Considerations for a Framework to Provide Enhanced Perception of NLOS Threats and Targets

Abstract

As seen in the current Operation Iraqi Freedom, the operational environment in which today's warfighter operates is extremely complex and challenging. In the urban terrain, for example, warfighter survivability, lethality and operational effectiveness are directly related to the quality of situational awareness (SA), which is based on essential elements of information (EEIs) that currently flow down through radio communications with the commander and analysts. EEIs represent information regarding the enemy and environment critical to a given operational mission and are based on intelligence gathered from either battlefield sensing assets or other HUMINT. As battle and mission objectives change, initial information provided to the warfighter in the form of pre-operational intelligence become quickly obsolete. In this paper, we present an overall design premise for improving warfighter SA while minimizing cognitive overload. We consider both an overall architecture for auto-discovery and federation of warfighters and sensing assets, and the necessary additions to warfighter perceptual channels needed to make such a system feasible. Finally, we suggest design concepts for a wearable technology that will provide the warfighter with real-time, context dependant SA.