To: <brin-l@mccmedia.com>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 6:07 PM
Subject: Military Battlefield Management
It occurred to me today during a conversation that the various first-person-shooter and real-time-strategy games might be very useful if applied to real-world combat.
I imagine something like: each unit (including infantry, armor, aircraft, etc.) might be equipped with GPS and various sensors to detect damage, weapons fire, POV cams, etc. that could feed into a battle management system to track the overall situation from a command center.
The command center could have some kind of warcraft-like interface with a map overlay to help direct troops to the right places, while the HUDs would be able do display similar info for the location(s) of local friendly units, and their status, as well as display command-center orders on a map overlay (I would imagine something like Battlefield 1942.)
The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that the military has at least explored such troop management technologies. At the same time, however, I can also see many points of failure as well as other problems related to outputting so much RF to keep in constant contact.
Anyway, can anyone tell me if I'm too far off the mark?
-- Matt
Well Matt, IMO your not off the mark. The US military has explored, and continues to explore this technology. many of the base principals are current being depolyed with new hardware, and some older equipment that is capable of the upgrades. However where I am Canadain, Ill give you the canadian prespective on that technology. ISTAR, TCCCS, IRIS, LFC2IS.
ISTAR stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance. ISTAR is not a piece of equipment, rather it is a capability that links several battlefield functions together to assist the force commander in achieving his aims. It is a 'system of systems' in which information is collected on the battlefield through systematic observation and sensing by deployed soldiers and a variety of electronic sensors. This information is then passed to intelligence assets for analysis, and to the commander and his or her staff for the formulation of battle plans. The role of ISTAR is to link the intelligence process with surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance in order to improve a commander's situational awareness. This allows the commander to commit his manoeuvre and offensive strike assets at precisely the right time and place on the battlefield. ISTAR is a relatively new concept that will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the Canadian Army. It will take several years and new equipment to fully develop the ISTAR capability, but the Army has enough cutting-edge assets in place now to begin implementing ISTAR principles. The Land Force Command Control and Information System (LFC2IS) and the Tactical Command and Control Communications System (TCCCS) will provide the backbone upon which the ISTAR capability will be developed. Concepts will continue to be developed and assets added to ISTAR as the Army transitions to the Army of Tomorrow and the Army of the Future.
The Tactical Command and Control Communications System (TCCCS) replaced old radio equipment used by the Army with the state-of-the-art Iris Digital Communications System. (TCCCS is the name of the overall project, while Iris is the name of the actual communications system). Iris provides the Army with secure, reliable and integrated communications. Ultimately, it will be part of a digitized command system designed to create a seamless web for rapid transmission of information between sensors, combat troops and decision-makers. For example, one component called the Situation Awareness sub-System (SAS), will permit vehicle and unit commanders to know where all unit and enemy vehicles are with pinpoint accuracy day or night and in any weather.
Now that the $1.4 billion system is installed and fully operational, the Canadian Army has the most integrated digitized command and control system in the world. The project began in 1985 and was completed at the end of 2002.
Army trials new digitized command and control system By Maj Tony Balasevicius
CFB PETAWAWA -The First Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) will lead the Land Force into the future as the unit moves to the forefront of the Army's digitization effort.
1 RCR has started training on a new digitized command and control system called the Land Force Command and Control Information System Version 1 (LFC2IS V1). The basic components of this advanced concept consists of a tactical communication system, which connects the Command and Control system (ATHENA), the Situation Awareness System (SAS) and the Operational Database (OPERA) to the national command system. When LFC2IS V1 is fully deployed, it will provide the Army with common communication, data and automated functionalities that will give commanders information superiority over any potential enemy.
Because of the project's complexity, LFC2IS V1 is being implemented incrementally. The first objective, which started some time ago, was to make the system's various components interoperate. This phase has developed to the point where the Army can now take the next step. During this subsequent phase, the plan is to optimize the system's capabilities by studying a combat unit's organization, procedures and doctrine. This will be done through the Command Support Pilot Project using 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group as the Trial Formation and 1 RCR as the Trial Unit.
The Command Support Pilot Project will focus on two themes; it will validate the Information Management (IM) process and determine the most effective headquarters structure at the brigade and unit level. This will be achieved by testing various organizational structures in an effort to develop the optimal configuration for each headquarters. To validate the IM process, the project will focus on acquiring information about the tools and procedures that will be needed by a headquarters working in the digitized environment.
The results of this trial will form the basis of recommendations to the Army commander on the structure, procedures, tools and processes needed to support commanders and staffs. These recommendations will provide the blueprint for the eventual establishment of an Army tactical level command and control system in a digitized environment.
All in all it is the basic premise of what you are talking about, warcraft like command and control, with realtime updates to friendly units in yuour area, and across the battlefeild. As for now the Army is the only aspect being deployed with this tech. The remainder of the military will be intergrated, including Navy and Airforce. granted implimnation of this technology will be rather easy based onthe Military size of deployed Units in the canadian forces. compared to that of the US, however the same problems will exist with both.
hope that this helps you out... and if i get some time later ill post one based on the US tech side for the Digital Soilder.
Nick
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