An Integrated COA versus eCOA Tool

There is a critical need for combat simulations that incorporate intelligently interactive agents, both for mission planning and training. Advances in simulation now offer the opportunity to choose simulation as an effective and cost-saving means for training; however, to be most effective, the agents in the simulation (e.g., an OPFOR) must act believably, in light of a quantified mission/purpose, and choose their courses of action (COAs) based on the likely opposing force’s response (eCOAs), extended as a chain of moves and countermoves. Phase I has demonstrated an innovative COA-eCOA process that uses evolutionary algorithms to optimize COA-eCOA decisions. Experiments involving UCAVs and mobile SAMs have documented the run-time performance of the process. Missions are described in a Valuated State Space® and normalizing function, which provides a framework that can incorporate specific target prioritization, timeliness of sensing and attacks, effects-based operations, and so forth. The work to date has set the stage for the Phase II that will construct the necessary hardware architecture, software development and optimizations, experimentation, and that can be brought to fruition in both government and civilian applications, including mission planning and training for all branches of the military, and entertainment software in the private sector.