Future Battlefield Research Articles

Strengthening the Psychological Health and Readiness of Military Critical Care Nurses for Disaster and Future Combat Environments.

Critical care nursing is a highly dynamic and demanding field, and critical care nurses play a vital role in the US military health care system. Although many critical care nurses are resilient to myriad occupational exposures, for some nurses the job leads to adverse psychological effects, including compassion fatigue and burnout. This article describes the evidence used to develop a psychoeducation program designed to mitigate burnout among health care professionals, particularly critical care nurses. Implementation considerations (including those in the context of disaster response) and future battlefield are discussed. Ultimately, supporting the psychological health of the US military's critical care nurse force is vital to ensure their well-being, the readiness of our armed forces, and the security of our nation.

Design of motion control system for unmanned wheeled electric vehicle

Abstract The unmanned wheeled electric vehicle is a weapon platform that draws significant attention in current and future battlefields, and research on its motion control is fundamental. This paper introduces the design of a 6×6 unmanned wheeled electric vehicle and discusses the motion control methods applicable to this vehicle. The electric drive system of this vehicle comprises six independent asynchronous motors and corresponding motor controllers. A comprehensive controller designed based on DSP connects the six motor controllers. As it is an experimental platform, the motion control algorithms are deployed on an onboard computer, which connects to the comprehensive controller. Using the Backstepping method, the kinematic control algorithm for the 6×6 unmanned wheeled electric vehicle is designed. The global asymptotic stability of the control system is proven through the Lyapunov function, and its control performance is verified via simulation experiments. Finally, the system is deployed and tested on the actual vehicle. Experimental results show that the motion control system designed in this paper enables the unmanned wheeled electric vehicle to achieve effective motion control. The control laws derived from the Backstepping method are relatively simple and have low requirements for the sampling period. In practical systems, output speed magnitude and rate of change must be limited to stay within allowable system parameters.

An Adaptive Missing Data Restoration Method for UAV Confrontation Based on Deep Regression Model

Completing missions with autonomous decision-making unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is a development direction for future battlefields. UAV make decisions based on battlefield situation information collected by sensors and can quickly and accurately perform complex tasks such as path planning, cooperative reconnaissance, cooperative pursuit and attacks. Obtaining real-time situation information of enemy is the basis for realizing autonomous decision-making of the UAV. However, in practice, due to internal sensor failure or interference of enemy, the acquired situation information is prone to be missing, which affects the training and decision-making of autonomous UAV. In this paper, an adaptive missing situation data restoration method for UAV confrontation is proposed. The UAV confrontation situation data are acquired through JSBSim, an open-source UAV simulation platform. By fusing temporal convolutional network and long short-term memory sequences, we establish a deep regression method for missing data restoration and introduce an adaptive mechanism to reduce the training time of the restoration model in response to dynamic changes in the enemy’s strategy during UAV confrontation. In addition, we evaluate the reliability of the proposed method by comparing with different baseline models under different degrees of data missing conditions. The performance of our method is quantified by five metrics. The performance of our proposed method is better than the other benchmark algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed method can solve the missing data restoration problem and provide reliable situation data while effectively reducing the training time of the restoration model.

Staring laser situation awareness technology with wide-FOV and high-angle positioning accuracy based on two-dimensional grating and two-channels

Current and future battlefields face the emerging threat of laser weapon development. Existing laser situation awareness technology cannot provide simultaneous operation of wide field-of-view (FOV) and high angle positioning accuracy. This study introduces a system employing a two-dimensional grating and dual-channel approach that offers high precision in situation awareness about laser wavelengths and angle positioning across a wide FOV. The system consists of two main components: an approximate measurement channel and an accurate measurement channel. The former includes a wide-FOV lens and a focal plane array detector (FPA1), acquiring preliminary angle information of the laser. The latter, comprising a two-dimensional grating, a narrow-FOV lens, and a FPA2, captures the incoming laser’s wavelength and precise azimuth and pitch through the analysis of diffraction spot position and distance. Experimental findings confirm that the accuracies of angle and central wavelength measurements exceed 0.05° and 8 nm, respectively, for a FOV of 120°.

Nerve-Agent Selective Chemiresistors Fabricated by Oxime Decorated Polypyrrole Layer on Cellulose Paper

In continuous research of detecting highly toxic chemical warfare agents to ensure preparedness for the future battlefield, flexible and wearable sensor platforms with high sensitivity are still demanding. Herein we demonstrate a facile fabrication of polypyrrole-based chemiresistors on cellulose paper for the detection of nerve gas simulants. In order to optimize electrical properties of sensor platform, conducting polymer made of polypyrrole were first synthesized on flexible cellulose paper and interdigitated electrodes were formed thereon. Following confirmation of polypyrrole and/or oxime moiety through FT-IR analyses, electrical characteristics were measured in the various ratio of monomers between simple pyrrole and oxime-modified one. Typically for the optimized chemiresistor(2:8 molar ratio of simple pyrrole and oxime-modified one), eleven species of chemical warfare agents were examined and enhanced conductivity(10<sup>4</sup>~10<sup>5</sup> order) was observed for three simulants(diethyl cyanophosphonate, diisopropyl fluorophosphonate and diethyl chlorophosphonate), which was mainly attributed to intermolecular hydrogen bonding, while no significant responses was recorded against sixteen common volatile organic chemicals.

Unit coordination knowledge enhanced autonomous decision-making approach of heterogeneous UAV formation

Enhancing Autonomous Decision-Making (ADM) for unmanned combat aerial vehicle formations in beyond-visual-range air combat is pivotal for future battlefields, whereas the predominant reinforcement learning technique for ADM has been proven to be inadequately fitting complex tactical Unit Coordination (UC), limiting the integrity of decision-making for formations. This study proposes a knowledge-enhanced ADM method, with a focus on UC, to elevate formation combat effectiveness. The main innovation is integrating data mining technique with tactical knowledge mining and integration. Foremost, based on Frequent Event Arrangement Mining (FEAM) theory, a cross-channel UC knowledge mining method is designed by introducing data flow, which is capable of capturing dynamic coordinative action sequences. Then, a dual-mode knowledge integration method is proposed by employing the Graph Attention Network (GAT) and attenuated structural similarity, bolstering the interplay between autonomous UC tactics fitting and knowledge injection. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm surpasses the existing methods, providing more strategic maneuver trajectories and a win rate of more than 90% in different scenarios. The method is promising to augment the autonomous operational capabilities of unmanned formations and drive the evolution of combat effectiveness.

Loitering Munitions – Possible “Game Changer” in Future Warfare

While the nature of warfare remains constant, it is important to acknowledge that its character is evolving due to the influence of new technologies and weapon systems. Recent armed conflicts, such as those in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, and the Gaza Strip, highlight the importance of technology in military operations’ planning and execution, as well as the need to integrate new technologies and weapon systems within the existing military capabilities in order to enhance their effectiveness. Loitering munitions, also known as “kamikaze drones” or “suicide drones”, are new and versatile weapons that are increasingly used in both conventional and unconventional military confrontations. Military organizations show growing interest in the opportunities and benefits of using these new capabilities. In this context, we aim to investigate the integration of these capabilities into land operations, with a focus on their potential to shape future battlefields and warfare. The study topic is of interest to military planners, military commanders, and defence decision-makers.

Loitering munitions – un posibil „game changer” în războiul viitorului

While the nature of warfare remains constant, it is important to acknowledge that its character is evolving due to the influence of new technologies and weapon systems. Recent armed conflicts, such as those in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, and the Gaza Strip, highlight the importance of technology in military operations’ planning and execution, as well as the need to integrate new technologies and weapon systems within the existing military capabilities in order to enhance their effectiveness. Loitering munitions, also known as “kamikaze drones” or “suicide drones”, are new and versatile weapons that are increasingly used in both conventional and unconventional military confrontations. Military organizations show growing interest in the opportunities and benefits of using these new capabilities. In this context, we aim to investigate the integration of these capabilities into land operations, with a focus on their potential to shape future battlefields and warfare. The study topic is of interest to military planners, military commanders, and defence decision-makers.

Brain-to-brain interface technology: A brief history, current state, and future goals.

A brain-to-brain interface (BBI), defined as a combination of neuroimaging and neurostimulation methods to extract and deliver information between brains directly without the need for the peripheral nervous system, is a budding communication technique. A BBI system is made up of two parts known as the brain-computer interface part, which reads a sender's brain activity and digitalizes it, and the computer-brain interface part, which writes the delivered brain activity to a receiving brain. As with other technologies, BBI systems have gone through an evolutionary process since they first appeared. The BBI systems have been employed for numerous purposes, including rehabilitation for post-stroke patients, communicating with patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, locked-in syndrome and speech problems following stroke. Also, it has been proposed that a BBI system could play an important role on future battlefields. This technology was not only employed for communicating between two human brains but also for making a direct communication path among different species through which motor or sensory commands could be sent and received. However, the application of BBI systems has provoked significant challenges to human rights principles due to their ability to access and manipulate human brain information. In this study, we aimed to review the brain-computer interface and computer-brain interface technologies as components of BBI systems, the development of BBI systems, applications of this technology, arising ethical issues and expectations for future use.

Adaptive Mission Control Architecture with Flexible Levels of Autonomy

The future battlefield operation concept does not focus on advanced and complete weapon systems, but requires a new battlefield operation concept that can effectively demonstrate offensive power by combining a large number of low-cost, miniaturized weapons. Recently, research on the autonomous application of major technologies that make up the mission control system is actively underway. However, since the mission control system is still dependent on the operator's operating ability when operating multiple robots, there are limitations to simply applying the automation technology of the existing mission control system. Therefore, we understand how changes in operator capabilities affect multi-robot operation and propose an adaptive mission control architecture design method that supports multi-robot integrated operation by adjusting the level of autonomy of the mission control system according to changes in operator capability.

Addressing Differences in Knowledge and Experience in Trauma Care Capabilities Among an International Team of Military Medical Care Providers in a Deployed Setting.

Military medical personnel are crucial in providing life-saving care at the point of injury (POI) in challenging environments such as combat zones and disaster areas. This article examines the specialized training US Military medical personnel undergo before deployment and the increasing trend of deploying as part of multinational forces in operations like those in Afghanistan with NATO and non-NATO countries. Integrating medical teams from diverse backgrounds poses significant challenges in maintaining a cohesive and efficient team due to varying trauma management training standards and medical practices among the allied forces. Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training and the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) by the US Joint Trauma Service have been key strategies by the US Military to standardize care. However, the variation in trauma management training among NATO allies and the differences in medical subspecialties and approaches can lead to inefficiencies and reduced effectiveness in a multinational trauma center setting. For instance, the approach to trauma care can significantly differ between the US and European countries, impacting the interoperability and teamwork in multinational medical teams. To address these challenges, the article highlights the importance of standardized medical training programs that include cultural awareness to enhance the effectiveness of multidisciplinary, multinational medical teams. It also underscores the necessity for standardized international trauma training in the face of increasing global conflicts and the potential for large-scale combat operations. The article discusses the "Trauma Tuesday" program implemented in Kabul, Afghanistan, as an example of how intensive training and simulation exercises can improve team dynamics, knowledge, and skills in trauma management among a diverse team from various nations. The need for ongoing education and developing a standard for managing trauma patients in international teams is emphasized to ensure effective communication and coordination. The article suggests that multinational trauma training can significantly improve team cohesion and critical life-saving skills, essential for future battlefields where access to definitive care may be delayed. Further research is recommended to explore the best methods for achieving effective multinational medical team integration and training standardization.

Defense and Deterrence as the Foundation of the A2/AD System in Smart City Air Defense

The extreme concentration of tangible and non-tangible resources in the environment of the Smart City calls for their securing and protection. In the case of threat emergence, the military would have to enter areas where local authorities cannot guarantee the security of Smart City assets. Thus, the question arises whether or not Smart Cities could potentially assist the military forces in performing their tasks better on the battlefield. Some military agencies are currently exploring the possibility of using the military in Smart Cities. For instance, the United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is studying whether smart city communications and infrastructure could be of use on the future battlefield. This paper aims to indicate the potential for expansion and integration of the anti-aircraft defense systems to serve the needs of urban defense, thereby allowing the achievement of air superiority and implementing the assumptions of A2/AD systems. In reference to the research objective formulated in such a way, discovering the answers to the following questions was deemed crucial: What is the state of the current Anti-Aircraft Defense (AAD) system of urban centers, in particular Smart Cities? What are the possibilities of expanding and improving this system? How can the SMART CITY system be integrated and serve as an element of strengthening the AAD system? In order to answer the indicated questions, this article was written with the use of qualitative method consisting of text and literature exploratory research and analysis, and comparative analyzes of Smart Cities and Air Defense in contemporary military operations. To achieve the assumed aim, the authors have also conducted the evaluation of Air Defense combat capabilities, as well as the changes that have occurred in the environment of Smart Cities. The authors used thematic analysis methods to interpret patterns and meanings in the data

The Technological Transformation of Russian Conventional Fires

ABSTRACT Russia’s Armed Forces have long struggled in combat operations to fix and locate enemy targets and follow up with precision strikes. The new Reconnaissance-Fire System (ROS) allows combined-arms units to conduct operations in real time and greatly increases the speed and accuracy of Russian fires on the future battlefield. This process has already made significant progress, with its future development earmarked as a high priority in Moscow’s defense planning. The ROS is a network-centric capability offering vastly enhanced target acquisition and strikes across the range of Russian systems capable of targeting ground targets and especially benefits artillery systems. This article examines the evolution of the concept of the ROS and the progress towards its development but does not assess the problems and challenges its use encountered in the Russia-Ukraine War that began in February 2022.

Original

The past decade has seen a disturbing trend of hyper-nationalism and a tectonic shift in globalhierarchies from a unipolar to a multipolar world, with China challenging the USA's pole posi-tion. Despite the troubled history of the twentieth century and the past two and a half decades inparticular, increased interdependence and the spread of technology are the powerful forces thatwill shape the future global scenario. This review article explores the emerging technologiesthat will shape the future battlefield. It examines the future battlefield environments and capa-bility enhancement with global and regional imperatives. It also identifies India's interests, threats,and military imperatives with 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in defence. The chosen theme holds signifi-cant relevance for global stability in general and India's interests in particular.

유도무기용 탐색기 발전방안 연구

As defense science and technology advance, weapon systems are becoming faster, more agile, and equipped with stealth capabilities. Consequently, the importance of precise detection and tracking capabilities in the seeker systems of guided missiles for future battlefields is increasing. Because the development of the seeker systems of guided missiles requires a high level of technology and involves significant time and cost in research and development, countries advanced in defense technology are leading in related technologies. In the Republic of Korea, various guided missiles, such as anti-air and anti-ship missiles, have been independently developed and the related technologies are maturing. However, the development status of leading countries should be analyzed to identify any technological gaps in the capabilities of our seeker system against potential threats. In this paper, we analyze the development status of foreign seeker systems that primarily use RF, IIR, SAL, and multi-mode sensors, as well as the domestic development status of seeker systems. Furthermore, we propose developmental directions for the necessary technologies for future seeker systems of guided missiles.

A Cognitive Electronic Jamming Decision-Making Method Based on Q-Learning and Ant Colony Fusion Algorithm

In order to improve the efficiency and adaptability of cognitive radar jamming decision-making, a fusion algorithm (Ant-QL) based on ant colony and Q-Learning is proposed in this paper. The algorithm does not rely on a priori information and enhances adaptability through real-time interactions between the jammer and the target radar. At the same time, it can be applied to single jammer and multiple jammer countermeasure scenarios with high jamming effects. First, traditional Q-Learning and DQN algorithms are discussed, and a radar jamming decision-making model is built for the simulation verification of each algorithm. Then, an improved Q-Learning algorithm is proposed to address the shortcomings of both algorithms. By introducing the pheromone mechanism of ant colony algorithms in Q-Learning and using the ε-greedy algorithm to balance the contradictory relationship between exploration and exploitation, the algorithm greatly avoids falling into a local optimum, thus accelerating the convergence speed of the algorithm with good stability and robustness in the convergence process. In order to better adapt to the cluster countermeasure environment in future battlefields, the algorithm and model are extended to cluster cooperative jamming decision-making. We map each jammer in the cluster to an intelligent ant searching for the optimal path, and multiple jammers interact with each other to obtain information. During the process of confrontation, the method greatly improves the convergence speed and stability and reduces the need for hardware and power resources of the jammer. Assuming that the number of jammers is three, the experimental simulation results of the convergence speed of the Ant-QL algorithm improve by 85.4%, 80.56% and 72% compared with the Q-Learning, DQN and improved Q-Learning algorithms, respectively. During the convergence process, the Ant-QL algorithm is very stable and efficient, and the algorithm complexity is low. After the algorithms converge, the average response times of the four algorithms are 6.99 × 10−4 s, 2.234 × 10−3 s, 2.21 × 10−4 s and 1.7 × 10−4 s, respectively. The results show that the improved Q-Learning algorithm and Ant-QL algorithm also have more advantages in terms of average response time after convergence.

Research on Cooperative Strategy Guidance Based on Game Theory

Multi-missile cooperative combat refers to the joint execution of the same combat task through the cooperation and cooperation between multiple same missiles or multiple different missiles. As the combat environment of the future battlefield becomes more and more complex, not only the precision guidance performance of the missile itself can be continuously improved, but also the cooperative operation of multiple missiles is needed to maximize the effectiveness of group combat. In this paper, the cooperative guidance strategy of multi-to-one interception problem will be studied again according to the game theory. According to the establishment of multi-to-one missile-target game model, the strategy set of missile and target is determined. Then according to the multi-to-one missile-target game model, the system equation is determined, and the cooperative guidance strategy is obtained by calculating the results. Finally, the simulation results are analyzed to further verify the effectiveness of the cooperative interception guidance law based on this method.

Committee on Surgical Combat Casualty Care position statement: Neurosurgical capability for the optimal management of traumatic brain injury during deployed operations.

Experiences over the last three decades of war have demonstrated a high incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in a persistent need for a neurosurgical capability within the deployed theater of operations. Despite this, no doctrinal requirement for a deployed neurosurgical capability exists. Through an iterative process, the Joint Trauma System Committee on Surgical Combat Casualty Care (CoSCCC) developed a position statement to inform medical and nonmedical military leaders about the risks of the lack of a specialized neurosurgical capability. The need for deployed neurosurgical capability position statement was identified during the spring 2021 CoSCCC meeting. A triservice working group of experienced forward-deployed caregivers developed a preliminary statement. An extensive iterative review process was then conducted to ensure that the intended messaging was clear to senior medical leaders and operational commanders. To provide additional context and a civilian perspective, statement commentaries were solicited from civilian clinical experts including a recently retired military trauma surgeon boarded in neurocritical care, a trauma surgeon instrumental in developing the Brain Injury Guidelines, a practicing neurosurgeon with world-renowned expertise in TBI, and the chair of the Committee on Trauma. After multiple revisions, the position statement was finalized, and approved by the CoSCCC membership in February 2023. Challenges identified include (1) military neurosurgeon attrition, (2) the lack of a doctrinal neurosurgical capabilities requirement during deployed combat operations, and (3) the need for neurosurgical telemedicine capability and in-theater computed tomography scans to triage TBI casualties requiring neurosurgical care. Challenges identified regarding neurosurgical capabilities within the deployed trauma system include military neurosurgeon attrition and the lack of a doctrinal requirement for neurosurgical capability during deployed combat operations. To mitigate risk to the force in a future peer-peer conflict, several evidence-based recommendations are made. The solicited civilian commentaries strengthen these recommendations by putting them into the context of civilian TBI management. This neurosurgical capabilities position statement is intended to be a forcing function and a communication tool to inform operational commanders and military medical leaders on the use of these teams on current and future battlefields. Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level V.

A Review of Intelligent Vision Enhancement Technology for Battlefield

This paper reviews the application of intelligent vision enhancement technology in the battlefield environment and explores new research directions. This paper mainly introduces three parts. First, we introduce a solution for enhancing the battlefield situation and using head-mounted displays for soldier combat. Second, we summarize three core technologies supporting intelligent vision enhancement technology: 3D environment reconstruction, tracking and registration, and situational awareness. Third, we summarize three application directions of intelligent vision enhancement technology on the battlefield. Finally, the problems and challenges in the research work are proposed, including current issues such as accurate battlefield situational awareness by augmented reality technology, multiperson collaborative management and data flow, as well as challenges in future battlefield situation enhancement and perception. The future development trend of intelligent vision enhancement technology on the battlefield has been prospected. Two meanings of this paper are as follows: the first is to review the research status of intelligent vision enhancement technology from the technical level and identify the key technical points that may restrict development in the future; the second is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of intelligent vision enhancement technology from the level of battlefield application and the roles of users. In addition, this paper proposes how to take the lead and take initiative in future wars.

저궤도위성통신 중심의 군 통합네트워크 운영개념과 운영효과도 분석

In this study, an operational concept for an integrated military network required by the Korean military for future battlefield environments is proposed. It is centered on low Earth orbit(LEO) satellite communication. The proposed operational concept is to integrate the existing geostationary satellite network and terrestrial network into the LEO satellite network, with a focus on the latter. A simulation of network traffic considering future operational environments is performed to analyze the operational effectiveness of the proposed integrated military network. Results confirmed that the integrated network is more effective in terms of network traffic than when operating the existing terrestrial network and LEO satellite network as separate networks.