Advanced distributed simulation: what we learned, where to go next

Summary form only given. It has been a little less than ten years since modeling and simulation (M&S) hit the knee on the curve. During these past few years a great deal of marketing of the potential of M&S has occurred, which resulted in a significant influx of funding for research and development (R&D) projects, especially in the area of distributed simulation. One of the significant experiments in this area-the DARPA Synthetic Theater of War program-officially ended, bringing to an end one of the more robust experiments in distributed simulation. We are now in a time where most of the M&S funding is targeted at production programs, with much fewer dollars going into R&D or experimentation. Although it is good that major programs are capitalizing on previous R&D efforts, it would not be true to say that the necessary R&D has been completed to realize the vision of distributed simulation. It would be true to say that we now have a much better understanding of the issues. What is needed now is a period of reflection on the vision, where we are, what was done right, what hasn't worked well, and where we should be headed for the next five to ten years.