US Navy awards $18.4M to Aptima for sailor readiness

Aptima has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy worth up to $18.4 million to develop numerous training advances to improve naval force readiness. As part of the Navy’s mission to prepare a more agile force, Aptima will assist the U.S. Navy’s Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) with a progressive agenda to research, develop and insert new learning technologies and methods of instruction. These advances will support Ready Relevant Learning, the Navy vision outlined in Sailor 2025 for providing the right training at the right time in the right way.

The contract includes developing advanced capabilities formeasuring sailor performance and delivering adaptive, customized point-of-needtraining and instruction.

“At the heart of the Navy’s model for continuous learning ishuman performance measurement, which has gone from a little-used and largelysubjective practice, to being recognized as a key enabler of sailor readiness,”said Janet Spruill, Aptima’s Vice President. “Now with the ability tounderstand an individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities, learning systemscan tailor and deliver the optimal training experience anytime, anywhere it’sneeded.”

The contract will benefit instructors, curriculum developersand students at the Center for Surface Combat Systems in Dahlgren, Virginia,one of 11 learning centers within the Naval Education and Training Command.Currently, U.S. and Foreign sailors come to CSCS’ schoolhouse, the AEGISTraining and Readiness Center, co-located in Dahlgren, Virginina, to gain theknowledge, ability and skill to operate and maintain the AEGIS Combat System,an integrated naval weapons system designed to track and guide weapons todestroy enemy targets. The new capabilities will allow sailors to receive theright training at the right time, while improving training throughput andinstructional methods over time.

To aid CSCS in their advanced learning initiatives, Aptimawill build on and extend past work with the Navy and the other services. Inaddition to the research and development, Aptima will employ its A-Measuresuite of software to help CSCS capture, track, analyze, store, understand andvisualize sailor performance in real time.

“With the advances in training technologies, such asLive-Virtual-Constructive-Gaming environments, and the proliferation of sensorsand analytics, the foundation is in place to create truly personalizedinstruction and job support,” Spruill added. “By leveraging data and analyticswe can better create, customize and scale the learning experience, resulting inmore efficient use of training resources as well as increased proficiency.”

Contact work will be performed in Virginia and at Aptima’sOrlando, Florida,  facility, where itfurther expanded in 2016.