Design of an Experiment to Investigate ISR Coordination and Information Presentation Strategies in an Expeditionary Strike Group

Abstract

This paper describes the design of an experiment that combines research of the Adaptive Architectures for Command and Control (A2C2) and the Command 21 programs, both sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. The experiment focuses on the nexus of organizational design and information presentation strategies – both of which are undergoing dramatic changes in form and function within the US military. The formation of Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESGs) is one example of the transformational vision provided in the Naval Operating Concept wherein an ESG provides a flexible force package, capable of tailoring itself to a wide variety of mission sets. In this effort, the objective is to examine experimentally how ESGs with alternative structures and processes – here specifically related to the incorporation of an ISR officer and different information presentation strategies – affects performance and information flow in an information rich planning and execution environment. We present the process used to develop the scenario environment in which the team-in-the-loop simulation experiment is conducted. This scenario reflects the new mission areas faced by ESGs that include Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR), Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Maritime Security Operations (MSO).