UK Experiences of Using Coalition Battle Management Language

Abstract

The development of Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML) has provided a new set of tools to enable C2-Simulation interoperability to be achieved using common, international standards rather than the customised and sometimes ad hoc methods used previously. Furthermore, it permits complex, multi-national coalition federations to be designed and executed. NATO MSG-048 was established in 2006 to evaluate C-BML as a practical means of achieving C2-Simulation interoperability and as part of its chartered activities conducted a number of C-BML experiments culminating in an ambitious experiment in November 2009. MSG-085 has been established to build on the earlier work of MSG-048 and its programme of work includes focussed experimentation and evaluation of different C-BML systems. This paper addresses issues in early implementation of C-BML for the next generation of C-BML, including multiple simulations, translators, the Military Scenario Definition Language, and C-BML middleware. This paper is intended to complement companion papers on servers and grammar in a session on distributed military simulation in coalitions.