NetworkEnabled C4ISR

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Network-Enabled C4ISR
Splinter Group A Plenary Session Back Brief
Swarming Workshop 13 January 2003
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Splinter Group A
Issue How do Swarming Concepts support or enable
new warfighting concepts?
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Should DoD Develop Swarming Concepts? Why or Why
Not?

• Offers the ability to rapidly concentrate
  resources
• Can be asymmetrical, because it can be effective
  with less force density
• Offers increased ability to solve complex
  problems in many cases
• Speed of adaptation allows expedited resolution
  of problem/issue
• Robust survivability in a "network-sense"
• Allows ability to view adversary and adapt to
  maximize advantage over him

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How Would they Support, Enable or Impede New
Warfighting Concepts?

• Information (more, less, different)?
• Logistics of dispersed operations (ex. Napoleon's
  swarming and linear tactics)
• Communication is both an enabler/vulnerability
• Rules of operation need to be relative to
  expected outcome
• Knowing location within the swarm (ex. GPS)
• Technology is an enabler (ex. Smaller, faster,
  smarter)
• Mobility (ex. Ability to outpace the adversary)
• Dispersed/Multi-directional access to the
  battlefield

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What Would be the Key Command And Control
Swarming Functions Within These Concepts?

• Swarming concepts are designed to expand current
  military doctrine and concepts
• Need intelligent, well trained operators to
  utilize swarming concepts
• Swarming units require autonomy to locate and
  precisely strike individual centers of gravity
• Does semi-autonomy reveal more vulnerabilities
  (predictability)?
• Fundamental concept of swarming is the idea that
  swarms of units are dispersed and can be unified
  promptly, however this is mission-dependent
• ATR-like functions will facilitate the swarming
  process
• Balance investment in communication reducing
  communications and investing in autonomy

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Are These Swarming Functions Supportive of DoD
C4ISR Goals?

• Goal 1 - Make information available on a network
  that people depend on and trust.
• Goal 2 - Populate the network with new, dynamic
  sources of information to defeat the enemy
• Goal 3 - Deny the enemy comparable advantages
  and exploit weaknesses
• Notes
• UA may be distributed, not necessarily contiguous
• Important to include "human on the loop" who
  still makes strategic/operational decisions
• Need to determine what the roles of swarming are
  and the role of "complex adaptive systems" in
  swarming
• Need to account for manipulation
  of/countermeasures to swarming tactics

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Are they Compatible and/or Integrated Within
Other Emerging Warfighting Concepts?

• Area ISR supplementation (IPB, navigation)
• Point ISR uses (determine specific mobile
  targets)
• Communication supplementation (swarms to relay
  comms)
• Swarming offensive ability (task organization of
  swarms)