Collaborative Force Analysis, Sustainment, and Transportation

With the development of CFAST, DPRA has created a portal-based, collaborative planning tool that utilizes some of the fastest-growing areas of technology in the market today. Developed by DPRA in a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, CFAST provides a set of business tools and supporting infrastructure that shortens deliberate and crisis action planning, command exercises, force modernization studies, and analysis. Real time data immediately updates interactive map displays and other visualizations for continuous monitoring and effective response to dynamic situations.

CFAST provides a thoroughly analyzed response plan that includes:

• Planning and feasibility analyses that assure rapid and efficient resource allocation methods are incorporated into custom-made plans.
• Transportation logistics including route evaluation/evacuation to move people and equipment in and out of an area.
• Deployment planning for personnel, equipment, and supplies to move resources when and where needed.
• Real-time database management via the latest technologies.
• Mapping and transportation scheduling that communicates strategy updates to all parties.
• Personnel planning that establishes casualty estimates and replacement/retrograde flow.
• Logistics estimates and more refined logistics planning tools and products.
  

CFAST provides the missing front end of the current deployment planning process. It links the campaign to the movement plan. Rapid resequencing of the priority of transportation flow results in true dynamic, rapid, and accurate TPFDD construction. Planners prioritize forces grouped using force modules recommended by the application, or their own modifications. Forces and sustainment are automatically flowed using the best solution.

CFAST assists the war-fighting commands and their service components in day-to-day operations as well as during crisis action and deliberate planning. With CFAST, planning phases can overlap concurrently with parallel planning at all levels. Calculations and information sharing are automated for maximum efficiency. The end result is plans are done faster and more accurately. CFAST highlights include a robust set of tools and reporting functions, the use of portal technology, web-based collaboration, on-site development, and hardware. CFAST is execution-centric, capabilities-based, and uses end-to-end planning for deployments—a true fort-to-foxhole planning tool.