The Range Monitoring System (RMS) is a standalone, personal-computer application that provides real-time monitoring, control and data services for instrumented soldiers and vehicles performing force-on-force engagements using simulated weapon fire. The RMS is one component of the Common Range Instrumentation System (CRIS) developed for the USMC in order to provide enhanced capabilities to perform and review simulated force-on-force engagements.
System Overview
CRIS provides the capability to conduct fully instrumented force-on-force engagements in a battlefield environment using simulated direct-fire weapons. The system consists of the Player Unit (PU) Subsystem, the Range Monitoring System (RMS) Center Subsystem, the RF Data Network Subsystem, and Field Service Equipment Subsystem. The CRIS System can be deployed on any fixed range or temporary exercise area up to 20 km2. The PU crews are able to operate tactical training exercises in near real battlefield conditions. The CRIS Subsystem includes non-intrusive PU H/W that provides a vehicle or dismounted troop with simulated fire, simulated hits, and real-time casualty assessment (RTCA). Both audible and visual cues give the players real-time indications of the status of the battlefield and the individual PUs. Figure1.1 depicts the CRIS battlefield deployment scenario.
The RMS Center provides centralized real-time monitoring and control of the training exercise as it occurs. The system displays and records a variety of parameters from the engagements, provides for real-time control and monitoring, and supports after-action playback, data analysis and presentation development. The RMS Center is a single-user system implemented as multiple processes and applications on a standalone personal computer. Figure 1.2 shows the computational architecture of the RMS.
After all player units have been programmed, the MAIS software records approximately one gigabyte of data per hour. The data is extracted from over 240 messages per second delivered via Radio Frequency (RF) from units active in the field. A full exercise can require up to eight individual operators with different roles to monitor and orchestrate up to 2000 moving components on the battlefield. Operator duties include monitoring system alarms, controlling exercise state, creating reports, monitoring the player network, recovering missed player events, and defining and executing CAS, minefield, indirect, and NBC missions. The definitions of these duties are tightly integrated to the main application window to provide interaction for all appropriate users of the system.
The RMS architecture comprises the following components:
- Oracle Database – an Oracle relational database instance provides persistent storage and access for the configuration and real-time data from the system.
- Weblogic Application Server – a BEA Weblogic J2EE application server provides the programmatic interface between the applications and the database. It includes a COTS J2EE platform, custom Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs), and a COTS message-distribution component.
- RMS C&C GUI – the RMS configuration and control application runs as a Java process and provides the main user interface for the RMS. The bulk of this document describes user interactions with this GUI.
- Tactical Display – a situation awareness window built using the Solipsys COTS product provides graphical displays of the engagement on a high-resolution map background.
- Player Gateway – an independent Java process that runs when the RMS is operational and interfaces the RMS Center to the Player Units through the Nova Roam radio network.
- Alert Manager – an independent Java process that monitors alert conditions during operations and generates notifications when these conditions are met.
- Nova Roam – an RF network used to exchange commands and data among the Player Units and the RMS.
Riptide. Proven Success.
Printer Friendly 
