Experiences in the NATO pre-pathfinder DiMuNDS 2000 federation

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has developed and adopted a modeling and simulation master plan that provides guidance for the establishment of a NATO M&S capability. While organizational and procedural details are being developed, technical pre-pathfinder activities are being conducted to build skills within the NATO community and demonstrate the technical and procedural viability of using the high level as the prescribed foundation for NATO federations. The DiMuNDS 2000 federation is being developed under a cooperative agreement between France, Germany, Netherlands, NATO C3 agency, United Kingdom, and United States. The paper presents a description and status of the federation and the lessons learned with the process utilized for federation development and execution.