A Knowledge-Based Tool for Planning of Military Operations: the Coalition Perspective

Larry Ground

Alexander Kott

Ray Budd

 

BBN Technologies

Presented by Alice Mulvehill

Outline

Main thesis: knowledge-based planning tool can help a coalition staffExample: the CADET toolAdvantages: Tasking and synchronization Estimates and computations

New challenges: Field maintenance of KB Collaboration User interfaces

Key Inputs: COA Statement

(object-represented, 5-10 main activities)

Friendly assets, strength, location

Enemy COA, assets, strengths, location

Environment (terrain, etc.)

Key Outputs: Detailed Plan

200-500 activities all BOS’s timing,

synchronization assets allocated

Estimates attrition consumption risk

CADETCADETCADETCADET

The Function of CADET

Application domains: US Army Div, Bde operations, intel ops…

Intended users: Bde planning staff officers

Role: COA analysis/ wargaming of the US Army MDMP

Tool sponsors: Army CECOM, BCBLs, DARPA

How CADET is Used

CADET

COA Tool

Using COA Entry tool, officer enters

digitized operational concept: sketch and

statement

COA Tool sends digitizedCOA sketch and statement

to CADETCADET generates detailed,

synchronized plan and estimates

The staff reviews and modifies

CADET’s products

OPORD, OPLAN, FRAGOs are generated and

issued

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

CADET

Human

Experimental Results

Rigorous experimental comparison: CADET-assisted vs. conventionalMultiple cases, subject, judgesConclusions: comparable quality of products, dramatically faster

Tasking and Synchronization

A challenge: effective tasking, allocation, synchronization challenges staffsMore so in coalition: multiple heterogeneous organizations, doctrinesA tool can help:

serve as an unbiased "first-cut" accommodate nation-specific

assets, doctrines reduce emotional factor plan and schedule

heterogeneous assets

Estimates and Computations

A challenge: computations and estimations of time-space, resources, consumption, attritionMore so in a coalitionA tool can help:

rapidly perform thousands of such computations

using nation-specific rules, formulae

reduce arguments leave more time for higher-

level analysis

attrition

logistics

movements

animation

Distributed Collaboration

Must provide for: Multiple users – integrated plans Partial plans by coalition members Capture, resolve inconsistencies Asynchronous Geographically dispersed

Field Maintenance of Knowledge

Extreme demands on KB maintenance: In the field By non-

programmers

A partial answer: Simple templates No provisions for

programming A 70% solution?

A route should be selected so that the unit moves through the destination area

An objective area is required

Maneuver unit advance logic should be used to model the unit movement

The unit candidate criteria, and BOS are specified

Given that the seize is supported, the domain expert assesses that the unit performing this task will receive only 90% of the attrition of a normal engagement

Unconventional Interfaces

Conventional paradigms, e.g., sync. matrix don’t work Coalition: cultural and training differences Alternatives:

Animation? Cartoon sketches?

Conclusions

Tools like CADET can alleviate some coalition planning challenges:

Tasking and synchronization

Estimates

There is an experimental evidence of dramatic time savings and human-like quality

But… such tools also exacerbate some coalition challenges: Knowledge

maintenance Collaboration User Interfaces

BACKUP SLIDES

Technical Underpinnings

Simple concept of user operation, assumes literally no training; Tightly interleaved planning and scheduling, routing, attrition and consumption calculations;Computationally inexpensive algorithms trade optimality for speed, almost instantaneous; Interleaved adversarial planning via the action-reaction-counteraction paradigm;Rigorous separation of problem solving components from user interaction;Extensive use of XML for simple, inexpensive integration heterogeneous systems