The Fleet Command Center Battle Management Project: lessons learned

Lessons learned from the experience of the Fleet Command Center Battle Management Program (FCCBMP) are documented. FCCBMP is an element of the Defense Advanced Project Agency's Strategic Computing Program (SCP), which aims to stimulate the development and application of advanced technologies for military problems. FCCBMP has been the most successful of the SCP programs to date in bringing expert systems into operational use. It is noted that lessons from the FCCBMP program can help in managing the development of expert systems and systems developed using rapid prototyping. It is concluded that FCCBMP has demonstrated the feasibility of applying expert systems to operational military problems. When developing expert systems intended to support operational users, there are strong advantages in developing expert systems on-site in the operational environment. The use of rapid prototyping does not mean undisciplined development. Rapid prototyping can be managed by selectively adapting traditional software engineering techniques for use during the development phase. The knowledge engineering required by an expert system project can suggest improvements to existing methods of operation.<>