The Creation of GrafenBob for the JTEP LVC Demo

The Joint Training Experimentation Program (JTEP) is a multiphase, multiyear effort to develop a distributed training capability for the California National Guard (CANG) that includes live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) training simulation to support multiechelon training. The second JTEP demonstration was a battalion-level exercise conducted in December 2003. This demonstration linked the Joint Combat and Tactical Simulation (JCATS), a constructive simulation; the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT), a virtual simulation; the Deployable Force-on-Force Instrumented Range System (DFIRST), a live instrumented training system; and observers at the Office of the Adjutant General (OTAG). JCATS and CCTT were located at Camp San Luis Obispo, California; DFIRST was located at Camp Roberts, California; and the OTAG observers were located at Sacramento, California. An early finding in the development of both JTEP demonstrations was that in order to provide a sufficient level of interoperability for company, battalion, or brigade level exercises, all federates needed to operate on correlated terrain. For the second JTEP demonstration, this requirement proved particularly difficult to satisfy, since the live (DFIRST) entities would be at Camp Roberts, while the best terrain available to the virtual federate (CCTT) was Grafenfels. For strong correlation among terrains, one must be the primary terrain and all others must be derived from that primary terrain. In this case, neither terrain could be modified; JTEP had two primary terrain sets. In order to create a single battlespace in which all LVC federates could operate, JTEP created “GrafenBob,” a stitched synthetic environment that included portions of both Camp Roberts and Grafenfels. Correlated terrain was then created for JCATS, the JTEP constructive federate. The correlated terrain was used for direct and indirect fire engagements among LVC federates, a stealth viewer for 3-D display and after-action reviews (AAR), and a virtualconstructive unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that provided real-time imagery of all LVC entities in the battlespace. The creation of GrafenBob enabled a maximum level of interoperability. This paper describes the process of creating GrafenBob, starting with a SEDRIS Transmittal Format (STF) of Grafenfels, stitching it with the National Guard Bureau (NGB) Geographical Information System (GIS) source data of Camp Roberts, and creating derivative correlated terrain for the remaining federates. It discusses lessons learned, including the discovery of a difference between federate representations of height (based on geoid vs. ellipsoid reference systems), and plans for future work.