Overview

The Services team advises the Modeling and Simulation Coordination Office (M&SCO) Director on all modeling and simulation matters pertaining to the development, management, and use of data standards. M&S standards and methodologies support a common technical framework and common services. They provide the building blocks for interoperability, reusability and increased capability in a cost effective manner.

The Department of Defense Modeling and Simulation Coordination Office (M&SCO) was established in 2007 by the Department of Defense (DoD) at the direction of Congress "...to coordinate simulation policy, to establish interoperability standards and protocols, to promote simulation within the military departments and to establish guidelines and objectives for [the] coordination [of] simulation, war gaming and training..."(SAC, SR101-521) and "... to develop interoperability standards and protocols for existing and future war games, models, simulators, and training devices..." (HASC/SASC Conference Report, 1991).

In April 2004 the Defense Standardization Program Office (DSPO) established the "Modeling and Simulation Standards and Methodologies (MSSM) "standardization area and designated the M&SCO as its Lead Standardization Activity (LSA). Previously, Service and DoD M&S standards activities had been ongoing but not coordinated as a unified effort.

Why M&S Needs Standards

Communication

• Infrastructure for linking simulations of various types at multiple locations to create realistic, complex, virtual "worlds" for the simulation of highly interactive activities.

Interoperability

• The ability to exchange data and the ability to interpret it consistently (common context)
• Determined by the needs of the community of common interest
• Within and among architectures.

Cost

• Lower barriers to entry
• Access to multiple vendors.

Reusability

• Ability to adapt components (e.g., ideas, whole simulations, lines of code) for new simulations.