An evaluation of the Defense Nuclear Agency exploratory development program in support of TNF C3 survivability (support of V Corps/8ID dispersed command post) using MCES

摘要

This thesis evaluates the Staff Planning and Decision Support System (SPADS). The analysis presented uses the Modular Command and Control Environment Structure (MCES), a structured approach to evaluate C2 systems using standard and evolving operational research tools. The analysis answered the following three problems by assessing the effectiveness of SPADS. Did SPADS provide the V Corps commander and his staff with the ability to exercise command and control of combat assets to meet overall mission objectives? Did SPADS demonstrate that the dispersed command post concept enhanced command survivability? Did SPADS evolve as a command and control force effectiveness system for the V Corps DCP based upon operational lessons learned? Appropriate measures of performance, effectiveness, and force effectiveness were identified to answer these problems. These measures and their assessment are presented as a strawman for consideration by the analytical community. As SPADS evolved from August 1981 to March 1985, it provided distinct advantages to the V Corps commander and his staff in terms of effective C2 mission orientation, enhanced command survivability, and increased C2 force effectiveness. Keywords: Command Control and Communications; Command and Control; Command survivability; Dispersed command post; Corps tactical operations center; Distributed information processing system; Command post support system