Unifying warfighting functions in mathematical modelling: combat, manoeuvre, and C2

TL;DR

This paper presents a unified mathematical model combining combat, manoeuvre, and command functions to better understand military engagements and how adaptive strategies can overcome stronger adversaries.

Contribution

It introduces a novel Networked-Lanchester-C2 model that unifies three key warfighting functions using advanced mathematical frameworks.

Findings

Adaptive forces can overcome stronger adversaries with proper internal coupling.

The model characterizes global effects through analytical treatment of reduced systems.

Inhomogeneous forces benefit from balanced internal organization and resource manoeuvrability.

Abstract

The outcomes of warfare have rarely only been characterised by the quantity and quality of individual combatant force elements. The ability to manoeuvre and adapt across force elements through effective Command and Control (C2) can allow smaller or weaker forces to overcome an adversary with greater resource and fire-power. In this paper, we combine the classic Lanchester combat model with the Kuramoto-Sakaguchi model for phase oscillators on a network to create a flexible Networked-Lanchester-C2 representation of force-on-force military engagement. The mathematical model thus unifies three of the military warfighting `functions': fires, manoeuvre and C2. We consider three illustrative use-cases, and show that an analytical treatment of a reduced model characterises global effects in the full system. For inhomogeneous forces we observe that with appropriate balance between internal organisational coupling, resource manoeuvrability and even weaker lethality the force can be adaptive to overcome an initially stronger adversary.