NATO Simulation: HLA RTI Federation Integration

Overview#

HLA (High Level Architecture) is the IEEE 1516 standard simulation architecture mandated by NATO for complex coalition exercises and live-virtual-constructive training environments. A Runtime Infrastructure (RTI) manages the federation -- the group of simulation applications (federates) sharing state in a coordinated exercise. Argus integrates with Portico-compatible RTI instances (Portico is the most widely deployed open-source HLA RTI) to pull federation object instances, map them to Argus operational units via the NETN (NATO Education and Training Network) entity model, and place them on the common operational picture.

Key Features#

Portico RTI Federation Polling#

The

pollFederation

method connects to a Portico RTI via

HlaPorticoClient

, retrieves the full federation metadata (federate count, object instance count, active status), and downloads all current object instances. Object instances are mapped to Argus unit records via the

netn_entity_to_argus_unit

adapter, which translates NETN entity attributes (callsign, entity type, position, velocity, status) to the Argus unit data model.

NETN Entity Model Support#

The Portico client implements NETN entity-to-Argus-unit mapping, supporting the standard NETN 3.0 object classes used in NATO federated exercises (NETN-ENTITY, NETN-MRM, NETN-LBML). This ensures compatibility with standard NATO exercise federation schemas without per-exercise custom configuration.

Federation Inventory#

Query registered federations, active federate rosters, and ingested entity positions via

hlaFederations

hlaFederates

, and

hlaEntities

. The stats query returns entity counts by type and federation name, giving exercise controllers a real-time view of what objects each federate has published to the shared simulation state.

Classification-Safe Data Handling#

HLA entity records carry

secrecy_level

tags. Classified exercises where entity movements reveal genuine order-of-battle information can be tagged accordingly, restricting visibility to cleared personnel within the Argus deployment.

EDF Audit Trail#

Every federation poll that ingests entity data generates an interop ingest audit entry, providing a complete record of when simulation data entered the system and from which federation.

Use Cases#

NATO Exercise Command View: During Trident Juncture, Steadfast Defender, or Cyber Coalition, connect Argus to the exercise RTI and display all federated entity positions on a classified operational picture overlaying real geographic data.
Live-Virtual-Constructive Integration: Allow real TAK-equipped ground troops to see simulated opposing force entities from the HLA federation on their ATAK devices, bridging the live-virtual boundary.
Multi-Federation Aggregation: Connect Argus to separate RTI instances running parallel scenario threads (air exercise, naval exercise, cyber defence) and display all federation entities on a unified map.
Post-Exercise After-Action Review: Record all ingested HLA entity states and replay entity movements annotated with exercise event timeline entries for commander debrief.

Integration#

Available via GraphQL:

hlaFederations

hlaFederates

hlaEntities

hlaStats

(queries);

pollHlaFederation

(mutation). All operations require authentication and organisation scoping.

Standard: IEEE 1516 HLA / Portico RTI. Compatible with Portico 2.x and RTI that supports REST management interfaces. Works alongside DIS (complementary simulation protocol), Link-16 (live data fusion), NETN 3.0 entity model.

Last Reviewed: 2026-03-18

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