterterrorism exercise

In February 2008, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological-Nuclear and Explosives [CBRNE] Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) sponsored Exercise Initial Thunder 2008 (ExIT-08), the largest and most realistic multi-jurisdictional CBRNE counter-terrorism exercise ever held in Canada. ExIT-08 was one in a series of exercises conducted across Canada to evaluate various tools, systems and procedures that were developed through the CRTI’s investments in science and technology projects. Each exercise built on the lessons learned from the previous exercise and provided an opportunity to learn from the federal, provincial and municipal responder communities, develop best practices, and identify areas where further science and technology developments are needed.

Over the course of ExIT-08, teams of federal, provincial and municipal responders worked through a number of mock scenarios. Federal participants included the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, DRDC, the Department of National Defence, Environment Canada, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Safety Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Transport Canada and the Vancouver Port Authority. Provincial and municipal participants included the British Columbia (BC) Ambulance Service, the BC Centre for Disease Control, the Provincial Emergency Program, the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services and the Vancouver Police Department. Private sector partners included International Safety Research Inc. and the Centerm container terminal operated by P&O Ports Canada Inc.

The first segment of the exercise took place in the Port of Vancouver and involved the illegal shipment of radiological materials, as well as the triage and transport of casualties that had been exposed to radiation.

The second segment of the exercise took place at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. Scenarios involved radiological, chemical, biological and explosives materials and practice in detecting these materials as well as handling them for the purpose of forensics. All exercise activities were conducted under strict security protocols and procedures to ensure the safety and security of the participants, the surrounding communities and the environment.

Examining leadership and command in the air force

The Canadian army, navy and air force each manifest certain elements of the Canadian Forces ethos, such as culture, leadership styles and command arrangements, in different ways. A new book, Canadian Air Force Leadership and Command, prepared by DRDC and KMG Associates and published in 2007, examines how the culture and working environment of the Canadian air force have influenced the development of unique leadership styles and command arrangements.

Written in support of DRDC’s Human Dimension of the Expeditionary Air Force project, the book analyzes how operations, culture and group identity affect air force leadership and command in both a historical and a contemporary context. It also provides models and frameworks of leadership and command to help the air force address current and future challenges in these areas. The book offers a foundation for research and debate and identifies the need to develop an overarching model of command and control in the Canadian air force.

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