Unmanned systems interoperability standards

Over the past several years, there has been rapid growth in the development and employment of unmanned systems in military and civilian endeavors. Some military organizations have expressed concern that these systems are being fielded without sufficient capabilities to interoperate with existing systems. Despite recognition of this requirement, interoperability efforts remain diverse and disjointed across the United States and internationally. The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Monterey, California, was sponsored by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) in Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) to explore (1) enhancement of robotics education; (2) improved representation of robotic systems in combat simulations; and (3) interoperability standards for military robotics systems. This report discusses work performed in FY16 to identify current and emerging interoperability standards for unmanned systems, including interactions of robotic systems with command and control (C2) and simulation systems. The investigation included assessment of the applicability of standardization activities in the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) in its development of the Phase 1 Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML) and currently in-progress Command and Control Systems - Simulation Systems Interoperation (C2SIM) standardization efforts. The report provides a recommended approach, standards, activities, and timetable for a cross-system communications roadmap.Secretary of Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise, 3090 Defense Pentagon, Room 5C756, Washington, DC 20301Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Evaluating/Improving Representation of Intelligence Capabilities and Processes in Combat Modeling with Demonstration in COMBATXXI

NPS NRP Executive SummaryEvaluating/Improving Representation of Intelligence Capabilities and Processes in Combat Modeling with Demonstration in COMBATXXIMarine Corps Modeling & Simulation Management Office (MCMSMO)This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Battlespace Language Activities at NPS

Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML) Workshop, ODU/VMASC, 7-9 March 200

Virtual Battlespace Scenario Encoding for Reuse, Phase I Report

The United States Army and United States Marine Corps employ the Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) commercial game for small unit training. Each service has significant investment in training scenarios constructed using VBS2 tools and conforming to the vendor's particular data formats. To move toward improved interoperability, to gain greater fiscal flexibility in addressing the statutory intent for open competition and affordability, and to protect the investment made in models, terrain, and other elements of training scenarios that are separate and distinct from the virtual and gaming environments in which the simulation executes, open standards need to be applied in place of proprietary commercial off-the-shelf architectures. In the current ( and foreseeable) environment of constrained budgets, it is ever more critical that the services protect and enhance their investments in simulation systems used for training and other purposes. Expanding capabilities for open scenario interchange will improve scenario reuse while creating greater opportunities for simulation data interchange and open competition for future gaming capabilities. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a wide-spread approach to describing data format and content to support efficient data processing and data interchange across systems. This report describes initial application of XML technologies to the representation of VBS2 scenario data, demonstrating feasibility for the capture and exchange of VBS2 scenario data. The report provides a plan of action for a follow-on phase of the effort to expand the representation and for use with other XML-based standards, such as the Military Scenario Definition Language (MSDL), to create opportunities for broader interchange of scenario data across a variety of combat simulations.Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command (DC SIAT)Marine Corps Systems Command, Modeling and Simulation OrganizationApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Ethical Control of Unmanned Systems: lifesaving/lethal scenarios for naval operations

Prepared for: Raytheon Missiles & Defense under NCRADA-NPS-19-0227This research in Ethical Control of Unmanned Systems applies precepts of Network Optional Warfare (NOW) to develop a three-step Mission Execution Ontology (MEO) methodology for validating, simulating, and implementing mission orders for unmanned systems. First, mission orders are represented in ontologies that are understandable by humans and readable by machines. Next, the MEO is validated and tested for logical coherence using Semantic Web standards. The validated MEO is refined for implementation in simulation and visualization. This process is iterated until the MEO is ready for implementation. This methodology is applied to four Naval scenarios in order of increasing challenges that the operational environment and the adversary impose on the Human-Machine Team. The extent of challenge to Ethical Control in the scenarios is used to refine the MEO for the unmanned system. The research also considers Data-Centric Security and blockchain distributed ledger as enabling technologies for Ethical Control. Data-Centric Security is a combination of structured messaging, efficient compression, digital signature, and document encryption, in correct order, for round-trip messaging. Blockchain distributed ledger has potential to further add integrity measures for aggregated message sets, confirming receipt/response/sequencing without undetected message loss. When implemented, these technologies together form the end-to-end data security that ensures mutual trust and command authority in real-world operational environments—despite the potential presence of interfering network conditions, intermittent gaps, or potential opponent intercept. A coherent Ethical Control approach to command and control of unmanned systems is thus feasible. Therefore, this research concludes that maintaining human control of unmanned systems at long ranges of time-duration and distance, in denied, degraded, and deceptive environments, is possible through well-defined mission orders and data security technologies. Finally, as the human role remains essential in Ethical Control of unmanned systems, this research recommends the development of an unmanned system qualification process for Naval operations, as well as additional research prioritized based on urgency and impact.Raytheon Missiles & DefenseRaytheon Missiles & Defense (RMD).Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Modeling Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations in the Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century (COMBATXXI)

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is undergoing organizational and operational changes to adapt to new warfighting requirements in today’s world. The USMC Force Design 2030 describes new concepts, such as Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), with a focus on reconnaissance/counter-reconnaissance and maritime interdiction. To examine and evaluate new concepts of operation, force structures, weapon systems, tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as other adaptations for such operations, the USMC requires models and simulations that can represent the full range of variations related to these expected changes. The Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century (COMBATXXI) is a combat simulation jointly developed by the USMC and the US Army to support modeling and analysis. Developed over the past 20 years, COMBATXXI possesses many of the fundamental capabilities needed to study these new concepts but currently lacks realistic representation in some key areas, such as maritime surface combatants needed for examining critical aspects of the new role of maritime interdiction. Such representation requires platform identification, targeting, and assessment of damage that can lead to determination of their continued ability to perform operational missions. The purpose of this study is to examine new warfighting concepts related to EABO and to identify relevant modeling approaches using the COMBATXXI simulation. The study describes a modeling approach, initial implementation of that approach in COMBATXXI, and preliminary evaluation of the utility of the model for supporting scenarios and studies relevant to the new USMC concepts of operation. The study concludes with recommendations for follow-on work to further improve or employ the developed capability.Marine Corps Combat Development Command Operations Analysis Directorate Capabilities Development and Integration.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Conceptual Requirements for Command and Control Languages

Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) SIW Conference PaperThe current Coalition Battle Management Language initiative (C-BML) will define a language to unambiguously exchange command and control information between systems. This paper introduces a categorization that may be used to guide the process of developing C-BML effectively by enumerating the conceptual requirements the authors have identified in model-based data engineering and process engineering based studies in various domains

Conceptual Requirements for Command and Control Languages

The current Coalition Battle Management Language initiative (C-BML) will define a language to unambiguously exchange command and control information between systems. This paper introduces a categorization that may be used to guide the process of developing C-BML effectively by enumerating the conceptual requirements the authors have identified in model-based data engineering and process engineering based studies in various domains. First, it is important to distinguish if application of the language will support the planning, execution, or observation phase of command and control. While C-BML already distinguishes between tasking and reporting, planning is a category with different requirements. Second, the language must be able to express various spatio-temporal constraints, which can be expressed using fixed expressions, relative to each other, or in mixed forms. In addition to the traditional spatio-temporal constraints, operation-specific constraints – or the perception thereof – need to be expressed. Finally, it must be determined if the constraints are used in support of accomplishment-driven objectives or avoidance-driven objectives. While this category seems to be trivial to most human consumers of the language, it has significant implications for systems. The paper introduces the conceptual constraints using examples and evaluates mathematical means provided by discrete structures needed for computation to describe their ability to cope with these challenges

Evaluating/Improving Representation of Intelligence Capabilities and Processes in Combat Modeling with Demonstration in COMBATXXI

NPS NRP Project PosterEvaluating/Improving Representation of Intelligence Capabilities and Processes in Combat Modeling with Demonstration in COMBATXXIMarine Corps Modeling & Simulation Management Office (MCMSMO)This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.