Glossary of military modeling and simulation

The DoD Modeling and Simulation Glossary (formally known as DoD 5000.59-M), was originally created in 1998. Currently (as of October 2010) the glossary is in the process of being updated to include up to date information. The update to the glossary does not change the main objective to provide a uniform language for use by the M&S community. It now simply consists of a relevant, up to date, accurate set of terms. This article contains a list of terms and acronyms, based on the original DoD 5000.59-M but also provides information related to its current update.

History
The original DoD Modeling and Simulation glossary: DoD 5000.59 was created in 1998, in hopes to promote a uniform set of terms across the Department of Defense. The glossary consisted of three sections: sources, acronyms and terms. The first section was a set of sources from where the information for the glossary was accessed from. Second, a list of M&S related acronyms, and lastly a set of M&S terms with definitions.

Current work
Since 1998, the world of Modeling and Simulation has expanded. With the rise of new technology including augmented reality, mixed reality, virtual worlds, SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), and agent based simulation, it has become apparent that as the industry of Modeling and Simulation continues to change and grow, so should its language. Thus, a team of authors (University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Institute for Simulation and Training (IST), contracted by the Joint Training Integration and Evaluation Center (JTIEC)) have set to revise and update the Modeling and Simulation Glossary to include new terminology, and to exclude out of date information.

What’s new exactly?

The main objective of this effort was not to completely change the original 1998 M&S glossary, but rather to update and upgrade it.

The authors decided to err on the side of keeping the glossary inclusive of information rather than exclusive when it came to the addition of new terms and acronyms, while still maintaining a sense of readability. To that end the authors reached out to the research and academic communities for references and materials used in their M&S pursuits. The result was a comprehensive bibliography and description of terms at a general level, with the aim that for those interested, more detailed information could be found in the reference. At the current state of the glossary, it includes the addition of 35 references, 180 acronyms, and 500 definitions (includes multiple definitions). The glossary is set to be fully completed by late 2010.

Contributions

The glossary currently holds contribution from: J8, Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) J7, Navy Modeling and Simulation Office (NMSO), Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), ATL, DOT&E, U.S. Air Force Policy Division at the Pentagon (SAF/XCDM), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU APL), Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation (AFAMS), Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division (NAVAIR Orlando), Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (PEO STRI), the acquisition, analysis, planning, testing, training, experimentation, and intelligence M&S communities, as well as Dr. Tuncer Őren, professor emeritus of Computer Science at the School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE) of the University of Ottawa, Canada, and Director, The McLeod Modeling and Simulation Network (M&SNet) of the SCS. The contents of this paper, though, are those of the authors and do not represent those of the US Department of Defense or the aforementioned individuals or organizations.