White Paper: VBS2 Release Version 2.0 January 06, 2012 Prepared by Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White Paper: VBS2 Page ii Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. 1 2. History of the Virtual Battlespace........................................................................................2 2.1 Virtual Battlespace 1 (VBS1) ......................................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Aircrewman Virtual Reality Simulator ......................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) ......................................................................................................................... 4 2.3.1 VBS2 in non-military domains ................................................................................................................. 6 2.4 Real Virtuality 3 ............................................................................................................................................... 6 2.5 Five Keys to the Success of VBS ................................................................................................................. 8 3. Technology Overview ........................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Technology Roadmap .................................................................................................................................. 10 3.1.1 VBS2 v2.0 ................................................................................................................................................ 143 3.2 VBS2 Capabilities ........................................................................................................................................ 144 3.2.1 Architecture Overview .......................................................................................................................... 144 3.2.2 Run-Time Scenario (Game-Play) ......................................................................................................... 165 3.2.3 Mission Editing and Run-Time Authoring ........................................................................................ 366 3.2.4 Networking ............................................................................................................................................. 388 3.2.5 After-Action Review ................................................................................................................................ 40 3.2.6 Development Suite .................................................................................................................................. 41 3.3 VBS2 Modules ............................................................................................................................................. 444 3.3.1 VBS2Fires................................................................................................................................................ 444 3.3.2 VBS2Strike .............................................................................................................................................. 456 3.3.3 VBS2Fusion ............................................................................................................................................ 457 3.3.4 VBSWorlds ............................................................................................................................................. 458 3.3.5 VB-Edit.................................................................................................................................................... 459 3.3.6 VBS2 Behavior Modeling Console ..................................................................................................... 459 Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White Paper: VBS2 Page iii 3.3.7 Combat Net Radio (CNR) Simulation ................................................................................................. 50 3.3.8 JCOVE Lite .............................................................................................................................................. 51 3.3.9 VBS2 NATO ............................................................................................................................................ 51 Appendix A: Contact Details ................................................................................................... 53 Appendix B: Glossary .............................................................................................................. 54 Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White Paper: VBS2 Page iv Classification This document is unclassified. It may be freely distributed; however, all aspects are Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd. Revision History Date Reason For Changes Version 07/07/09 Initial release 1.0 09/07/09 Added para 3.2.2.3 Aircraft 1.1 13/07/09 Minor text changes 1.2 31/08/09 Minor modification to VBS2 introduction, added link to Visitor 1.3 4 handout on page 34 13/01/10 Added section on IED capability in VBS2 1.4 24/01/10 Numerous text edits, updated release dates of VBS2FAC and 1.5 VBS2Fusion 2.0 02/02/10 Added VBS2 IG++ to development roadmap 1.6 08/08/10 Corrected URLs to point to bisimulations.com 1.7 27/08/10 Added information on non-military use of VBS2 to history, 1.8 added information about RV3, modified formatting, added additional information on VBS2Fires and VBS2Fusion 20/09/10 Removed reference to BI Past Performance document 1.9 16/12/11 Added para 3.2.2.9 VBS2 Tank Gunnery 2.0 Added para 3.3.2 VBS2Strike Added para 3.1.1 VBS2 v2.0 Added information to roadmap VBS2 1.6 & 2.0 Minor Modification to VBS2Fires Added information 2.3 - Bohemia Interactive Simulations (UK) Added para 3.2.6.4 VBS Developer Network Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White Paper: VBS2 Page v Added para 3.3.5 VB-Edit Added para 3.3.6 VBS2 Behavior Modeling Console Added para 3.2.2.10 Maritime Enhancements Numerous minor text edits in regards to updates Various Image updates and additions Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White Paper: VBS2 Page 1 1. Executive Summary The paper firstly introduces the Bohemia Interactive Group, and provides a detailed history of both Bohemia Interactive and the VBS2 product. This section describes how the first computer game released by Bohemia Interactive – Operation Flashpoint – formed the basis of numerous “serious games” including DARWARS Ambush! and VBS1. The chain of events that lead to the development of VBS2 is also covered; the primary event being the ADF enterprise license purchase of 2006. The first section concludes by presenting five key enablers for the success of VBS2. The second and final section of this paper provides a high-level technology roadmap that describes the features of past, present and future Bohemia Interactive products. It also contains a detailed description of the capabilities of VBS2 v1.60. Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White Paper: VBS2 Page 2 2. The History of VBS The Bohemia Interactive (BI) Group consists of a number of privately owned software development companies based in the United States, Australia and the Czech Republic. Until the release of VBS1 in 2004, the primary focus of Bohemia Interactive was the development of computer games for entertainment. Czech-based Bohemia Interactive Studio (BIS) released Operation Flashpoint (OFP) in 2001, a landmark title that was the first to allow players to explore massive, geo-typical virtual environments. In OFP, players were free to use any means at their disposal to defeat the virtual enemy, including attacking from any direction, and using a wide range of vehicles and aircraft. Operation Flashpoint is the basis of the military training application DARWARS Ambush! developed by US-based BBN Technologies in 2004. DARWARS Ambush! aimed to provide a flexible training environment for soldiers to learn important lessons regarding both mounted and dismounted operations in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. DARWARS Ambush! is widely considered a great success and this positive outcome was only possible due to the flexibility and extendibility of the OFP game engine. 2.1 VBS1 The Australian branch of Bohemia Interactive, Bohemia Interactive Australia (BIA), was formed in 2001 with the mandate to develop “serious games” based on the Operation Flashpoint game engine, for use as simulation platforms outside the entertainment sector of the commercial market. BIA released VBS1 in 2004, and delivered to the United States Marine Corps (USMC) who used the product in a similar manner to the way the US Army was using DARWARS Ambush!. VBS1 was a successful game-based 3D virtual environment tailored for “serious” usage, suited for training and education in multiple domains, despite serious limitations. VBS1 mission editing and after- action review (AAR) features were limited, it did not support real-world terrain import, and it wasn’t HLA or DIS compliant. From as early as 2004, the US Army and the USMC have used Bohemia Interactive’s original game engine as the basis for their desktop tactical training simulation. Copyright © 2012 Bohemia Interactive Australia Pty Ltd White