An open simulation architecture for Force XXI

Force XXI will be America's Army in the 21st century. New technology, a post-Cold War world and a declining force structure have made simulation a critical means for defining and implementing Force XXI. Military organizations are hierarchical. In combat, these command levels operate simultaneously with varying levels of coupling. A platoon on platoon operation can be significantly affected by unilateral actions of higher level friendly or enemy headquarters. A high-fidelity simulation must be able to represent the simultaneous actions of several command echelons. A multi-level simulation approach is presented in which different echelons of command can view objects at varying levels of detail consistently. A task force commander should be able to view the position and movement of a tank platoon on a map or a virtual view of the battlefield as seen from the platoon leader's hatch or real-time live video from an actual tank on the ground. Each view must be logically consistent with each other, so that the mountain on the map sheet affects movement in the same manner as the virtual mountain and the actual mountain seen via live video. Various combinations of live, virtual and constructive simulations will run concurrently in the same simulation infrastructure. Expert systems will control constructive simulation nodes lacking human players. At any level in the simulation human players and expert system players may be interchanged. The opposing force will be similarly configured. Force on force virtual simulations will be supported in the simulation infrastructure. The resulting open simulation architecture (OSA) is discussed in detail.