Unmanned Tactical Autonomous Control and Collaboration concept of operations

Abstract

There is a perceived problem in Marine Corps tactical units regarding technological advancements and cognitive load; specifically, the almost infinite flow of new information on the modern battlefield is overtaxing the human brain. The development of Unmanned Tactical Autonomous Control and Collaboration (UTACC), an alternative warfare concept, could clarify the relationship between technological advancements and cognitive load. UTACC’s purpose is to enhance mission accomplishment while simultaneously reducing the cognitive load on the Marine through collaborative autonomy. This thesis developed a UTACC Concept of Operations that captured the logic, sequencing of operational activities, and initial information exchange requirements for a Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory provided scenario. Addressing the complexity of UTACC also required an in-depth analysis of collaborative autonomy, human system integration factors, and decision support. This research finds that, in the early stages, UTACC could be most effective as a scalable decision support tool that automates routine planning processes, improving the efficiency of the small tactical unit. Additionally, this research discovers areas for future work, three of which are: measuring capability gaps, common operational picture management/fusion, and security.