Numerous DIS-to-HLA gateways exist for literal translation of simulation data, but few perform real-time mitigation of the technical performance differences, e.g. data refresh rates, between these protocols. As the TENA protocol evolves in support of live training, similar challenges will need to be overcome when translating this protocol into DIS and HLA to realize the kind of technical performance required to avoid negative training between trainees in live aircraft and virtual platform simulators; and safety-critical issues for live participants. This paper presents a unique solution that is currently being implemented on the Pacific Alaska Range Complex (PARC) to integrate the Combat Air Force Distributed Mission Operations (CAF DMO) AWACS Mission Training Center into live training events such as Red Flag Alaska (RF-A).
Significant data transmission latencies exist between live and virtual training systems. These latencies ultimately result in differences of wall-clock time on the order of seconds. In combat situations, every second counts. The three primary actions performed by war fighters in a battlespace are move, shoot, and communicate. For TENA, location data of training platforms is communicated at reasonable rates and precision, but with low spatial accuracy. This deficiency results in significant visually-observable "jitter" of the reflection of live platforms in the virtual battlespace. This paper presents a solution for reducing this jitter.
The translation of data communication, e.g. Link-16 and IFF, between trainees is also addressed. This paper presents a solution to augment live track IFF data with the data necessary for interoperability with virtual and constructive assets. A technical solution is presented for Link-16 interoperability in light of the on-going development of the TENA Link-16 object model. Finally, an approach for an audio communications solution and an approach for the simulation of live-to-live, live-to-virtual, and live-to-constructive weapons engagements are proposed as future work.