Virtual worlds are promising environments for providing concrete contexts for military training. They have limited training value, however, without the necessary planning and tactical control systems used by leaders at all levels.

This paper describes the design, architecture, standards, and innovations for a system of virtual worlds integrated with constructive simulations and a suite of collaborative tools to enable multi-echelon training. Leaders collaboratively create plans on a 2D map using doctrinally correct task organizations, drawing tools, and graphics. A 3D view is provided to enhance visualization of the 2D plan, and "hot spots" enable teams to enter virtual worlds as avatars to manipulate the environment directly and witness the results. A military constructive simulation provides adjudication of the results of the plan using calculations of movement and combat power. A master database maintains individual entity-state data and integrates the virtual world and constructive simulation to provide a synchronized view of the battle space and plan. All of these capabilities are based in the server cloud with customized interfaces provided in a web browser to reduce the load on the client and dramatically increase access to the system.

This integrated system enables leaders to plan an operation using familiar battle command tools, icons, graphics, and collaborative tools including video, eight-channel VOIP radio, whiteboards, and application sharing. The plan is then implemented by teams of soldiers in a first-person virtual world which is part of a larger environment created and controlled by the military constructive simulation. Leaders monitor the mission using 2D tools and influence the outcome by allocating assets such as indirect fire and reserve forces. Entities appear as avatars in the virtual world and are tracked as icons on the 2D map. Manipulation in either environment affects the other, resulting in a shared view of the battle space and world.

This paper will also outline details of the validation conducted by the Army as part of the program.

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Mark Heimburger