Operational Thread Development: A Structured Approach to Capability Analysis

摘要

This paper will introduce the Operational Thread Development (OTD) methodology for analyzing warfighting capability and assessing the contribution of potential solutions to filling identified capability deficiencies. The concept of effects-driven, capabilities-based planning and analysis has dominated the military force structure planning and acquisition cycles in recent years. Recently revised documents such as CJCSI 3170.01E, Joint Capabilities and Development System, require a rigorous approach to analyzing potential solutions to warfighting capability deficiencies. However, attempting to implement this guidance in a large-scale field experiment has proven challenging. OTD is a new, structured approach to planning, designing, and analyzing a large-scale field experiment that supports the capabilities-based construct. Specifically, this paper will describe the framework for capability analysis that was used for planning Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 (JEFX 06); a process for developing, executing, and analyzing operational threads; and a web-based toolset that supports this approach.