THE AMERICAN, BRITISH, CANADIAN, AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ARMIES

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Enabling Coalition Interoperability Through
Simulation An ABCA Update Paul Roman
The findings in this presentation are based
upon an interim report that reflects the opinions
of the authors and in no way should be considered
official ABCA program policy or policy of any of
the nations involved.
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Aim
To provide an update regarding Simulation
Interoperability as part of the ABCA Program
Outline

• Provide a short introduction to the ABCA Program
• Describe how Simulation Interoperability Enables
  Coalition Interoperability - Motivation
• Describe Simulation Interoperability Framework
  and standard
• Outline Campaign Plan

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WHAT IS ABCA?
A product-focused organization founded on the
deliberate analysis of interoperability gaps and
the products required by the five national armies
to close, or mitigate, those gaps.
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HISTORY

• 1947 US, UK and CA reach formal agreement
• 1963 AS joins
• 1964 Basic Standardization Agreement (BSA 64)
  
  ratified (until recently, the backbone of the
  BCA armies LO system in the US). BSA 64 gives
  special access on ABCA matters
• 1965 NZ joins as an Observer
• 2003 ABCA Re-organization
• 2004 USMC participation formalized (Observer)
• 2006 NZ full membership

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• ABCA VISION
• The ABCA Program will achieve the effective
  integration of the capabilities necessary to
  enable ABCA Armies to conduct the full spectrum
  of coalition land operations successfully in a
  Joint environment, now and into the future.
• ABCA MISSION
• Optimize interoperability through cooperation and
  collaboration in the continuous pursuit of
  standardization and mutual understanding in order
  to integrate the capabilities of the ABCA Armies
  in coalition operations.

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WHAT DOES ABCA DELIVER?

• Products
• Handbooks
• Standards
• Information Publications
• Architectures
• Reports
• Trust and Understanding in a common language
• Information exchange between Subject Matter
  Experts

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Simulation Interoperability Update

• Simulation Interoperability task has been active
  without program funding since 2000.
• The report from Task 07E2SG003 concluded that
• Simulation offers the potential to transition
  the ABCA program from a paper based information
  exchange program to an experience based learning
  organization paradigm. All nations are already
  doing this as a matter of course, and it would be
  inappropriate not to take advantage common
  tools appear to be the key. OneSAF and VBSTM 2
  have been assessed as the lead contending common
  tool contenders to make this possible.

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Simulation Interoperability Preferences
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There are only two common tools
Janus
OneSAF
CAST
JCATS
VBS2
DARWARS
First to Fight
JSAF
OneSAF VBS2TM
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Current Preferences
Integration Efforts
High Level Architecture (FEDEP)
Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS)
OneSAF, VBS2TM
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Simulation Interoperability Framework
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Potential Tool Mapping
OneSAF
OneSAF/VBS2
VBS2
OneSAF/VBS2
OneSAF
OneSAF/VBS2
OneSAF/VBS2
VBS2
OneSAF/VBS2/Others
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ABCA Simulation Interoperability Draft Standard
(March 2009)

• Agreed to definitions
• Simulation Interoperability Framework
• Implementation best practices
• Introduce the Simulation Product Type to ABCA SOP

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Simulation Product Types

• Scenario Files
• Environmental Databases
• Entity models
• Math-Physics Models
• Data Collection and After Action Results

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Multi-Lateral Mechanisms

• LAND FORCE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERING, AND
  EXPERIMENTATION (LFSDEE) Memorandum of
  Understanding
• The primary objectives of this MOU are to
• enhance land force interoperability and
  standardization through systems development,
  engineering and experimentation
• improve the Participants respective and
  collective land force capabilities and
• leverage industrial and technological excellence.

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LFDSEE MOU

• This MOU establishes a framework and defines the
  general provisions for the exchange of
  Information, Equipment and Materiel Transfer
  Arrangements (EMTAs), and the establishment of
  Working Groups (WGs), and Project Arrangements
  (PAs) in support of LFSDEE Activities.

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Strategy
MOU Approved
5 year Simulation Interoperability Campaign Plan
WG Drafts Simulation Interoperability PA
2011 Task
Allied Auroras Activity
Additional Tasks
Additional Tasks
E2SG SC
WG Renews Simulation Interoperability PA
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Draft ABCA Simulation Interoperability Campaign
Plan
Products/Events
Coalition Goals
Lines of Operation
Simulation Interoperability Progress Report Task
07ESG003
ND/EC Demo Simulation Interoperability Nov
08 Task 08ESG003
Information Sharing
Learning
Draft Simulation Interoperability Standard (MAR
08) Task 08ESG003
Knowledge Sharing
Battlefield re-construction
Lessons Learned

• CA 2011
• 3 Reports
• Definition (Nov 08)
• Scoping Proposal
• (AM09)
• AAR (Dec 2011)
• Task 08ESG004

Integrated Capabilities in the Contemporary Operat
ing Environment
Battlefield Visualization
Course of Action Analysis
Simulation Support To Operations
Mission Rehearsal
Adaptive Planning
In-Theatre Training
Other required Tasks, eg. defining the use
cases framework and a capability audit
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