DVI has the technical background and expertise to undertake fundamental, leading-edge work in the development of strategic and tactical command, control, communications and more recently Computers Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4 ISR).
MIFASS (Marine Integrated Fire and Air Support System) was an advanced tactical data system providing automated functions to support the Marines in the execution of artillery fire control and air support during amphibious assaults. DVI (working as a subcontractor to UTC) developed and specified communications protocols, interoperability standards, and message conversation software to enable MIFASS and other Marine, as well as joint systems, to interoperate. DVI specified the complete protocol suite for communications between MIFASS C3I centers.
These specifications included the Man-Machine Interfaces necessary to handle initialization, exception conditions, taking into account human factors, as well as the specification of interfaces between peripheral devices and minicomputers. The specifications for MIFASS external communications interfaces were developed to support interoperability with the following USMC and joint systems:
- Marine Corps:
- PLRS (Position Location Reporting System);
- TAOC-85 (Tactical Air Operations Center);
- DCT (Digital Communications Terminal).
- Army:
- TACFIRE (Tactical Fire Detection System);
- Firefinder (TPQ-36 Counter-Fire Motar Locating Radar).
DVI also supported the development and review of ECP, SCNs and exercised other configuration control functions during the program’s PDR, CDR phases of activity. In addition, DVI developed the Program Performance Specifications (PPS) for MIFASS communications processing.
