It was 20 years ago that the training community stopped to make an assessment of radar simulation fidelity and effectiveness. An evaluation of analog systems, which had served well for many years, identified that many of the inherent limitations could be overcome if modern digital technology were applied. Project 1183 and the acquisition of digital radar landmass simulation (DRLMS) systems for the Navy A-6E Weapon System Trainer and Air Force Undergraduate Navigation Training System helped make the transition from analog to digital radar training systems a reality. During the last 10 years, radar simulation technology has been significantly impacted with the introduction of training requirements for high resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. Now, in 1991, we are again at a time appropriate to reevaluate the progress we have made and the effectiveness of today's DRLMS systems. The objective of this paper will be to provide a brief history of radar simulation, make an assessment of the successes as well as specific problems and issues associated with the simulation of high resolution radar systems, identify an approach based on video processing of optical sources that could lead to satisfying many current and future radar simulation requirements, and introduce alternative approaches for specifying the performance of future DRLMS systems based on a more rigorous assessment of training needs and the benefits that might be anticipated.