Command and control for distributed lethality

Exercising command and control (C2) during naval distributed lethality operations presents a complex system of systems (SOS) challenge in support of maritime control. Applying a model based systems engineering (MBSE) approach to C2 within the distributed lethality environment requires development of methodologies to provide definition and structure for existing operational concepts while providing conceptual growth space for new operational techniques. This study develops a systems architecture approach to defining the C2 models for decentralized and distributed command structures and proposes criteria for assessing functionality and impacts to the C2 of naval platforms during distributed lethality operations using MBSE. The C2 modeling for distributed lethality documents the interconnections and relationship of information flow and the system requirements for maintaining the interconnection links during a simulated operational deployment of an adaptive force package (AFP). This modeling structure provides for an architecture view of the functions and measures of effectiveness that provide criteria for decision making during the operational planning of a distributed lethality mission. Development of an initial architecture enables future modeling and architecture refinement through simulations of the C2 structure and further research into technologies and methods of effective communication systems.http://archive.org/details/commandndcontrol1094555534Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

How shoud prey animals respond to uncertain threats?

A prey animal surveying its environment must decide whether there is a dangerous predator present or not. If there is, it may flee. Flight has an associated cost, so the animal should not flee if there is no danger. However, the prey animal cannot know the state of its environment with certainty, and is thus bound to make some errors. We formulate a probabilistic automaton model of a prey animal's life and use it to compute the optimal escape decision strategy, subject to the animal's uncertainty. The uncertainty is a major factor in determining the decision strategy: only in the presence of uncertainty do economic factors (like mating opportunities lost due to flight) influence the decision. We performed computer simulations and found that \emph{in silico} populations of animals subject to predation evolve to display the strategies predicted by our model, confirming our choice of objective function for our analytic calculations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first theoretical study of escape decisions to incorporate the effects of uncertainty, and to demonstrate the correctness of the objective function used in the model.Comment: 5 figures, 10 pages of tex

SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF USMC HIMARS EMPLOYMENT IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

As a result of renewed focus on great power competition, the United States Marine Corps is currently undergoing a comprehensive force redesign. In accordance with the Commandant’s Planning Guidance and Force Design 2030, this redesign includes an increase of 14 rocket artillery batteries while divesting 14 cannon artillery batteries. These changes necessitate study into tactics and capabilities for rocket artillery against a peer threat in the Indo-Pacific region. This thesis implements an efficient design of experiments to simulate over 1.6 million Taiwan invasions using a stochastic, agent-based combat model. Varying tactics and capabilities as input, the model returns measures of effectiveness to serve as the response in metamodels, which are then analyzed for critical factors, interactions, and change points. The analysis provides insight into the principal factors affecting lethality and survivability for ground-based rocket fires. The major findings from this study include the need for increasingly distributed artillery formations, highly mobile launchers that can emplace and displace quickly, and the inadequacy of the unitary warheads currently employed by HIMARS units. Solutions robust to adversary actions and simulation variability can inform wargames and future studies as the Marine Corps continues to adapt in preparation for potential peer conflict.Captain, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

EQUIPPING THE NMESIS BATTERY

As the Marine Corps seeks to meet the strategic guidance set forth in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the organization must replace legacy weapons systems that are less effective within the littoral combat area. As part of the Navy and Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), the Marine Corps will incorporate the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) as one capability that will contribute to the Navy's freedom of maneuver within an enemy's weapon engagement zone (WEZ). Designated as the ROGUE-Fires system, the Marine Corps solution is an unmanned Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) that has the ability to mount either the NSM or the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) family of munitions. This study's purpose is to assess the ideal equipping solution to ensure a NMESIS battery can accomplish its Training and Readiness (T&R) standards, assuming that it will be financially unfeasible to equip each unit with a full complement of 18 systems per battery. By limiting systems per battery in CONUS, the Marine Corps can reallocate additional funds toward replacing other legacy systems identified in Force Design 2030. Data used in the study included Total Force Training requirements, MOS-specific training objectives, and current unmanned system operators training objectives to formulate an example of likely T&R standards for a NMESIS battery.Major, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

A Thousand Splendid Guns: Chinese ASCMs in Competitive Control

Implementing distributed lethality, developing antiship cruise missile programs, and acquiring affordable small- to medium-sized surface combatants—constituting a revival of antisurface warfare capability from near zero—must be a priority for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific

Impacts of the Robotics Age on Naval Force Design,Effectiveness, and Acquisition

The twenty-first century will see the emergence of maritime powers that have the capacity and capability to challenge the U.S. Navy for control of the seas. Unfortunately, the Navy’s ability to react to emerging maritime powers’ rapid growth and technological advancement is constrained by its own planning, ac- quisition, and political processes. Introducing our own technology advances is hindered as well.

A practical, bioinformatic workflow system for large data sets generated by next-generation sequencing

Transcriptomics (at the level of single cells, tissues and/or whole organisms) underpins many fields of biomedical science, from understanding the basic cellular function in model organisms, to the elucidation of the biological events that govern the development and progression of human diseases, and the exploration of the mechanisms of survival, drug-resistance and virulence of pathogens. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are contributing to a massive expansion of transcriptomics in all fields and are reducing the cost, time and performance barriers presented by conventional approaches. However, bioinformatic tools for the analysis of the sequence data sets produced by these technologies can be daunting to researchers with limited or no expertise in bioinformatics. Here, we constructed a semi-automated, bioinformatic workflow system, and critically evaluated it for the analysis and annotation of large-scale sequence data sets generated by NGS. We demonstrated its utility for the exploration of differences in the transcriptomes among various stages and both sexes of an economically important parasitic worm (Oesophagostomum dentatum) as well as the prediction and prioritization of essential molecules (including GTPases, protein kinases and phosphatases) as novel drug target candidates. This workflow system provides a practical tool for the assembly, annotation and analysis of NGS data sets, also to researchers with a limited bioinformatic expertise. The custom-written Perl, Python and Unix shell computer scripts used can be readily modified or adapted to suit many different applications. This system is now utilized routinely for the analysis of data sets from pathogens of major socio-economic importance and can, in principle, be applied to transcriptomics data sets from any organism

A practical, bioinformatic workflow system for large data sets generated by next-generation sequencing

Transcriptomics (at the level of single cells, tissues and/or whole organisms) underpins many fields of biomedical science, from understanding the basic cellular function in model organisms, to the elucidation of the biological events that govern the development and progression of human diseases, and the exploration of the mechanisms of survival, drug-resistance and virulence of pathogens. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are contributing to a massive expansion of transcriptomics in all fields and are reducing the cost, time and performance barriers presented by conventional approaches. However, bioinformatic tools for the analysis of the sequence data sets produced by these technologies can be daunting to researchers with limited or no expertise in bioinformatics. Here, we constructed a semi-automated, bioinformatic workflow system, and critically evaluated it for the analysis and annotation of large-scale sequence data sets generated by NGS. We demonstrated its utility for the exploration of differences in the transcriptomes among various stages and both sexes of an economically important parasitic worm (Oesophagostomum dentatum) as well as the prediction and prioritization of essential molecules (including GTPases, protein kinases and phosphatases) as novel drug target candidates. This workflow system provides a practical tool for the assembly, annotation and analysis of NGS data sets, also to researchers with a limited bioinformatic expertise. The custom-written Perl, Python and Unix shell computer scripts used can be readily modified or adapted to suit many different applications. This system is now utilized routinely for the analysis of data sets from pathogens of major socio-economic importance and can, in principle, be applied to transcriptomics data sets from any organism