Logistics-Aided Battle Command Planning

1. Logistics-Aided Battle Command Planning Presented by: Christopher Matthews Chris.R.Matthews@us.army.mil U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC Fort Monmouth, NJ

2. Talking Points • What? • Why? • How? • Commentary

3. Background • Research, Development, Engineering Center (RDEC) • RDECOM CERDEC Fort Monmouth, NJ • Command & Control Directorate • Command & Control (C2) • Transitioning relevant, novel technologies to the warfighter faster • Emphasis on C2 decision-aid software • Development Team • 2 Programmers • 1 Pseudo-expert on tactical logistics

4. Logistics Command & Control ATD (LogC2) • Objective • Integrate logistics into the maneuver planning process • Faster OPTEMPO & reduced logistics footprint • Shorten Combat Service Support (CSS) planning times • Products/capabilities • Collaborative, cross-functional planning services • Optimization tools for increased maneuver sustainment efficiency • Adaptive, predictive consumption models and demand generation functionality • Near real-time running-estimate decision aid software • Dynamic re-planning • Execution monitoring

5. Maneuver Sustainment Planner (MSP) Goals • Develop proof-of-concept prototype • Integrate logistic-planning impacts into the maneuver planning process • Develop a detailed logistics plan to support maneuver operations • Model maneuver activities and generate expected logistics demand as a function of platform, posture, and optempo • Showcase dynamic re-planning & execution-monitoring capability • Evaluate Cougaar and agent benefits for C2 planning

6. MSP – Why Cougaar? • Perfect fit for the program • Maps elegantly to military force structures • Tailored for the planning domain • Essential, core planning capabilities included • Crucial plumbing (asynch msging, threading, wf engine) • Dynamic replanning & execution monitoring • Resource management components • Good design • Component-based architecture • Loosely coupled cognitive modeling • Logical Data Model (LDM) • Rapid software development • Amenable to incremental development • Substantial Reuse • Automated tools & helper programs

7. Plan Detailed Logistics Plan MSP – Overview Maneuver Planning Domain • Core Functionality • Import maneuver plan elements • Develop logistics plan (LogPlan) • Demand generation modeling for Class III, V, & IX* • Temporal asset utilization – military units & physical assets • Utilize dynamic re-planning capability** • Provide logistic feasibility feedback loop MSP

8. MSP – Approach • Functional analysis & design • Agent Enumeration • Role/Relationship Analysis • Plugin Enumeration • Task Grammar • Asset/Property Requirements Analysis • Execution Monitoring and Dynamic Replanning Analysis • External system interfaces • Databases • Maneuver Command & Control (MC2) application • MSP Plan Viewer (GUI) • Cougaar Plugin development

9. MSP – Constraints • No control over the maneuver plan • Maneuver Command & Control (MC2) system • Stove-piped system • Inaccessible models & methods • Large, unwieldy, coarse XML plan data • IMPACT: Atypical Cougaar implementation • Short-lived vs. 24x7 • IMPACT: Demand generation • CASCOM Equipment Usage Profiles (EUP) • Identical to MC2 • Inability to dynamically add agents • IMPACT: A priori knowledge of UTO • Time • IMPACT: Reduced functionality

10. MSP – Developmental Items • GUI Servlet • Asset utilization • Consumable information • Distributed LogPlan and corresponding maneuver tasks • UTO and tables of equipment (TOE) • Planning ontology • Task structure • Asset classes • Property groups • Agent roles & relationships

11. MSP – Developmental Items • Plugins • Allocators • Expanders • Assessors • Hybrids • LDMs

12. MSP – Results • Objective: • Tightly integrate maneuver & logistics planning • Result: • primitive feedback to maneuver planning domain • Maneuver impacts of LogPlan via “swivel chair” • Risk Area: • Interoperability with maneuver application • Time-intensive interface development required • Assessment: • Moderately successful • Can add functionality later

13. MSP – Results (cont.) • Objective: • Develop detailed LogPlan for maneuver sustainment • Result: • Accurately modeled class III (fuel) demand generation • Successfully demonstrated the collaborative problem-solving behavior of Cougaar agents to develop a LogPlan • Considerable use of assumptions • Risk Area: • Impact of modeled assumptions • Generalized scoring functions • Assessment: • Highly successful • Assumptions can be removed w/ more detailed modeling or soldier-in-the-loop at critical decision points

14. MSP – Results (cont.) • Objective: • Incorporate dynamic replanning & execution-monitoring functionality • Result: • Dynamic planning demonstrated • Simulated execution-monitoring real-time updates • Dynamic replanning unfinished • Risk Area: • Time • Poor planning on our part (prioritization of SW tasks) • Assessment: • Fail • While execution-monitoring was included, dynamic replanning is more seductive

15. MSP – Level of Effort (Cougaar)

16. Military Combat Units Military Combat Units Military Combat Units Military Combat Units Military Combat Units Military Combat Units Mvr Plan MSP – Agent Interaction Allocator Expander Allocator Assessor LDM Mvr Plan Task Generator Maneuver Tasks LDM Allocator Assessor Expander Retail Refuel Requests Notional Logistics Wholesaler Wholesale Refuel Requests Allocator Logistics Broker Retail Refuel Requests Forward Support Company Wholesale Refuel Requests Base Support Company

17. Mvr Plan ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? MSP – Planning Thread Expander Bn 1-8 Infantry Co C 1-8 Infantry LDM Allocator Co A 1-8 Infantry Maneuver Task Generator Allocator Co B 1-8 Infantry Assessor Expander Logistics Broker Notional Logistics Wholesaler Abstract Asset Allocator Allocator 64 FSB BSC 64 FSB FSC Allocator

18. Mvr Plan MSP – Task Generation Agent Bn 1-8 Infantry Maneuver Task Expander LDMSQL TaskListening Role Maneuver Task Allocator Maneuver Task Generator Unit Initialization

19. Assets/Property Groups MSP – Maneuver Units Co A, Bn 1-8 Infantry Subordinate Task Subordinate Task Expander LDMSQL Subordinate Role Logistics Task Allocator Bn 1-8 Infantry OrgRTData UTO OrgReport

20. Mvr Plan ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? MSP – Planning Thread Expander Bn 1-8 Infantry Co C 1-8 Infantry LDM Allocator Co A 1-8 Infantry Maneuver Task Generator Allocator Co B 1-8 Infantry Assessor Expander Logistics Broker Notional Logistics Wholesaler Abstract Asset Allocator Allocator 64 FSB BSC 64 FSB FSC Allocator

21. General Assessment • Cons • Large overhead • Bandwidth intensive in tactical environment • Steep learning curve • Time-intensive source code reviews (the reuse issue) • Impacts of architecture upgrades • Scoring functions • Difficult to assess (apples v. oranges) • Difficult to accurately model • Dynamic modification to agent society • Some sparse documentation • .DEF file definitions • PropertyWriter, AssetWriter, MeasureWriter • Complex data types

22. General Assessment (cont.) • Pros • Rapid software development • Provides logical roadmap for application design & development • Ideal for military planning systems • Domain independent • Open source software • Core planning & information management functionality • Well documented architecture & developer guides • Manageable application development • Incrementally move from general and intricate cognitive models • Configuration management easier • Loosely coupled behavioral components • Easy to incorporate real-time planning or running-estimate functionality • Large, knowledgeable support community

23. Wrap-up • Missed objectives • 1st time around… • 2nd time around… • Still requires substantial functional analyses investment • Reduces time-intensive coding • Allows development to focus on this process; the most important one • Vision & conventional wisdom • Can share niche planning communities and services • Repositories of reusable components • User community temperament • Fear • Politics • Success story • Crude,limited prototype • Cougaar experience & subject matter expertise

24. Questions?

25. Backup Slides

26. MSP – PlanViewer Snapshot

27. MSP – PlanViewer Snapshot

28. MSP – Force Structure Scenario Force XXI UTO 3 BDE, 4ID HHC 3 BDE, 1CD 1-8 IN 64 FSB 1-68 AR 1-12 IN HHC Co A Co B Co C HHC Co A Co B Co C HHC Co A Co B Co C HHC BSC FSC Medical

29. ClassVIIMajorEndItem AssetSkeleton LogC2AssetAdapter LogC2Asset SelfPropelledGroundVehicle MSP – Asset Class Hierarchy Package = org.cougaar.glm.ldm.asset Package = logc2.assets All Assets in the logc2.assets package are machine generated from the logc2props.def and the logc2assets.def files. All ground vehicle Assets will be of one of the types depicted here. This class is hand generated (the only one in the package.) This is needed so That we can add functionality later to all Assets w/o having to mod lots of classes. Truck SelfPropelledGroudWeapon FuelTruck Carrier Open to view LogC2 Vehicle List

38. MSP – Roles & Relationships TaskGenerator Military Unit Provider Customer Maneuver Task Generator Subordinate Superior Combat Unit Combat Unit TaskListeners Superior Provider Customer Subordinate

39. TaskGenerator Military Unit Maneuver Task Generator Combat Unit Combat Unit TaskListeners Superior Provider Subordinate

40. ALP Goals • Technical Goals: • Distributed agent architecture research • Distributed information management research • Real-time information fusion research • Functional Goals: • Automated logistics plan generation • Real-time logistics situation assessment • End-to-end movement control • End-to-end rapid supply

41. UltraLog Goals Expanding the ALP vision: • Military logistics domain • Enhance the Cougaar framework • Security – trusted systems under information warfare attacks • Scalability – stability for large, distributed network of agents • Robustness – high state of survivability in chaotic environments • System integration – combining all of above to achieve desired systemic effects

42. Agent Development Framework Cognitive Agent Architecture (Cougaar) • Darpa initiative • Advanced Logistics Program (ALP) (FY96 – FY01) • UltraLog Program (FY01 – FY04) • Features • Distributed, large-scale workflow engine • Open source Java software • Multi-Resolutional Logical Data Model (LDM) • Built-in dynamic re-planning & execution-monitoring capability • Asynchronous communication protocol • Classic publish/subscribe blackboard • Domain independent

43. Cougaar – Agent basics Agent Blackboard (PLAN) Subscribe Publish Plugins Message Queue

44. Agent Plan Element (Allocation) Plan Element (Allocation) Plan Element (Allocation) Blackboard E E Estimated AR Estimated AR E Estimated AR Reported AR Reported AR R R R Reported AR Cougaar – The Distributed Plan Asset Asset Asset Task Task Task

45. Cougaar - Plugins LDM Populating society with data from external systems. Allocator Allocates tasks to other agents/assets. Decomposes tasks into more manageable Subtasks. Expander Assessor Evaluates the projected and actual results of allocated tasks Provides the web-based front end for viewing activity within society. GUI

46. Data Source Cougaar – Re-planning Concept Dynamic Re-planning & Execution Monitoring Self-Assessment Task Allocations Allocation Results Rescinds / Reallocations Real-Time Data Fusion • Negotiate between agents to iteratively improve plan • Continually recheck assumptions : Constraints, Data, Policies, Metrics • Updates from data sources as time progresses

47. Cougaar – Agent behavior Agent Relationships Superior Agent Roles Provider Customer Subordinate Superior Provider Customer Subordinate

48. Allocator Expander Assessor Cougaar + UltraLog UltraLog Society Cougaar Domain Agent Specific PlugIns Generic PlugIns Generic Agent = + + • Military specific processes • Interfaces to military systems • Specific to Logistics Domain • Basic building blocks • Easy to specialize • Domain independent

49. Plan Element (Allocation) Task-1 E Estimated AR R Reported AR Asset Plan Element - Allocation

50. E Estimated AR Plan Element - Expansion Plan Element (Expansion) Task-1 R Reported AR Workflow Subtask-1.1 Subtask-1.2