Virtual Environments for Distributed Command and Control

Not Available The driving force for technology and innovation for next generation aircraft carriers (CVX) is a 50 percent reduction in traditional ship manning. The need exists for a comprehensive methodology to optimize decision making organizations (e.g., carrier CDC/CVIC) to complete complex missions in the face of these reductions. We propose to develop an innovative tool to design optimal organizational structures to accommodate reduced manning. We will build on an existing team modeling approach that has been used to design an optimized CIC for future Navy surface ships, based on missions requirements, resources available, information networked, and doctrinal rules. Our method relies on practical design principles to guide the mission-driven specification of team members' roles task distribution, communication networks and physical layouts for command organizations. This process relies heavily on input from the warfighter and subject matter experts to define realistic mission characteristics, and to serve as evaluators of the optimized organizational structures. We plan to extend this methodology and develop an innovative CODE and Carrier Operations Design Environment, a team design an modeling tool for carrier systems developers. With this computer-based tool, we aim to move the method of organizational design from a heuristic based procedure to a scientifically based process.