BBN Technologies

Orlando, Florida, November 28, 2005 — BBN Technologies, an advanced technology and research and development firm, announced today it has been awarded $16.4 million by the Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a system for the Global Autonomous Language Exploitation (GALE) initiative to solve the human language technology problem of transcribing speech and computer encoded text directly into English text so that soldiers, commanders, and other decision makers have access to critical information quickly.

BBN Technologies, an advanced technology and research and development firm, and DARWARS partners will demonstrate recent advances in leading-edge training technology in the DARWARS booth (#2274) at this year's I/ITSEC (Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation & Education Conference) tradeshow in Orlando, Florida from November 28—December 1, 2005.

"We believe that our DARWARS tools will prepare our forces to meet the unexpected challenges of future conflicts," said Dr. Ralph Chatham, DARPA Program Manager for DARWARS. "The systems we are demonstrating at I/ITSEC this year are beginning to be used in the field and in many training commands. The Tactical Iraqi Language and Culture Trainer, for example, received the 2005 DARPA Significant Technical Achievement award with the citation that this technology will save lives."

DARWARS is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to accelerate the development and deployment of experience-based training--the next generation of scalable, low-cost, simulation-based training systems based on PC technology. The goal of the DARWARS Training Superiority program is to revolutionize on-line, experience-based training. This next-generation of training systems uses new technologies such as massively multiplayer on-line games, virtual reality, on-line communities, and intelligent agents to create compelling practice environments that are available anytime, anywhere in the world, and that give students critical feedback on their performance.

A total of 14 vendors will participate in the DARWARS booth; nine DARPA-funded participants and five partners who have joined the team for the competitive advantage that participation in this revolutionary training program offers them. The participants and their contributions to the DARWARS program include:

• Acuitus - 2-sigma Digital Tutor
• Aptima - instructional design and performance metrics
• BBN Technologies - DARWARS Ambush! and the DARWARS Core
• CHI Systems - STRATA, VECTOR, VIPERS and VIGILANCE
• MÄK Technologies - Interoperability of Training Systems with C2 Systems
• Micro Analysis & Design, Inc. - human-systems integration, simulation and modeling, and custom software development
• University of North Carolina - Wide Area Visuals for a Simulator in a Box
• USC & Tactical Language Training, Inc. - Tactical Language and Culture Trainer
• Sonalysts - Fleet Command and SCS-Dangerous Waters
• Vcom3D - Vcommunicator ® Virtual Humans

These organizations will demonstrate sophisticated training systems and tools operating within the DARWARS web-based infrastructure. The training systems to be demonstrated cover a range of skill and knowledge areas, including tactics, techniques and procedures for coping with ambush situations and IEDs; cultural familiarization and foreign language; naval strategy; and military operations in urban terrain.

The DARWARS team has marked significant milestones since first demonstrating the DARWARS program at I/ITSEC one year ago:

• Earned the 2005 DARPA Significant Technical Achievement Award for the Tactical Language and Cultural Trainer
• Established a 60+ seat lab for DARWARS Ambush! training at Ft. Lewis
• Trained 400 soldiers in one week at Ft. Lewis
• Trained a total of over 2000 soldiers
• Updated the DARWARS Core to version 3.4

About BBN Technologies
BBN Technologies, an advanced technology solutions firm, is focused on solving some of the world's most pressing problems. From national security, information security, speech recognition and language translation, to integrating disparate systems and networks, BBN has been at the forefront of technological change for over 50 years.

Known for pioneering the development of the ARPANET, the forerunner of the Internet, BBN continues to create advances in Internet and networking technologies through its work on ad hoc networking, the semantic web, quantum communications, and advanced protocols. Building on its substantial list of firsts, BBN operates the first metro quantum cryptography network, the first real-time foreign broadcast monitoring system, and has developed the world's first stereoscopic digital mammography system. For more information on BBN Technologies, visit www.bbn.com.