Publication

Power and Mobility (P&M)
2019

ADVANCED SIMULATIONS FOR MOBILITY PREDICTIONS IN VARIABLE TERRAIN PROFILES

by Eric Pesheck; Tim Palmer; Tony Bromwell; Venkatesan Jeganathan

Abstract

The NATO Reference Mobility Model (NRMM) is an empirically based tool developed to facilitate comparisons between vehicle design candidates and to assess their mobility under specific mission profiles. It was originally established in the 1960s and 1970s, during a time when modern computational methods were in their infancy. Since its initial development, the NRMM has been revised and updated several times, but there has always been a deficiency – a thorough understanding of the vehicle capabilities for each mission profile. With the advent of modern simulation tools, coupled with the latest in data visualization and analytics, a new generation of mobility models may be built that cannot only assess a vehicle’s mobility, but also understand its extended range in various soil types, and more specific terrains or operational conditions. This presentation will discuss the capabilities of advanced simulation and visualization software and their ability to affect how mission planning and profiling could be conducted to ensure mission success and improve warfighter safety.