Army Chemical Review presents professional information about Chemical Corps functions related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, smoke, flame, and civil support operations.
Issue link: https://chemical.epubxp.com/i/759309
11 Winter 2016 T he Army requires a capability to capture all informa- tion generated on the battlefield throughout history and to provide improved situational awareness and early warnings to Soldiers on the ground, in the air, and at sea. All military forces around the world have used some type of sensor (beginning with men) and method of dissemi- nation network (beginning with couriers) to alert leaders and Soldiers of incoming threats and hazards. The advent of radar and radios significantly changed the dynamics of warfare across areas during World War II. 1 These technological wonders provided a key edge for the military by improving the ability to warn against incoming threats and focusing the limited combat assets on defeating or limit- ing threat abilities (primarily aerial) to destroy critical re- sources and facilities. After World War II, rapid advances in technology placed new sensors (night vision gear, infra- red detectors, chemical sniffers, computing equipment, data transmission networks) across the battlespace. Many Army proponents have invested in sensors to track, identify, analyze, and target threats for the last 6 decades, but these sensors represent organic capabilities with limited situational awareness of local forces only. More advanced situational awareness and targeting capabilities were envi- sioned with the Future Combat System (FCS), which con- sists of separate sensors that report singular, separate types of information (separate analyzing and processing) for the common operating picture, but provides limited capabili- ties. 2 The idea of integrating sensors and intelligence to syn- chronize data to the common operating picture is not new; what is new is how we integrate sensors and other informa- tion gathering and weapon systems and how the data that is collected is shared, processed, analyzed, disseminated, and transmitted back to other sensors and weapons on the bat- tlefield. This integration provides commanders and Soldiers with real-time warning, planning, and engagement capabili- ties within the command operating environment. Cognitive analytics refers to the application of these tech- nologies to enhance human decisions. This application takes advantage of the vast data-processing power of cognitive computing and adds channels for data collection (such as sensing applications) and the environmental context to pro- vide business insights. If cognitive computing changed the way in which information is processed, cognitive analytics is changing the way information is applied. 3 As envisioned, this new capability—called the Multi-Domain Cognitive Analysis Sensor Environment (MD CASE)—will involve more than traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; singular mission command; and intelligence enterprises. It will truly prompt a rethinking of how the Army fights, alone or with joint or coalition forces. Cognitive analytics is also linked to U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Pamphlet (Pam) 525-3-1, The U.S. - ing Concept—Win 2020–2040; the Army Big 6+1 capabilities (future vertical lift, combat vehicles, cross-domain fires, advanced protection, expeditionary mis- sion command/cyber electromagnetic, robotics and autono- mous systems [RAS], and Soldier/team performance and overmatch); and each TRADOC center of excellence science and technology requirement. 4, 5 MD CASE is a multilayered, intelligent, self-healing net- work of smart, disparate sensors (active and passive) and weapon systems connected to a cognitive computing system. The cognitive computing system processes, amalgamates, and analyzes data to provide commanders with contextual insights that enable real-time early warning, planning, exe- cution, and mission command while providing multidomain, 3-D situational awareness at the tactical through strate- gic levels. Due to the scope of its operational capabilities, MD CASE is available for commanders to use from Phase 0 through Phase 5 of operations at multiple locations across the globe and throughout space. MD CASE promulgates the tenants of cross-domain maneuver and fires from theater to Soldier level. When MD CASE is fully implemented, it will provide the Army and joint Services with superior overmatching capabilities in the critical areas where peers strive to have