USJFCOM Update

Attention: open in a new window.

VIRTUAL SIMULATORS IN THE JOINT TRAINING ENVIRONMENT

The joint force commander requires warfighters to be trained and ready prior to deployment. While live training is the preferred method of acquiring this training, it may not always be feasible. Training with models and simulation across a live, virtual and constructive (LVC) joint training environment has proven to be a highly effective alternative. In the past, models and simulators used in training were not designed to be interoperable with systems outside a specific service. This made it difficult to integrate these training assets into a joint training environment. The Joint Training Environment (JTE), currently under development by the Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC)/ Joint Training Directorate (J7), includes LVC components operating concurrently across a globally distributed network of sites and systems. The JTE provides a shared training space where services, combatant commanders (COCOMs), agencies and coalition partners can train together in a near real-world setting.

VIRTUAL TRAINING

Virtual training across the JTE allows live participants to operate simulators, emulators, and/or operational systems in a synthetic environment. These virtual components provide a very flexible capability for training on the specific platform being simulated. Virtual participants can be injected into live operations through sensor simulation, adding depth and breadth to the operation for those who can detect, display and interact with the virtual entity.

While virtual training is a desirable means for providing effective pre-deployment preparation, a recent distributed joint training event conducted by the Air Force and Marine Corps proved that we still have interoperability issues that must be addressed. The event, geared for training forward air controllers, using gaming technology, such as Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2), connected to a Virtual C-130 gunship and joint semi-automated forces over a common Joint Training and Experimentation Network (JTEN), demonstrated that a lack of common standards generated interoperability challenges—in this case, a need to ingest the virtual simulators database into VBS2 in order to provide interoperability with the VBS2 gaming engine.

At JWFC, the JNTC Architecture and Technical Standards (JATS) team—a coalition of service and joint stakeholders—is in the process of identifying common enterprise standards to resolve some of these interoperability issues when bringing together LVC components.

The main objective of the standards development initiative at JWFC/J7 is to facilitate a persistent, globally distributed, multifaceted training capability through overarching interoperable systems and architectures built upon widely accepted and enforced standards. These standards will allow easy and rapid integration of service architectures and individual LVC training components into the JTE. The architectures and protocols standards identified below are the primary means by which the JTE is able to facilitate the accomplishment of joint training objectives:

• The high level architecture (HLA) is general purpose architecture for distributed computer simulation systems. Using HLA, computer simulations can communicate to other computer simulations regardless of the computing platforms. Communication between simulations is managed by a run-time infrastructure (RTI).
• Distributed interactive simulation (DIS) is an open standard for conducting real-time platform-level war gaming across multiple host computers and is used worldwide, especially by military organizations and other agencies such as those involved in space exploration and medicine. The DIS standard is used primarily to connect virtual simulators to the JTE.
• Test and training enabling architecture (TENA) is a common architecture used to integrate testing, training, simulations and high-performance computing technologies across many distributed facilities. TENA promotes interoperability and reusability among “live” DoD ranges and facilities.

In December 2008, JWFC/J7 hosted the Challenges in Joint LVC Training—Getting to the Standards Workshop at I/ITSEC. The purpose of the workshop was to establish a dialogue with the standards community of interest and solicit its help in identifying what it felt were the primary standards for providing JTE interoperability. This workshop will now become an annual event.

In addition to the workshop, the JATS team hosts a quarterly conference, which provides an additional opportunity for information sharing. Efforts are briefed to foster collaboration, cooperation and collective understanding between JFCOM, the services and COCOMs with regard to architectures and training standards activities.

Members of the JWFC/J7 staff also team with service standards groups such as the Combat Air Force (CAF) Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) Standards Development Working Group (SDWG). In an upcoming JTEN-DMON project, interoperability gaps, seams and challenges will be identified when integrating Air Force virtual simulators and a constructive computer-generated battlespace within the JLVC Federation used at JFCOM. This effort will be scoped as if preparing for a typical JNTC event such as a Green Flag Exercise and will begin to craft standards common to both federate and identify gaps that require interoperability solutions.

CONCLUSION

With the growing need for M&S solutions that address new training capabilities, JWFC/ J7 faces fresh interoperability challenges that must be efficiently and effectively mitigated. Through collaborative efforts such as the I/ ITSEC standards workshop and JATS quarterly conferences, and distributed integration events, such as the JTEN-DMON Project and technology demonstrations at the Joint Advanced Training Technologies Lab, JWFC/ J7 will continue to identify common standards for the development of interoperable capabilities and enterprise solutions beneficial to the joint training community. ♦

USJFCOM Update

Upcoming Industry Events