Methods and analytical tools for assessing tactical situation in military operations using potential approach and sensor data fusion

Abstract

The paper presents designed quantitative methods and algorithms implemented in specialized mobile mCOP application for combat decision support. Military operations require sophisticated planning and execution in order to minimize risks and potential losses while fulfilling mission objectives in constrained time. To support such features the decision makers design methods of evaluating threats and tactical scenarios. The outcomes of such calculations provide mission alternatives called variants or Courses of Actions. To determine which possible CoA is matching the scenario and in the end is the most feasible, a set of quantitative methods can be used. The evaluation process considers both tactical and topographical characteristics of the scenario. The location, orientation and composition of forces, combat potentials, performed tasks, as well as terrain and battlespace environment features are the parameters considered in the algorithms, which in result provide threat levels, attrition rates, potential losses, objectives timelines etc. To assess tactical situation we implemented, a set of combat potential evaluation methods, which using doctrinal patterns, can be easily employed in mobile software. The advantage of equipping each decision maker at the tactical level with sophisticated methods provides means of increasing the speed of task execution, provides more accurate decisions but most of all supports instant reporting from combat units. Due to the development of hardware and software platforms, smartphones offer are capable of running complex algorithms for tactical support for individual soldiers and low level commanders support. Since they are capable to utilize tactical data (forces location, composition, tasks) in dynamic mobile military networks, accessible anywhere during mission, and provide provides rich functional support for situation awareness and decision superiority. These two key factors of 21st century military operations influence the efficiency of recognition, identification and targeting during combat missions. Military support tools providing rich tactical and their analytical capabilities, can serve as recon data hubs, but most of all can support and simplify complex analytical tasks for commanders. The tasks mainly include topographical and tactical orientation within the battlespace. Developed software platform mCOP, demonstrates all research findings, providing personalized combat-oriented distributed mobile system, supporting blue force tracking capabilities, reconnaissance data fusion as well as threat level evaluation for functionalities for management of military and crisis management scenarios. Presented research demonstrates and evaluates the proves the usefulness of deploying mobile applications for combat support, situation awareness development, and the delivery of augmented reality based threat level analytical data to extend the capabilities and properties of constructed methods and of software tools applied for supporting military and border protection operations.