OneSAF: A Product Line Approach to Simulation Development

Abstract : One Semi-Automated Forces (OneSAF) is the United States (U.S.) Army's next generation simulation system being developed to provide an integral simulation service to the Advanced Concepts and Requirements (ACR), Training, Exercises, and Military Operations (TEMO), and Research, Development, and Acquisition (RDA) domains. With requirements ranging from closed-form analytical support to command level human in the loop training, OneSAF will be an HLA compliant entity level simulation. OneSAF will provide simulation of individual battlefield components such as soldiers, tanks, and helicopters through aggregate units, to the Brigade level, operating in either a completely automated mode or under the control of the training audience via their organic command and control systems or role players using a OneSAF Graphical User Interface (GUI). Simulation entities, units, behaviors, and the synthetic environment will be composable to provide the greatest flexibility to the user in rapidly meeting the scenario requirements for a simulation event. Composition will allow not only ordinary task organizations to be defined with doctrinally correct behaviors and ordinary equipment sensor combinations, but will also support new concepts in combining equipment and sensor pairs as well as new equipment and behavior combinations. These ambitious requirements force a new tactic in simulation development. This paper describes the innovative Product Line approach the U.S. Army's Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM) is using to manage the OneSAF development. In doing so it details the combination of Military subject matter experts and organizations, processes, and technologies that went into the development of the OneSAF concept and the integrated repository that houses the OneSAF operational and technical requirements, government directed reuse requirements, and the Product Line Architecture Framework (PLAF).