Preliminary Model for Operational Effectiveness Assessment of Dismounted Combat Teams

TL;DR

This paper introduces a preliminary framework for assessing the operational effectiveness of dismounted combat teams using a simple additive metric, aiding future force structure decisions.

Contribution

It proposes a novel, simple additive weighting model to evaluate combat team effectiveness, incorporating expert data for refinement.

Findings

The model provides a single performance measure for different team designs.

Application of the model can inform future dismounted combat force structures.

Discussion on model refinement suggests pathways for improving accuracy.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with introducing a framework in which the operational effectiveness of a dismounted combat team can be assessed. It has been motivated by studies at Defence Science and Technology Group which have focused on the structure of the future dismounted fighting force. In order to determine the operational effectiveness of different combat team designs a metric, based upon simple additive weighting of warfighting functions, is proposed. This then allows a single measure of expected performance to be produced. The model itself is a preliminary attempt to capture essential features of dismounted combat, and the study will indicate how it can then be applied in practice. Discussion on model refinement, based upon subject matter expert data elicitation, is also included.