The NATO/PfP Interoperability and Re-use Study, NIREUS, was a twelve-nation project to apply the High Level Architecture (HLA) to investigate multinational distributed simulation for system design and acquisition. The NIREUS test case was focused on the distributed simulation of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) air vehicles landing on ships, initially focusing on the automated recovery of Maritime Unmanned Air Vehicles (MUAVs). The test case aimed to demonstrate the interoperability of different nations' simulations and domain experts and assesses the interoperability of the platforms and systems they represent. Amongst the many simulation elements required to achieve the objectives of the NIREUS programme, were models of the air vehicle, the air wake environment above the ship's deck and their interaction. Additionally, as the simulation was not intended to involve any "pilot-in-the-loop" activity, the simulated air vehicle had to exhibit a high level of autonomy. This paper discusses the development of the MUAV model and the design and implementation of its flight and approach control systems, including the subsystems required to detect, and react to, landing abort situations. Also discussed is the structure of the airwake model and the manner in which this provided disturbances to the air vehicle simulation. Details of the multinational simulation framework in which the air vehicle and air wake models were expected to operate are given along with a summary of the development process and integration tools employed. The outcome of the work was successfully demonstrated to the NATO/PfP in October 2001.
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