Towards A Common Reference Architecture for Mission Training Through Distributed Simulation

NATO and nations have a common need for combined and joint collective training to ensure mission readiness. There are however significant challenges: current and future operations are multinational in nature, missions and systems are becoming more complex and need detailed preparation and rapid adaptation to changing circumstances. At the same time, opportunities for live training and mission preparation in multinational context are reduced due to fewer available resources and limited time span between political decision making and deployment. Simulation has become an essential tool to meet the training demands of our military forces and nations are moving toward adopting national Mission Training through Distributed Simulation (MTDS) capabilities. Over time several NATO Modelling & Simulation Group (NMSG) initiatives provided valuable inputs into the development of a NATO MTDS vision and concept of operations (MSG-106 NETN, MSG-128 MTDS). So far these have not led to a persistent NATO wide capability to deliver meaningful synthetic collective training, due to the lack of a common technical framework and complexity of preparing a multinational MTDS event. Building on previous results, ongoing NMSG activities (MSG-165 MTDS-II, MSG-169 LVC-T) aim to address this need by amongst others developing a common MTDS Technical Reference Architecture (TRA) for Joint and Combined Operations. The TRA defines MTDS guidelines in the form of building blocks, interoperability standards and patterns for realizing and performing collective synthetic training and exercises supported by distributed simulation, independent of application domain (land, air, maritime). MTDS will be crucial to NATO and national readiness. This paper provides background, objectives and principles of the MTDS TRA, an interim status update of the work, and planned way ahead. The work is performed in a collaborative effort by several NATO nations, partner nations and organizations under the auspices of the NMSG.