Natural Environmental Effects in Military Models and Simulations: Part I - A Survey of Requirements.

Abstract : The Defense Modeling and Simulation Office has sponsored the Environmental Effects for Distributed Interactive Simulation (E2DlS) Project, which is composed of eight tasks including the Survey Task. The Survey Task had three objectives: to develop a baseline of the Military Services' current requirements for incorporation of the atmosphere and near-space environment and their effects in military models and simulations (the Requirements Survey), to identify atmospheric and near-space-environment models and databases and environmental effects models that are currently available from the services (the Capabilities Survey), and to compare the results from both survey efforts (the Analysis). This report, Part I of a three-part series, describes the results of the analysis of the Requirements Survey; Part II describes the results of the analysis of the Capabilities Survey; and Part Ill describes the results of the comparative analysis of the two surveys . The Requirements Survey identified 208 military models and simulations, whose sponsors provided 78 questionnaires, 74 of which were entered into the database management system. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the responses to questionnaires is presented in this report, including a case study of wind, the most-required atmospheric data type. Requirements for these specific data are analyzed in terms of their horizontal, vertical, and temporal fidelity. The analysis yielded some unexpected results, especially the lack of requirements for atmospheric effects on forces, platforms, and weapon systems in the 74 surveyed military models and simulations. The Survey Team concluded from its analysis that a strong need exists for collaboration between the environmental science and support community and the military's modeling and simulation community.