As a provider of correlated, integrated natural environments to Department of Defense (DoD) modeling and simulation (M&S), the Environmental Data Cube Support System (EDCSS) is becoming a key component of the DoD M&S Data Enterprise. Currently under continuing development, the EDCSS is a production capability focused on generating and distributing natural environmental data, effects, and products required to support M&S events. The EDCSS addresses integration across all environmental domains (air, ocean, space, terrain) by constructing environmental representations from authoritative source data providers and generating effects from DoD standard soil strength and mobility models as well as modeled sensor responses.

The EDCSS allows for the selection of realistic historical scenarios as the basis of the environment representation. The EDCSS delivers pre-computed environmental effects and system performance metrics as well as simulated operational products (imagery, text, graphics) to support the control domain.The EDCSS supports runtime distribution of products via High Level Architecture (HLA) and has a range of tools to facilitate effective use of these data by simulations and their supporting applications.