Human Factors Issues for Network Enabled Capability (NEC) / Command and Control Systems

Background

Military operations are reliant on the creation and efficient management of Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) systems. A characteristic of future military operations is the need to devolve rapid response teams into unknown and problematic terrain for short tours of duty. In these domains the problems of ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance), become compounded by the need to establish a C4i system with mobile forces in hostile and unfamiliar territory. As ISTAR units move around an environment, their communications capabilities and requirements change, which leads to variability in the certainty of the data that can be supplied to decision-makers. Furthermore, the demands upon these mobile units might vary as situations change, e.g., the need to take evasive action, to make decisions about making additional or more detailed observations etc. There is a need to develop a model of ISTAR systems in which mobile agents with different levels of decision making capability, perform specific actions and feed into C4i systems.

Combining mobile ISTAR units with mobile communications systems raises significant issues relating to C4i and, in particular to decision-support. One of the main problems relates to placing a person with sufficient decision-making powers directly in a situation where they could efficiently make decisions. Clearly this has always been a challenge for military decision-making, but the past century has seen military operations being performed at greater distances from command centres (for obvious reasons of security).

Given the challenges outlined above there are two broad aims for this programme. The first is to provide an integrated, total design lifecycle in which to explore the application and integration of human factors design, development and evaluation methods and tools. The second is to explore HFI within future C4i systems though fieldwork and through building working prototypes and demonstrators of possible systems.

To achieve the aims above the following research will be conducted:

1. Analysis of C4i systems to develop a theoretical, generic model of C4i systems. The model will both inform the requirements for the development of demonstrators and provide a way of seeing future developments in C4i operations.

2. Development of an analytical prototyping tool to support the analysis of design concepts. Such an approach can aid early design decisions and provide an input to procurement programmes, e.g., by providing a tool to evaluate prospective design options against specific scenarios.

3. Evaluate HFI methods in the design lifecycle for C4i systems. In particular to provide an identification of the cost benefit of using the methods at particular stages in the design process, and also to provide a guidebook for the conduct of such methods.

4. Develop a future C4i demonstrator which can provide a platform for exploring C4i operations, for reviewing trends in technology development, and for evaluating HFI methods.

5. Evaluate future C4i demonstrators to determine how C4i operations need to be supported, and how such operations will be transformed with the introduction of new technology.

• Detailed Information on research and downloadable reports
• Questions on this area of research can be addressed to Professor Neville Stanton.