Threat evaluation and weapons allocation in network-centric warfare

The concepts of threat evaluation and weapons allocation (TEWA) in the defense domain have traditionally been considered from the single platform perspective. However, with the current trend in defense towards network-centric warfare, that is the linking of sensors, engagement systems and decision-makers into an effective and responsive whole, it is becoming more appropriate to view these concepts at the force level. One approach to the challenge of developing force level TEWA functionality is to regard TEWA as a dynamic human decision-making process aimed at the successful exploitation of tactical resources (e.g. sensors and weapons) during the conduct of command and control activities. In this paper, the results of taking this approach to force level TEWA through the application of the applied cognitive work analysis methodology are presented. In particular, a functional abstraction network is described, which encapsulates the inferential transformation from sensor data acquisition to inferences about the identification, intent and level of threat for the given entities in the defense environment. Finally, emerging threat evaluation and weapons allocation concepts in network-centric warfare are outlined and an example is given to illustrate the ideas developed within the paper.