Formalizing Model Transformations Within MDE

A recent approach to tackle the ever increasing complexity of military simulation system is model-driven engineering (MDE). However, it is used mostly to produce simulation software tools, and seldom can perform formal analysis on models, resulting in a low degree of simulation model engineering. Consequently, this raises many issues such as inefficient development as well as poor qualities of product, and falls short of non-functional requirements like extensibility, maintainability, and reuse. In general, many of the success of MDE are dependent on the descriptive power of modeling languages and how conceptual models are transformed toward final implementations. Hence, this paper presents contributions in two main aspects of MDE: customizing domain specific language by metamodeling and engineering model continuity by formalizing model transformations. A military simulation application called group fire control channel system is used as a motivating example to illustrate the whole process, transforming conceptual models into other formalisms that have precise definitions of semantics until they reach final executable simulation models.