PUBLIC NOTICE -- VIRTUAL TEST LAB Congress has tasked The Secretary of Navy to assess the merits of a Virtual Test Laboratory for hull, mechanical, and electrical systems. The Office of Naval Research and The Naval Sea Systems Command will conduct this assessment and report back to Congress on their findings. The Navy will evaluate virtual laboratory concepts with simulation-based design, including integrated product and process development capability, as well as, electronically linking government, academic, and industrial partners in cross-discipline analyses. The Navy will evaluate capabilities such as performance evaluation, interface development and virtual prototyping of systems, operation of physical components and sub-assemblies under simulated system conditions. The viability and potential of a Virtual Test Laboratory to optimize system design and control acquisition and total ownership costs will also be evaluated. Congress encourages the Navy to seek technical input from industry and other services laboratory programs as part of the assessment process. All parties interested in providing technical input should contact Geanie Stokes by close of business March 6, 1998. (Phone: 703-696-7740; Office of Naval Research, Ballston Centre Tower One, Room 528, 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington VA 22217-5660 or by E-Mail at stokesj@onr.navy.mil) WEB: click here, http://heron.nrl.navy.mil/contracts/home.htm.

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