User tests C2W simulator nr 6 and 7
Publish date: 2009-02-27
Report number: FOI-R--2583--SE
Pages: 38
Written in: Swedish
Keywords:
- Command and control warfare
- command and control ability
- demonstrator
- electronic warfare
- computer network operations
- information operations
- human
- factors
- man-system interaction
- evaluation
- MSI
- LKS
- CNO
Abstract
FOI develops a demonstrator of Command & Control Warfare Simulator (C2W simulator) on a contract awarded by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. The purpose is to show and visualize concrete effects of C2W on C2 ability. The current report describes the sixth and seventh user tests or experiments with users from the Swedish Armed Forces. The experiments were conducted with version 4 of the demonstrator of C2W simulator, which includes new functionality compared to previous versions, among other things with extended possibilities to perform computer network operations, simulation of mobile-phone calls and visualization of social networks. The used experimental design was similar to previous experiments, but with the scenario modified and including incidents that invited to use the new functionality. The users, or the participants of the experiments, constituted a command staff of a rapid deployment force responsible for the stability in an operational area in which the activities of an irregular force resulted in the incidents. Both the command staff and the irregular force had access to different types of C2W by means of measures and countermeasures of electronic warfare (EW) and computer network operations (CNO). Data collection was performed with the purpose of determining whether C2 ability can be measured and how. In experiment 6, primarily the new functionality and experimental design and methods were tested. Experiment 7 included an extended data collection to make it possible to determine whether the used measures actually grasp the construct "C2 ability" and whether C2 ability in turn is affected by C2W. The data analyses indicate that C2 ability may be grasped, or measured, by the measures used and that C2W may affect C2 ability. However, in the development of the demonstrator of C2W simulator, critical aspects of the measuring of C2 ability are that correct competencies are included in the command staff, and that training of the staff in using the demonstrator allows an adequately high level of skill to be reached.