Distributed situation awareness in dynamic systems: Theoretical development and application of an ergonomics methodology

The purpose of this paper is to propose foundations for a theory of situation awareness based on the analysis of interactions between agents (i.e., both human and non-human) in subsystems. This approach may help promote a better understanding of technology-mediated interaction in systems, as well as helping in the formulation of hypotheses and predictions concerning distributed situation awareness. It is proposed that agents within a system each hold their own situation awareness which may be very different from (although compatible with) other agents. It is argued that we should not always hope for, or indeed want, sharing of this awareness, as different system agents have different purposes. This view marks situation awareness as a 1 dynamic and collaborative process that binds agents together on tasks on a moment-by-moment basis. Implications of this viewpoint for development of a new theory of, and accompanying methodology for, distributed situation awareness are offered

Decision superiority: putting the emphasis back on the warfighter

Military operations have all the trademarks of agile decision making due to the complexity, uncertainty, time constraints, high risk and ill-defined goals of the mission environment. Any discussion of the naval command and control environment must address the relationship between the decision maker and the technological systems with which he operates. The U.S. Navy tends to address issues of decision supeiority with improved technology, sometmes disregarding what the human operator brings to the picture. We argue that this approach provides limited short-term gains in terms of human performance. Addressing the root cause of decision making problems by realigning professional training, selection and experience with the prerequisite analytical, intuitive, creative and affective skills is a superior approach. A decision maker's skill of striking a balance among these abilities, finding the right synthesis for the right situation, adapting to the situation, and moving along the continnum of performance, is what is needed to improve decision making in the maritime environment - not more C2 displays. Through the synthesis and application of the fields of expertise developoment and decision making, a framework of command tactical performance or "artful competence" is presented that has direct impllications for improving decision superiority

A survey of simulation techniques in commerce and defence

Despite the developments in Modelling and Simulation (M&S) tools and techniques over the past years, there has been a gap in the M&S research and practice in healthcare on developing a toolkit to assist the modellers and simulation practitioners with selecting an appropriate set of techniques. This study is a preliminary step towards this goal. This paper presents some results from a systematic literature survey on applications of M&S in the commerce and defence domains that could inspire some improvements in the healthcare. Interim results show that in the commercial sector Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) has been the most widely used technique with System Dynamics (SD) in second place. However in the defence sector, SD has gained relatively more attention. SD has been found quite useful for qualitative and soft factors analysis. From both the surveys it becomes clear that there is a growing trend towards using hybrid M&S approaches

Development Plan of Unmanned System and Development Status of UUV Technology in Foreign Countries

The future battlefield will be unmanned combat as the leading role, and the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) will play an important role in the future underwater battlefield. In order to maintain its maritime strategic advantages, the U. S. military has formulated a long-term development plan for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) in recent years. The technology of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), which is characterized by strong endurance, high mobility, and high covert attack, has become the future development trend. In addition, Russia, with its strong industrial foundation and technical strength, has introduced its latest development status. At last, the latest research results of the new concept of surface/underwater cross-medium submarine were introduced. The results show that the new intelligent cross-medium submarine will become the mainstream of future development. The research provides a reference for the development of unmanned equipment in China

A Framework for Delivering Contextually Appropriate Opportunities for Warfighter Practice

Computer-based modeling and simulation has been a training staple in the military domain since the first aircraft simulators were adopted. More recently, virtual environments based on modeling, simulation and serious games, have introduced relatively low-cost, yet high value additions to the learning environment. As these virtual environments have proliferated, many researchers have investigated the relationship between theoretical foundations of learning, learner development and content delivery, and applied their findings in an attempt to bolster learning, yet performance deficiencies continue to exist. This study asserts that performance deficiencies exist in part because of insufficient contextually appropriate opportunities to practice. This work is multi-disciplinary in nature. Its foundation is modeling and simulation engineering; the use of technology to deliver training. Educational psychology and human factors concepts explain the theoretical basis for modeling and simulation as an effective training delivery agent. The study\u27s thesis is that a framework for delivering contextually appropriate opportunities for warfighter practice can be applied to discover whether modeling, simulation and game-based virtual environments have the potential to improve individual performance for learners beyond the Novice Stage (e.g., Competent Stage) of skills acquisition. Furthermore, this conceptually appropriate practice (CAP) framework can be used to assess the potential of low fidelity virtual environments to provide targeted practice and to improve individual performance, not only during training in high-fidelity virtual environments (near transfer) but also in the live environment (far transfer). To evaluate the thesis, this study investigates the relationship of technology and learning science, and features an empirical evaluation of training effectiveness afforded by delivering additional training repetitions using both low-fidelity virtual environment simulator systems and high-fidelity aircraft simulators

Implication of FORCEnet on coalition forces

The coalition navies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States (AUSCANNZUKUS) are in a period of transformation. They are stepping out of the Industrial Age of warfare and into the Informational Age of warfare. Network Centric Warfare (NCW) is the emerging theory to accomplish this undertaking. NCW describes "the combination of strategies, emerging tactics, techniques, and procedures, and organizations that a fully or even partially networked force can employ to create a decisive war fighting advantage." 1 This theory is turned into a concept through Network Centric Operations (NCO) and implemented through the FORCEnet operational construct and architectural framework. The coalition navies are moving in a direction to develop and leverage information more effectively and efficiently. This will lead to an informational advantage that can be used as a combat multiplier to shape and control the environment, so as to dissuade, deter, and decisively defeat any enemy. This analysis was comprised of defining three TTCP AG-6 provided vignettes into ARENA model that captured Coalition ESG configurations at various FORCEnet levels. The results of the analysis demonstrated that enhanced FORCEnet capabilities such as FORCEnet Levels 2 and 4 would satisfy the capability gap for a needed network-centric ESG force that can effectively counter insurgency operations in Maritime warfare. Furthermore, the participating allied navies in the Coalition ESG should pursue acquisition strategies to upgrade their ship platforms in accordance with our recommendation which indicates that FORCEnet Level 2 is the best value.http://archive.org/details/implicationoffor109456926N

Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Strategic Stability and Nuclear Risk : Volume II East Asian Perspectives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only undergoing a renaissance in its technical development, but is also starting to shape deterrence relations among nucleararmed states. This is already evident in East Asia, where asymmetries of power and capability have long driven nuclear posture and weapon acquisition. Continuing this trend, integration of AI into military platforms has the potential to offer weaker nuclear-armed states the opportunity to reset imbalances in capabilities, while at the same time exacerbating concerns that stronger states may use AI to further solidify their dominance and to engage in more provocative actions. This paradox of perceptions, as it is playing out in East Asia, is fuelled by a series of national biases and assumptions that permeate decision-making. They are also likely to serve as the basis for AI algorithms that drive future conventional and nuclear platforms

U.S Naval Strategy in the 1990\u27s

The decade of the 1990s represents a distinctive period in American naval strategic thinking. Bounded on one side by the end of the Cold War in 1989-91 and on the other by the beginning of the era of the global war on terrorism after 11 September 2001, these were years in which the U.S. Navy of the 1990s found itself faced with a dramatically altered strategic situation. For the first time in at least four decades, the U.S. Navy had neither a peer nor a superior naval adversary; further, no credible naval adversary could be discerned in the foreseeable future.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/usnwc-newport-papers/1026/thumbnail.jp

EMC Chair Symposium - Maritime Strategy - Working Papers

This third maritime centric EMC Chair Symposium is a follow up to the release of the 2015 “Cooperative Strategy for 21st century Seapower.” The symposium will explore maritime strategy, concepts essential to implement the maritime strategy, and international reactions to it. Participants from DOD, academia, and the policy community will convene in Newport to discuss force development, maritime warfare, role of technology, and humanitarian assistance. The implications are important for understanding the types of missions combatant commanders will execute and the types of equipment and training the sea services must provide to support these missions. This symposium in part fulfills the mission of the EMC Chair to support the Navy’s efforts to develop thinking about maritime security.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/emcchair-symposia/1000/thumbnail.jp