As a cost-efficient expedient for evaluating equipment and training users in a simulated environment prior to costly live hardware/software demonstrations, M&S is profoundly affecting the way DoD develops, acquires, tests, and fields new technologies for the future battlefield.

Virtual simulation—a simulation involving real people operating simulated systems—is a key technology area at ACS. Virtual simulations provide user-in-the loop capabilities for training and experimentation and often include the integration of live hardware/software systems with simulated systems.

At ACS, we have been at the forefront of the move within the DoD to transition to the High-Level Architecture, a general-purpose architecture for simulation reuse and interoperability based on the premise that no single simulation can satisfy all uses and users.

The ACS-developed C4I Federation Object Model provides the basis for a number of synthetic environments within the DoD and has applications ranging from evaluation of advanced command and control technologies to the development of effective information security countermeasures. At ACS we continue to support the evolution of the HLA to provide even greater cost-to-benefit ratios for the next generation of simulation systems.