SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The Air Force (AF) is driving innovation across the DoD; however, service-wide innovation investment in deployment readiness and global mobility is limited. Deployment processes are not agile enough to meet demanding timelines. Opportunity exists to automate capabilities within mobility and return time back to units for mission generation. Innovation is needed for global mobility readiness requirements of Agile Combat Employment (ACE), Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO), and the new Air Force Generation (AFFORGEN) model. For example, optimum sortie generation is significantly impacted by workforce availability. This factor is compounded when combined with pre-deployment requirements, appointments, and processing lines. Transformation in mobilizing forces supporting Combatant Commands is needed; increased efficiency in installations responding to Time Phased Force Deployment Data (TPFDD) requirements bolsters readiness. URSUS is a web application developed/deployed by Technergetics and evaluated by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) to address a mobility resource drain - Individual Protective Equipment (IPE) processing. IPE processes represent a resource drain for Unit Deployment Managers (UDM) managing deployments. Equipment is often missing or mismatched at fulfillment centers, and the distribution of bags is cumbersome at best. The URSUS collaboration between JBER, AF Tesseract, AF Research Lab (AFRL), and Technergetics was the first of its kind. This partnership demonstrated promising results in extracting tactical-level needs and transforming them into capabilities at the speed of relevance. URSUS interest is rapidly expanding; the URSUS MVP is desired for operational fielding by Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The scope of this effort is advancing URSUS IPE-focused software MVP to a capable IL-2/IL-4 web-based commerce/exchange platform for the DoD. The URSUS vision is to become the platform for DoD Commerce, allowing customers to create “store” exchanges rapidly. URSUS will enable a marketplace for consumable/non-consumable products/artifacts in an organized, accessible capability for DoD entities or processes. URSUS will apply to the major DoD focus areas of global readiness and additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing is a candidate for commercialization opportunities, this capability will address gaps in aircraft, vehicle, and equipment modifications/maintenance due to manufacturers no longer supporting antiquated assets.
