Open Source Graphical User Interface Surrogate C2 System for Battle Management Language Experimentation

摘要

Battle Management Language (BML) has been under development since 2003. BML shows a promising capability for command and control to simulation interoperability, enabling a robust system of systems for training, mission rehearsal, and course of action analysis. An important issue in BML development is the ability to inspect and modify XML-encoded information flowing among C2 and simulation systems. We have developed an open-source tool for this purpose called the BMLC2GUI. Our work was inspired by Fraunhofer FKIE's C2 Lexical Grammar GUI. The BMLC2GUI provides an easy to use, open-source graphical user interface for BML users and developers. It can serve not only as a development tool but also as a surrogate for C2 system input/output. The BMLC2GUI was developed as a Java application. It uses other open-source tools to generate a user interface. JAXFront, from Xcentric, generates forms at run-time, based on the schema of an XML document. OpenMap, from BBN, is used to display geospatial data and control features residing in the BML document (Orders and Reports) on the map. The BMLC2GUI is able to act as data source or sink and provide an examination capability for development testing by pushing and pulling XML files from the supporting Web service and also by subscribing to a publish/subscribe interface. Moreover, it has the facilities necessary to stand in for a minimal C2 system that can be used when developing simulations and interfacing them to BML.