Present day Unit Level mission planning systems, such as the Air Force Mission Support System (AFMSS), are used by pilots and wing commanders to plan safe and efficient aircraft missions in the tactical environment. DIS based simulation and training exercises are focused on high fidelity, realistic, man-in-the-loop tactical engagements. However, current simulation and training exercises do not employ the tactical concepts of operations related to mission planning. These exercises, without proper planning, do not provide the training required of our modern day force structure.
The incorporation of unit level mission planners into the DIS environment allows for improved mission rehearsal and training effectiveness. By using the fielded mission planner, pilots are provided with the tactical environment to allow them to practice approved concept of operations, further minimizing the differences between simulation based training and real world operations. The architecture presented in the paper supports the use of the unit level planner in conjunction with the existing exercise management protocol to establish an electronic link to flight simulators for coordinated exercise set-up, preview, and debrief. When used in this manner, mission planners allow for improved Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs) and After Action Review (AAR), such as the analysis of planned versus actual flown routes.
Sanders has been conducting research in the area of mission planning / simulation integration since 1991. The current implementation has coupled the AFMSS planning architecture with the DIS simulation protocol, allowing Computer Generated Force (CGF) aircraft to be flown by the mission planning computer. Additional research has involved the sharing of mission planning data such as route information utilizing DIS broadcast, client-server, and point-to-point communication models. These existing capabilities were demonstrated at I/ITSEC 94.
Based on our past experience, an additional suite of Protocol Data Units (PDUs) is proposed to handle mission planning data not currently supported by the existing DIS standard. A system architecture for integrating DIS based simulation and mission planning capabilities for unit to force level exercises is also presented.