Effects of sensing capability on ground platform survivability during ground forces maneuver operations

Abstract

: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the effects of sensing capability on ground platform survivability during ground force maneuver operations. Sensor classification probability of ground platforms and speed of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are the factors being studied, and the Map Aware Non-Uniform Automata (MANA) agent-based simulation software was used to create a hypothetical Ground Force Maneuver Operation Scenario for this exploration. A tailored Waterfall systems engineering process model guided the study in identifying alternatives which, other than increasing armor thickness, can improve platform survivability during ground force maneuver operations. The Nearly Orthogonal Latin Hypercube was the Design of Experiment methodology used to determine the number of design points to be simulated, and the results generated from the multiple simulation runs were analyzed using regression analysis and partition tree analysis. The sensor classification probability of the Bradley M6 Linebacker and M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank, and the speed of UAV, were identified to be the three most significant factors affecting platform survivability. More importantly, the study provides decision makers with quantitative data, which can be used as references to determine the requirements for sensing capability enhancement programs.