Modeling Vehicle - Terrain Interaction in Army Simulations 2005-01-3556

Ground vehicle mobility models in U.S. Army entity-level force-on-force simulations have largely been tailored to the specific application (e.g., Janus, Close Combat Tactical Trainer [CCTT], Modular Semi-Automated Forces [MODSAF], OneSAF Testbed Baseline [OTB]). The NATO Reference Mobility Model (NRMM) is the Army standard model for single ground vehicle performance. However, it is much too complex and is not designed for use in entity-level simulations. Janus uses lookup tables based on NRMM speeds, and CCTT uses forces derived from algorithms internal to NRMM. The U.S. Army is developing two new entity-level simulations: Combat^XXI and the One Semi-Automated Forces Objective System (OOS), which both have requirements to use NRMM as the basis for their ground vehicle mobility calculations. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center teamed with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center-White Sands Missile Range to develop a Standard Mobility Application Programmer Interface (API) that meets the needs of these new simulations along with other potential users.

The Standard Mobility API is based on algorithms, data, and specially designed output files of the NRMM. It offers the user four levels of resolution, is written in Java, and makes use of Extensible Markup Language (XML) for database structures. This paper discusses those levels of fidelity and specifically examines the underlying algorithms and their use with specific emphasis on fidelity degree level 3 and terrain interaction.