Overall role and missions

Modelling, Simulation and Operational Research Division (DSRO) is the Army's simulation expert. It thus participates in the projects led by the Army or the French Procurement Agency (DGA) for the statements of requirements, especially regarding the specifications and the technical-operational evaluation of the prototypes.

Owing to the use of specific techniques and digital simulation tools, the DSRO conducts studies on the evaluation of the performances and efficiency of the weapon systems in the overall "design – experimentation – evaluation – validation" cycle, on the employment of the forces to support the doctrinal process as well as on the optimisation and tailoring of the systems, using operational research methods. Its yearly workload is studied by both the Director of the CDEF and the Army Staff, before validation by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.

In the framework of its missions, the DSRO has direct links and exchanges with external organisations such as the Joint Staff, the Army Staff, the Land Force Command (CFT), the Basic and advanced military education division of the Army Personnel Command (DRHAT-SDFE) (through the prospective studies departments of the branch schools), the Army Technical Branch (STAT), the Procurement Agency (DGA) as well as many industrialists.

Organisation

"JANUS experimentation and development" department

This department is in charge of the evolution of the JANUS software, and especially of its adaptation to the needs of the Army. It is also responsible for its development and installation in the French sites. The department controls the source code of the software and designs the evolutions to meet the needs of the users and the directives of the Army. The work of this department initially aims to Frenchify the US version. It has been developing the French version since 2002. The latter version is quite different from the US one, with original models, interface and tools. This French version is called JANUS-FRANCE. It is used by the Army's higher military schools of the Army, the Basic and advanced military education directorate of the Army Personnel Command [DRHAT/SDFE], the Force preparation centres command [CCPF] and the JANUS-France centres located abroad.

"Operational simulation projects" department

The operational simulation projects department is responsible for the operational maintenance of the currently fielded training simulation systems (JANUSFrance and SCIPIO⁽¹⁾ ) as well as of the monitoring of the operational simulation projects (current or future ones). It provides scientific support to aid-to-command studies.

"Operational studies and research " department

The operational studies and research department provides scientific and technical support to doctrinal or general-purpose studies, relying on simulation and aidto- command tolls as well as on operational analysis techniques. It is responsible for the technical watch in the operational research and aid to decision-making domains, participates in "aid to decision-making and simulation" prospective by bringing its expertise in the doctrinal and tactical domains.

Details about the operational simulation projects

Scipio

SCIPIO has been used in the Command Post Training Centre (CEPC) in Mailly since September 2005. Coming after the US BBS system, it enables to train level 2 (division) and level 3 (brigade) CPs. The introduction of SCIPIO must accompany the dig itisa tion of the bat tlesp ace, and espe c ially the introduction of the Command and Information Systems (CIS) within the French Army. Coming along the need to downsize, this requirement has induced a marked search for interoperability between our organic command assets and the simulation ones, as well as for the automation of the behaviour of simulated units. These issues are the main challenges of the project.

Janus

JANUS is a combined arms simulation tool which simulates airland combats from the lowest tactical levels up to brigade , but it is specifically optimised for the com bined arms task for ce. It is a digital (o r constructive) simulation, which means that it only takes place on computers and only implements software. Several sides ar e represented: the forces can be distributed i nto six various sides, forming s evera l coalitions. It is interactive, since the operators intervene during the simulation. It is factual, "stochastic": basic action models are linked together and the results of each interaction is calculated as an occurrence probability then compared with a random drawing determining whether or not the result should be used. Finally, JANUS is a non-aggregated simulation in which the basic pawn is the system [a tank, a vehicle, an infantryman, etc.]

Operational research

Operational research identifies, through the mathematical calculation of various resources (financial, human…) the best solutions among a very wide range of possibilities. Today, operational research techniques apply in different ways in the organic domain with the optimisation of the stationing plan in continental France (location of the barracks depending on the available accommodations, on the career paths, on moving costs…) and in the operational domain, with force generation or the comparison between courses of action.

(1) Combined arms combat simulation for the interactive preparation of operations.