DARWARS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
DARWARS is a research project intended to accelerate the development and deployment of military training systems. These are envisioned as low-cost, mobile, web-centric, simulation-based, “lightweight” systems designed to take advantage of the ubiquitous presence of the PC and of new technology, including multi-player games, virtual worlds, off-the-shelf PC simulations, intelligent agents, and on-line communities. DARWARS stands for “DARPA’s universal, persistent, on-demand, training WARS,” although this formulation is rarely used. The project started in 2003.
The project is producing an architectural framework, including a set of web services, tools, and system interface definitions that facilitate the development of networked training systems. The scalable framework supports training for individuals, teams, or teams of teams (involving students at PCs interacting on a virtual battlefield). Training systems keep track of student performance in order to offer individual and group feedback. The project envisions an on-line community of students, instructors and developers around the DARWARS family of training systems.
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[edit] Sponsorship
DARWARS is sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and is co-sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) (Jfcom) and the United States Marine Corps Program Manager for Training Systems (PM TRASYS). The integration and architecture contractor for the DARWARS project is BBN Technologies. The project grows out of the DARPA Training Superiority initiative.
[edit] Exemplar Trainers
As part of the DARWARS project, several training systems have been developed as exemplars of what is possible. Some of these systems have been deployed to meet training needs related to current U.S. military efforts. Among these is the DARWARS Ambush! tactical trainer and the language trainer Tactical IraqiTM.
[edit] DARWARS Ambush!
DARWARS Ambush! is a PC-based, networked, multiplayer training simulator, or, serious game. It provides military training based on experiences of personnel in the field, and includes capabilities to ensure the capture and dissemination of lessons learned. The initial application involved road-convoy-operations training, while subsequent applications include training for platoon level mounted infantry tactics, dismounted infantry operations, Rules-of-Engagement training, cross-cultural communications training, and other areas. It's based on the technology of Operation Flashpoint.
DARWARS Ambush! is generally restricted to U.S. Military and U.S. Government organizations and personnel. The DARWARS Ambush! software is free of charge. The costs of the underlying game engine and networking infrastructure is nominal compared to traditional simulation-training systems.
