: Since 2003, a community focused on interoperation of command and control (C2) systems with simulation systems has developed a new area of technology known as Battle Management Language (BML). Their vision is a future where military organizations can link their C2 and simulation systems, without special preparation, in support of coalition operations. This paper reports on systems and technology developments of the last ten years, which have made great progress toward achieving that vision, as part of the work of the NATO Modeling and Simulation Group (MSG). The technology used in these projects to achieve effective operational use of C2 with interoperating simulations is based around a shared understanding of information, defined in an XML schema and implemented in each participating system. Interoperation is facilitated by an agreed upon definition of the information to be shared, recently supported by two coordinated standards: Military Scenario Definition Language (MSDL) and Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML). The paper will review the history and current status of systems and technologies, including the standards, C2 systems, simulation systems, and server systems employed. The conclusion addresses next steps to achieve operational deployment, based on emerging commercial products and military systems.

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Advances in Systems and Technologies Toward Interopoerating Operational Military C2 and Simulation Systems

This paper reports on progress in developing standardized methods for military coalitions to interoperate command and control (C2) systems and simulations as a system-of-systems, resulting in improved functionality and timeliness for participants. Command and control systems are networked software systems that commanders, staffs, and other participants use to exchange tasking information (called Orders) and status information for situational awareness (called Reports). Simulations are useful as C2 system elements for analysis and to stimulate training and mission rehearsal. C2SIM combines the two and has particular value in a coalition environment, where each nation prefers to use its own C2 system and simulation. The paper describes NATO and SISO activities in C2SIM, the technical approach used to achieve interoperability, and examples of its success.

Enabling Military Coalition Command and Control with Interoperating Simulations

The conference theme, M&S Support to Transitioning Forces, speaks to the need to grow better capabilities for the future while sustaining the lessons learned from past deployments. One such better capability now growing under the auspices of the NMSG is MSG-085 "Standardization for C2-Simulation Interoperation" which is leading the way to new capability where coalition partners can simply “plug in” their command and control (C2) and simulation systems on a common network and thereby exchange the information Multi-Schema and Multi-Server Advances for C2-Simulation Interoperation in MSG-085 4 2 STO-MP-MSG-111 needed for simulation-based training, mission rehearsal, and course of action analysis. Using such a capability, every group would “train as you fight,” using their own national C2 system and would be represented by their own simulation. This paper reports on significant steps forward in C2-simulation interoperation that have been developed and implemented by the authors in support of MSG-085: a coalition of simulation, C2, and web-enabled infrastructure systems that are capable of interoperating over a variety of syntactically different schemata, to the extent they are semantically compatible. Further, the system provides support for distributed, interoperating servers. This system enables interoperation among coalition partners who may be working with simulation and C2 systems developed with different schemata generations or versions. It also supports geographic and organizational scalability by enabling support from distributed servers. The key to multi-schema operations lies in the ability to parse every BML document (including C-BML, MSDL, and related schemata) and map it into a common data model. Doing this in a usable way requires a server that is capable of parsing XML documents and republishing them at high rates (at least one hundred per second) to service both C2 and simulation clients. The existing open source Scripted BML (SBML) Server has the needed translating and C-BML/MSDL capabilities, but not the required performance. Therefore the SBML server has been re-implemented using Saab’s WISE infrastructure, which not only provides high performance but also features a graphical editor that enables configuring a new schema even more rapidly than the previous scripting approach. This design has been extended and refined, working with client systems developed by other authors of this paper. The process includes appropriate simulation and C2 system initialization and information-based interactions to support necessary user and C2-simulation interactions. The key to multi-server operations is a server-to-server protocol, used with a schema that is common to both servers. Such a protocol has been implemented between the existing Fraunhofer-FKIE server and the new WISE-SBML server. The approach could be generalized, so long as each pair of servers implements some schema that supports the required semantics. The paper concludes with a summary of new achievements in C2-simulation interoperability conceived and implemented by the authors in support of MSG-085, and a projection of future developments that can reach the ultimate goal of “plug and play” C2-simulation interoperability among coalition partners.

Multi-Schema and Multi-Server Advances for C2-Simulation Interoperation in MSG-085

In the western military doctrine the principles of Commander’s Intent (CSI) and Command Intent (CI) is essential concepts that need to be communicated, exchanged and shared to facilitate information, knowledge, decision and effects superiority. To achieve better decisions and improve tempo, the western military forces has adopted to the NATO Network Enabled Capabilities (NNEC) or similar concepts. Networked Enabled Capabilities is primarily to let people network with the overarching process/method to exercise local initiative within the frame of CSI/CI. NEC is enabled by decentralization of authority and responsibility allowing subordinate commanders to plan and conduct operations based upon their understanding of the local situation. However, one can argue that control is lost with subordinates initiative and self-synchronization. But, with consistent understanding of CSI/CI together with shared situation awareness the focus and direction will be kept and promoted. With coordinated movement amongst participants towards a unified whole where individual teams, under comparable situations, are able to act and respond equivalent, convergence is established, and effects are delivered that shapes the behavior of allies and enemies.

Representing Command Intent and Effects in Command and Control Systems

This paper reports on development of standardized methods for military coalitions to interoperate command and control (C2) systems with simulation systems (C2SIM). Such a system-of-systems results in improved functionality and timeliness for participants in national configurations, with even more benefit in coalitions. Command and control software systems enable commanders, staffs, and other participants to exchange tasking information (Orders) and status information for situational awareness (Reports). Simulations are useful as C2 system elements for analysis and to stimulate training and mission rehearsal. C2SIM enables plug-and-play interoperation of C2 and simulation systems. It has particular value in a coalition environment, where participants from each nation use their own C2 system and simulations. The paper focuses on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) activities in C2SIM, describing the technical approach and software used to achieve interoperability, and provides examples of success.

Enabling Military Coalition Command and Control with Interoperating Simulations as a System of Systems

Incorporating C2-Simulation Interoperability Services Into an Operational C2 System

The Net Centric and Global Information Grid (GIG) visions envision systems that will be interconnected to support multi-lateral, civilian and military missions. The constantly changing environment requires commanders and leaders to plan for missions that allow for units from various nations, agencies, etc. to join or separate from the team, depending on the situation, as the mission unfolds. Training performed at home stations and in mission training/mission rehearsal may occur just days, hours or even minutes before the actual missions. This need for rapid mission-specific rehearsal capabilities and multilateral environment drives requirements to 1) develop a simulation infrastructures that enable embedded simulation capability in the operational systems and 2) develop interoperability mechanisms that enable a more agile, dynamic and adaptive interconnection of heterogeneous simulations.In this paper the lessons learned from the novel BLACK-CACTUS project (Bi-LAteral Collaboration and Knowledge exchange -- Command And Control To US and Sweden) is presented. The project shows an agile method of integrating Command and Control Systems and Computer Generated Force engines using the Command and Control Lexical Grammar (C2LG) together with the Widely Integrated Systems Environment (WISE) integration platform. The C2LG is the semantic glue that ties the information parts together and WISE is the framework for disseminating information through several of protocols and information models. The BLACK-CACTUS Proof of Principle consisted of the C2LG GUI, the TVT Vehicle Battle Management System (VBMS), the Joint Semi Automated Forces (JSAF) Simulation, the WISE platform, and the Joint Battle Management Language (JBML) web server and services.This paper presents the architecture, the implementation and the rational why a C2LG together with integration methods provides agile Joint/Coalition Embedded C2 Training Environments.

Magnus Grönkvist

Papers

Incorporating C2-Simulation Interoperability Services Into an Operational C2 System

BLACK-CACTUS: embedded training using a battle management language in a swedish command and control system