DARPA Launches Program Seeking High Performance Computing for Military Simulators

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched a new program to improve how virtual training environments replicate real-world interactions and host more complex systems. DARPA unveiled Monday that the Digital RF Battlespace Emulator program intends to build a new breed of High Performance Computing capable of supporting advanced radio frequency for simulators. 

The agency said the conventional computing being used on existing simulators is incapable of generating the computational throughput and speed to replicate real-world interactions and model the scale of physical test ranges. DRBE aims to create the world’s first large-scale virtual RF test range to demonstrate the use of real time HPC. 

Initial parts of the program will focus on the design and development of new computing architectures and domain-specific hardware accelerators as well as tools, specifications, interfaces and other system requirements for integration of RT-HPC and the virtual test range. DRBE is part of the second phase of DARPA’s five-year, $1.5B Electronics Resurgence Initiative exploring emerging domestic, U.S. government and defense electronics systems. 

The agency plans to issue a broad agency announcement after the event to fully outline the program’s structure and objectives.