DistrO: Distributed Operations

Background:

In contested environments, where communications with the centralized Air Operation Center (AOC) are denied or degraded, forward-located Distributed Command and Control Nodes (DC2Ns) will need to assume the AOC’s planning and control functions. With only a small fraction of the AOC’s manpower, expertise, and situational awareness, each DC2N needs to sustain the tempo of air operations, while addressing emerging tasks in accordance with Commander’s Intent.

SIFT Approach:

The Lockheed Martin (LM) Team: LM Advanced Technology Labs, SIFT, PatchPlus, and Dr. Rao Kambhampati created LaPlata (Living Air ops Planning Triggered by Assessment), integrated services that automate distributed development of Master Air Attack Plans (MAAPs) and Air Tasking Orders (ATOs) in parallel at each DC2N (Figure 1). While enabling continuity of operations for at least five days while the AOC is unavailable, LaPlata’s distributed planning will gracefully degrade over a spectrum from full to no communications with peers.