Automated Assessment and Adaptive Training for Simulated Fire Support Coordination - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV032

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This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

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Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Design and develop training tools that assess individual performance in a scenario-based fire support simulator and adapt instruction/scenarios based on that assessment without the need of an instructor in the loop.

Description:

Recent Marine Corps publications have emphasized that effective fires employment remains a critical element of Marine Corps lethality and readiness [Refs 2, 3]. Fire support coordination (FSC) is the complex process of planning, integrating, and synchronizing the delivery of indirect fires (e.g., artillery, mortars) and close air support (CAS) to assist maneuver forces on the battlefield. At the company level, fire support is executed by a Fire Support Team (FiST) composed of several members, such as a FiST lead, Forward Observer (FO), Fire Support Officer (FSO), Joint Forward Observer (JFO), and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC). Some of these roles have a prescribed training pipeline (e.g., JFO, JTAC), whereas others do not (e.g., FiST Lead). The focus of the training for these roles is on individual skill development rather than team-based, integrated execution of fire support in support of a maneuver element. Opportunities for Marines to train collectively in combined arms integration are limited currently. Simulation-based training is available at a few designated locations, but these events require substantial instructor support to simulate different roles across multiple fires agencies and platforms (e.g., Fire Direction Center, CAS aircraft, Ground Force Commander). Live-fire Integrated Training Exercises (ITX), such as Fire Support Coordination Exercises (FSCEX), are costly (e.g., munitions), time and manpower intensive, occur infrequently, and have safety and external agency constraints not present in virtual training (e.g., FAA, host-nation restrictions). Furthermore, both simulated and live training environments require instructors to observe and assess performance with no automated assessment tooling. Across live and simulated events, these assessments are often not standardized and are subjective in nature, limiting opportunities for systematic assessment at the team or individual level. The lack of systematic assessment also limits the ability for Marine Corps to diagnose and address performance impacting the lethality of FiSTs.

Marines need a capability to assess foundational skills in their individual roles (e.g., crawl phase) that is embedded within a realistic fires simulator without requiring instructor facilitation or a full complement of FiST members. Automated assessment within the simulator allows for more objective-based metrics of performance and diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses of individual trainees. That enables schoolhouses and units to track performance on standardized metrics, which could be helpful for readiness assessments. Furthermore, Training and Education 2030 [Ref 3] outlines a student-centered adaptive training solution that tailors the training to the individual Marine based on an assessment of performance and prior research has demonstrated improved student learning outcomes and decreasing time through adaptive training methods – e.g. remediation or adaptive scenario difficulty [Refs 1, 4].

The desired capability of the fire support training solution is to provide tailored training to the individual FiST trainee based on the system’s assessment of performance, targeting skill areas where the trainee is weakest. Providing targeted reps and sets will maximize training time in the crawl phase in addition to improving preparation for the team-based virtual (e.g., walk phase) and live exercises (e.g., run phase). Providing a capability that allows FiST members to practice individual skills ahead of time ensures that trainees can focus on team skill development such as communication and coordination skills with other entities during the time and resource constrained team-based events. Simulation solutions must communicate via standard federated simulation protocols (e.g., DIS6/7, HLA RPR FOM [Refs 5,6]). Preference is given, but not required for submission, to proposals that incorporate or interoperate with existing and/or approved DOW simulation platforms with existing Authority To Operate (ATO) documentation for USMC.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

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