A Knowledge-Based Tool for Planning of Military Operations: the Coalition Perspective Larry Ground Alexander Kott Ray Budd BBN Technologies Presented by Alice Mulvehill

Outline Main thesis: knowledge-based planning tool can help a coalition staff Example: the CADET tool Advantages: Tasking and synchronization Estimates and computations New challenges: Field maintenance of KB Collaboration User interfaces

Key Inputs:  COA Statement (object- represented, 5-10 main activities)  Friendly assets, strength, location  Enemy COA, assets, strengths, location  Environment (terrain, etc.) Key Outputs:  Detailed Plan  activities  all BOS’s  timing, synchronization  assets allocated  Estimates  attrition  consumption  risk CADETCADET The Function of CADET Application domains: US Army Div, Bde operations, intel ops… Intended users: Bde planning staff officers Role: COA analysis/ wargaming of the US Army MDMP Tool sponsors: Army CECOM, BCBLs, DARPA

How CADET is Used CADET COA Tool Using COA Entry tool, officer enters digitized operational concept: sketch and statement COA Tool sends digitized COA sketch and statement to CADET CADET generates detailed, synchronized plan and estimates The staff reviews and modifies CADET’s products OPORD, OPLAN, FRAGOs are generated and issued

Experimental Results Rigorous experimental comparison: CADET- assisted vs. conventional Multiple cases, subject, judges Conclusions: comparable quality of products, dramatically faster

Tasking and Synchronization A challenge: effective tasking, allocation, synchronization challenges staffs More so in coalition: multiple heterogeneous organizations, doctrines A tool can help: serve as an unbiased "first-cut" accommodate nation-specific assets, doctrines reduce emotional factor plan and schedule heterogeneous assets

Estimates and Computations A challenge: computations and estimations of time-space, resources, consumption, attrition More so in a coalition A tool can help: rapidly perform thousands of such computations using nation-specific rules, formulae reduce arguments leave more time for higher- level analysis attrition logistics movements animation

Distributed Collaboration Must provide for: Multiple users – integrated plans Partial plans by coalition members Capture, resolve inconsistencies Asynchronous Geographically dispersed

Field Maintenance of Knowledge Extreme demands on KB maintenance: In the field By non-programmers A partial answer: Simple templates No provisions for programming A 70% solution? A route should be selected so that the unit moves through the destination area An objective area is required Maneuver unit advance logic should be used to model the unit movement The unit candidate criteria, and BOS are specified Given that the seize is supported, the domain expert assesses that the unit performing this task will receive only 90% of the attrition of a normal engagement

Unconventional Interfaces Conventional paradigms, e.g., sync. matrix don’t work Coalition: cultural and training differences Alternatives: Animation? Cartoon sketches?

Conclusions Tools like CADET can alleviate some coalition planning challenges: Tasking and synchronization Estimates There is an experimental evidence of dramatic time savings and human-like quality But… such tools also exacerbate some coalition challenges: Knowledge maintenance Collaboration User Interfaces

BACKUP SLIDES

Technical Underpinnings Simple concept of user operation, assumes literally no training; Tightly interleaved planning and scheduling, routing, attrition and consumption calculations; Computationally inexpensive algorithms trade optimality for speed, almost instantaneous; Interleaved adversarial planning via the action- reaction-counteraction paradigm; Rigorous separation of problem solving components from user interaction; Extensive use of XML for simple, inexpensive integration heterogeneous systems