Cross-Domain Modeling and Management of Blue Force Capabilities

ABSTRACT: We propose to develop expressive models and associated machine reasoning capabilities to enable blue force capability management across air, cyber, and space domains. To achieve this goal, we will use semantic web tools and standards to develop a friendly force knowledge representation that captures cross-domain dependencies among physical and logical assets, and relationships among effects, capabilities, assets, and organizations. We will then develop a semantic reasoner to infer current/future blue capability readiness and availability based on multiple, potentially conflicting domain data sources. We will integrate the software within a web service and evaluate the prototype within a testbed that simulates the context of a living plan. BENEFIT: Today's military is increasingly globally distributed, and must rely on diverse elements of power spanning air, cyber, space and other domains to achieve timely desired effects against increasingly sophisticated adversaries. Although new C2 organizations and systems have arisen to address domain-specific threats in cyber and space, the ability to manage and coordinate blue forces and capabilities to deliver effects across all domains remains limited. The proposed system addresses this longstanding operational need, offering a semantically expressive model emphasizing dependencies among domain assets, and key relationships among blue capabilities, organizations, effects, assets, and available domain data sources. The proposed reasoning capability offers an up-to-date picture of current and expected blue capability readiness across these domains. Prospects for transition to DoD customers include joint-level and specialized commands such as USSTRATCOM or US CyberCommand. Domain-specific nodes such as Air Operations Centers would also benefit from increased awareness of available forces across collaborating domains and commands. Prospects are also strong for adapting the core semantic model and reasoning to commercial applications including multi-modal logistics, supply chain visibility and management, and internal knowledge management.