2030
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“We need for unmanned aircraft to act like
manned aircraft. We need unmanned aircraft to be tasked like manned aircraft.
We should be capable of flying both manned and unmanned platforms together, to
include multiple unmanned airframes controlled by one operator,” the general
continued. “And we need commanders to have the confidence that unmanned or
manned, it doesn't make a difference, as they are equally effective,” (Gen. William T. Hobbins- USAF, 2006).
The current interfaces
of control and monitoring of unmanned systems have similarities and differences
in the design according the operational domain and levels of autonomy; but they
have a lot of technological gaps that do not permit integration, compatibility,
interoperability, and others. US forces has developed a new concept of an
integrated Command and Control (C2) Architecture that will enable, in
coordinated way, the operations of manned and unmanned systems by the year
2030. Thus, both types of systems, manned and unmanned will operate together in
the unique architecture with collaborative knowledge in network and common
interfaces that will enable interoperability between them.
The
new architecture of systems will involve all points or nodes of interconnection
and control interfaces for operations in the battlespace; for instance, manned
vehicles, unmanned vehicles, personnel, broadcasting and rebroadcasting
stations, satellites, and computer networks. Advances in collaborative networks
will be enabled with High level of Computing Power, data link of communications
with compatible standards, and an “Advanced Cross Medium Rebroadcast
capability”. The architecture will be based in open systems and will let to
other systems from government agencies to interface with full integration with
US Forces Systems.
C2
Control Systems are models of closed-loop control systems or feedback control
systems and open-loop control system. The closed- loop control systems are
automated controls systems with automatic feedback; also, this type of control
is known as plant model and is based on the loop OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide,
and Act) defined by Boyd. At the same time, the stage of decision and action
selection have defined 10 levels of automation of unmanned systems; the high
level of fully autonomy that make all decisions acting in autonomous way and
ignore the human interaction, the system informs to the human operator if
“decides” to, the system informs to the human operator only if “asked” to, the
system executes decisions and then “inform”, the system permits to human
operator a short time to change the decision/action before it is executed in
automatic way, the system execute suggestion with human operator approval, the
system suggest an alternative, the system selects decisions/actions, the system
offers a set of decisions or actions, and the low level or manual operation
with complete operation by human operator to take decisions and make actions.
(Parasuraman, 2000)
National Institute of
Standards and Technology developed a simplified model (Autonomy levels for
unmanned systems-ALFUS) of three autonomy levels according the human robot
interactions of the 10 levels of decision and actions (HRI), Mission Complexity
(MC), and Environmental Complexity (EC). The levels are:
Low Autonomy level (1, 2, and 3 - OODA): High
level of Human Robot interaction, low level tactical behavior, simple
environment.
Medium Autonomy level (4, 5, and 6 - OODA):
Medium level HRI, medium complexity, multifunctional missions, moderate
environment.
High Autonomy Level (7, 8, and 9): Low level
HRI, collaborative and high complexity missions, difficult environment.
As summary, this
architecture is envisioned for the command and control C2 systems of unmanned
vehicles in the year 2030 and involves the “interfaces” between unmanned and
manned vehicles operating in all domains such as air, ground, space,
underwater, and surface water, C2 nodes, and others. The main exchange of
information is through of a collaborative network which acts as data fusion
network which is distributed across the forces. Tactical Cloud Network and
Cloud Computing Network are new concepts involved in the new architecture.
The
2030 Joint Command and Control architecture is a global model based in the TMN
(Telecommunications Management Networks) and OSI (Open System Interconnection)
standards which define the mode to access to the Interfaces of control such as
the ground control station and NOC centers. The NATO STANAG 4586 is an exchange
message standardization which is managed in the level 7- application of the OSI
level. For example, the data link is the OSI level 2-Link, the network
protocols like IP or X.25 are managed in the OSI level 3- network, the codes of
encryption and compression of the sensor data like videos and images are
managed in the level 6-Presentation.
References
An Integrated Command and Control
Architecture Concept for Unmanned Systems in the Year
(2013).
Retrieved April 17, 2016, from
An integrated command and control
architecture Concept for Unmanned Systems in the year
(2013). Retrieved
April 18, 2016, from
Designing Unmanned Systems with
Greater Autonomy. (2014). Retrieved April 14, 2016, from
Parasuraman, R.; Barnes, M. J.; Cosenzo, K. A.
Adaptive Automation for Human-Robot
Teaming
in Future Command and Control Systems. The International C2 Journal 2007,
1
(2), 43–68.
Parasuraman, R.; Cosenzo, K. A.; de Visser, E.
Adaptive Automation for Human Supervision of
Multiple
Uninhabited Vehicles: Effects on Change Detection, Situation Awareness, and
Mental Workload. Military
Psychology 2009, 21 (2), 270–297.
