FLAMES Automated Simulation Trainer
(FAST ™)

The FLAMES Automated Simulation Trainer (FAST™) is a turn-key, commercially-available simulation developed by Ternion specifically to serve as the central constructive simulation in a live-virtual-constructive (LVC) training exercise. FAST also provides a powerful yet extremely friendly graphical user interface for controlling simulated entities during scenario execution and tools for automatically creating scenarios from standard military data sources. Flexible, versatile, and configurable, FAST can be embedded in operational command and control systems to provide deployable, individual unit training, and it can also support large, multi-unit distributed, interactive training exercises.

Primary Features

FAST includes the following advanced features:

  • Physics-based simulation of air, ground, and surface sea entities, including vehicles, sensors, communication systems and networks, weapon systems, munitions, and human behavior
  • Ability to simulate thousands of entities in “real-time” on a single computer
  • Support for all of the terrain modeling capabilities of FLAMES
  • Automated scenario creation by importing Air Tasking Orders (ATO) and Airspace Control Orders (ACO) in US Message Text Format (USMTF)
  • Support for a single “Director” station and any number of “Controller” stations, each of which can visualize an ongoing scenario in 2D, dynamically control entities, and create new entities
  • Ability to interact with other simulations and virtual simulators using the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) protocol and the High Level Architecture (HLA)
  • Support for checkpoint and restart in the event of hardware or power failure
  • 3D visualization of a scenario (in real-time or playback) using FLASH

Optional plug-ins are available for FAST that include the features listed below. These plug-ins require an export license to be delivered internationally

FAST includes the following advanced features:

  • Bi-directional communication with tactical systems using the JREAP C (MIL-STD 3011-C) interface
  • Support for J-series tactical messages, including J2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.0, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 7.0 (partial), 7.5, 12.1, 12.4
  • Support for Precise Participant Location and Identification (PPLI) message generation
  • Support for AN/TPS-59 radar simulation and sending AN/TPS-59 radar plot data to tactical systems

FAST and the FLAMES Runtime Suite

FAST is an individual FLAMES-based application that is designed specifically to meet the demanding requirements of live-virtual-constructive (LVC) training exercises. As such, FAST includes features and capabilities that go beyond those provided by the FLAMES Runtime Suite. However, a license to FAST includes a license to each of the standard Runtime Suite applications, FORGE, FIRE, and FLASH, as well as a runtime license to several Runtime Suite optional products (3D, Analysis, Interactive Simulation, DIS, HLA, Multithreaded Execution, and Checkpoint/Restart).

The following is a brief description of how FAST uses and extends the capabilities of the Runtime Suite.

Scenario Creation and Editing

FORGE is required for editing the low-level scenario parameter database that is used in FAST scenarios. This database is scenario independent, which means the same database can be used by any FAST scenario. A scenario parameter database is included with FAST and rarely needs to be edited. However, all parameters in the database are fully editable using FORGE.

FAST is the only application that the typical user will need to create and edit scenarios. Like FORGE, FAST (in “Director” mode) provides the ability to create and edit scenario entities manually. However, FAST uses a streamlined user interface to simplify entity creation and editing. To reduce the possibility of introducing errors into a scenario, FAST does not support the editing of the low-level scenario parameter database. Perhaps most importantly, FAST provides a capability not found in FORGE, that being the ability to create scenarios automatically by importing ATO and ACO data.

Scenario Execution

Scenario execution is started from FAST running in “Director” mode. To the end user, it appears that the scenario executes directly in FAST. However, the scenario is actually executed using FIRE, and FAST automatically connects to FIRE as a client. Additional instances of FAST running in “Controller” mode can then be started on other computers, each of which also connects to FIRE as a client.

FAST extends the capabilities of the Runtime Suite to provide greater support executing LVC training scenarios in a number of ways:

  • The FAST user interface includes several tools and displays that simplify that tasks of monitoring and controlling large numbers of entities.
  • FAST includes modeling components that are more advanced than the components that are bundled with the Runtime Suite.
  • FAST simulates communications with much more realism and includes multiple interfaces for interacting directly with live tactical systems.
  • FAST includes a scenario database that is more advanced than the database included with the Runtime Suite.

Customizing FAST

The scenario database provided with FAST is fully editable. All system data parameters can be changed, new system types can be defined, and scenarios can be created and edited.

FAST is not available in a software development configuration. Therefore, it is not possible for customers to modify any of the FAST software, including the modeling components and external system interfaces. However, the capabilities of FAST can be extended by a customer using the FLAMES Development Suite. Because FAST is a full-fledged member of the FLAMES product family, software components developed using the Development Suite are compatible with FAST.

Ternion also develops other custom training simulations tailored to specific requirements. Contact Ternion Corporation today to learn more about how you can drastically reduce your training costs while at the same time dramatically increase the effectiveness of your training programs.