Overview#
Connect any number of simulation nodes to a shared, real-time operational picture using the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) standard without building custom point-to-point connections between them.
A joint task force training scenario may involve armoured brigades from several nations, each running a different combat simulation tool, all needing to see the same entity picture. DIS, standardised as IEEE 1278.1, is the networking protocol designed for exactly that problem. It connects synthetic training environments, wargaming platforms, and live-virtual-constructive (LVC) simulations across multiple nodes on a standard multicast network. DIS Protocol Data Units (PDUs) carry real-time entity state information: position, velocity, orientation, appearance, and damage state for vehicles, aircraft, ships, and dismounted troops.
The platform ingests DIS entity state data from simulation exercises, persists unit positions and status to a structured store, and fuses simulation entities with live operational data sources on a common operational picture. The result is a single display showing real and synthetic forces together, essential for LVC training where live units operate alongside simulated opposing forces.
Key Features#
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Entity State PDU Ingestion. Submit DIS Entity State PDUs for parsing via the platform API. The adapter decodes the binary PDU and maps the DIS entity record to the platform's unified unit model, capturing: entity marking (callsign), entity type (domain, country, category, and subcategory), force ID (friendly, opposing, or neutral), geocentric position converted to geodetic coordinates, velocity, and dead-reckoning parameters.
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Exercise Configuration Management. Each simulation exercise is registered with an exercise ID, multicast address, site ID, and network parameters. Multiple simultaneous exercises can be managed independently per organisation, preventing configuration conflicts across concurrent training events.
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Multi-Level Classification Enforcement. DIS data originating from classified simulation networks carries a classification level. Access to individual entity records is checked against the requesting user's clearance before any data is returned. Users whose clearance does not permit access receive a denial rather than a redacted record, enforcing correct handling of multi-level secure simulation data.
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Live-Virtual-Constructive Fusion. Simulation entity positions are overlaid on the same operational picture as live data sources, including TAK Cursor-on-Target events, Link-16 tracks, and AIS maritime tracks. This removes the need for separate display systems during exercises and enables real units to operate alongside simulation entities on a common map.
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Protocol Translation Bridge. For environments mixing DIS and HLA federations, the platform provides protocol translation between DIS and HLA RTI, allowing entities originating in one protocol to appear seamlessly in the other without requiring simulation tools to be reconfigured.
Use Cases#
Collective Training and Wargaming#
Run multi-node wargaming scenarios where simulated opposing forces are visible to all participants through the platform. Eliminate separate briefing screens during transitions from tabletop to simulation, and support partner-nation exercises where each nation connects its own simulation tool to a shared exercise network.
Capabilities Demonstration#
Display simulation entity movements alongside real sensor data to demonstrate system integration to acquisition officials or partner-nation representatives, without needing a live operational environment.
After-Action Review#
Record all ingested DIS entity states during an exercise and replay unit movements for after-action review with full timeline reconstruction. Analysts can step through the exercise chronologically and correlate simulation entity behaviour with command-and-control decisions.
Integration Testing#
Use DIS traffic generators or simulation emulators to test sensor fusion logic and operational picture display before connecting to live data sources, reducing integration risk on live exercise days.
Live-Virtual-Constructive Experimentation#
Support experimentation programmes where real platforms are tracked by live sensors and synthetic threats or friendly forces are injected from simulation nodes, all on one unified picture.
Integration#
The capability is accessible via a GraphQL API. Queries return current simulation entity state, entity statistics, and exercise configuration inventories. Mutations allow PDU submission and exercise configuration management. All operations require OAuth 2.0 bearer-token authentication and are scoped to the authenticated organisation.
PDUs are submitted as Base64-encoded binary payloads or as raw binary over UDP to the platform's DIS gateway listener. The gateway subscribes to the exercise multicast group and handles PDU receipt automatically once an exercise configuration is registered.
Entity data is exposed on the same normalised unit model used by all other track sources. Downstream consumers, map displays, alerting rules, reporting modules, interact with simulation entities in exactly the same way as they interact with live tracks from Link-16, AIS, or Cursor-on-Target feeds.
For mixed-protocol environments, the protocol translation bridge accepts a source protocol and target protocol designation (for example DIS to HLA RTI) and re-emits entity state in the target format, enabling interoperability between simulation tools without modifying the tools themselves.
Open Standards#
- IEEE 1278.1 (DIS), the Distributed Interactive Simulation standard governing PDU binary format, entity type enumeration, dead-reckoning algorithms, and multicast network behaviour. The platform implements Entity State PDU ingestion as defined in IEEE 1278.1-2012.
- IEEE 1516 (HLA), the High Level Architecture standard for simulation federation management. The platform connects to HLA Run-Time Infrastructure (RTI) endpoints to federate entities from HLA-based simulations alongside DIS sources, using the IEEE 1516-2010 (HLA Evolved) interface.
- SISO-STD-001 (RPR FOM), the Real-time Platform Reference Federation Object Model, published by the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organisation, providing entity class definitions used when bridging DIS and HLA federations.
- STANAG 4676, NATO standardisation agreement for track data exchange; simulation tracks fused onto the operational picture are aligned with the STANAG 4676 track message format for interoperability with NATO command systems.
- STANAG 4774 / 4778, NATO metadata labelling and binding standards; classification labels attached to simulation entities follow the STANAG 4774 confidentiality metadata label and STANAG 4778 binding scheme.
- TAK Cursor-on-Target (CoT), the XML event format used by the TAK ecosystem for position reporting; simulation entities can be fused with live CoT feeds on the same operational picture.
- OAuth 2.0 / JWT, all API access is authenticated using OAuth 2.0 bearer tokens in JSON Web Token format, consistent with the platform's identity and authorisation layer.
Security and Compliance#
All DIS entity data is stored with a classification level inherited from the originating exercise configuration. Record-level access control checks the requesting user's clearance before returning any entity record, ensuring that users in a multi-classification environment cannot access simulation data above their permitted level. Exercise configurations and entity state records are organisation-scoped, preventing cross-tenant data exposure.
Network isolation is the responsibility of the exercise operator: classified DIS multicast networks should be carried on networks physically or cryptographically separated from unclassified infrastructure before the data reaches the platform gateway. The platform enforces classification policy on stored and queried data; it does not substitute for network-layer separation.
Last Reviewed: 2026-03-18 / Last Updated: 2026-04-14