Logistics-Aided Battle Command Planning

Logistics-Aided Battle Command Planning

Presented by:

Christopher Matthews

[email protected]

U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC

Fort Monmouth, NJ

Talking Points

What?Why?How? Commentary

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

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

Maneuver Sustainment Planner (MSP)

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

Goals

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

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 – Overview

Detailed LogisticsPlan

Maneuver Planning Domain

Plan

MSP

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

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

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

MSP – Developmental Items

Plugins Allocators Expanders Assessors Hybrids LDMs

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

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

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

MSP – Level of Effort (Cougaar)

Learning Curve 6 MM 23 %

Functional Analysis

12 MM 46 %

Reuse Discovery & Investigation

4 MM 15 %

Graphical User Interface

2 MM 8 %

Test 2 MM 8 %

ActivityEffort

(Man-Months)Distribution

MSP – Agent Interaction

Mvr PlanTask Generator

MilitaryCombat

Units

MilitaryCombat

Units

MilitaryCombat

Units

MilitaryCombat

Units

MilitaryCombat

Units

MilitaryCombat

Units

LogisticsBroker

Maneuver Tasks

RetailRefuel Requests

ForwardSupport

CompanyBase

SupportCompany

WholesaleRefuel Requests

NotionalLogistics

Wholesaler

WholesaleRefuel Requests

Mvr Plan

Allocator

LDM

LDM

Allocator ExpanderAssessor

RetailRefuel Requests

Allocator

Expander Assessor

Allocator

Co C1-8

Infantry

NotionalLogistics

Wholesaler

Allocator

Assessor

Co A1-8

Infantry

Expander

Expander

MSP – Planning Thread

Allocator

? ?

Allocator

Co B1-8

Infantry

Bn 1-8Infantry

LogisticsBroker

Mvr Plan

LDM Allocator

Maneuver TaskGenerator

64 FSBFSC

AbstractAsset

?

?

?

?

?

?

Allocator

64 FSBBSC

UnitInitializat

ion

Maneuver

TaskAllocator

MSP – Task Generation Agent

Mvr Plan

LDMSQL

Expander


Bn 1-8Infantry

Maneuver Task

TaskListening Role

OrgReport

OrgRTData UTO

LogisticsTask

Allocator

MSP – Maneuver Units

Assets/PropertyGroups

LDMSQL

SubordinateTask Expander

Co A, Bn 1-8Infantry

Subordinate Task

Subordinate Role

Bn 1-8Infantry

Co C1-8

Infantry

NotionalLogistics

Wholesaler

Allocator

Assessor

Co A1-8

Infantry

Expander

Expander

MSP – Planning Thread

Allocator

? ?

Allocator

Co B1-8

Infantry

Bn 1-8Infantry

LogisticsBroker

Mvr Plan

LDM Allocator


64 FSBFSC

AbstractAsset

?

?

?

?

?

?

Allocator

64 FSBBSC

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

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

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

Questions?

Backup Slides

MSP – PlanViewer Snapshot

MSP – PlanViewer Snapshot

MSP – Force Structure Scenario

3 BDE, 4ID

HHC 3 BDE, 1CD 64 FSB 1-12 IN

HHC Co B Co A Co C

1-8 IN

HHC Co BCo A Co C

1-68 AR

HHC Co BCo A Co C

HHC FSCBSC Medical

Force XXI UTO

MSP – Asset Class Hierarchy

Truck

FuelTruck Carrier

SelfPropelledGroudWeapon

AssetSkeleton

LogC2AssetAdapter

LogC2Asset

SelfPropelledGroundVehicle

ClassVIIMajorEndItem Package = org.cougaar.glm.ldm.asset

Package = logc2.assets

All Assets in the logc2.assets packageare machine generated from the logc2props.def

and the logc2assets.def files. All ground vehicleAssets will be of one of the types depicted here.

Open to view LogC2 Vehicle List

This class is hand generated (the onlyone in the package.) This is needed so

That we can add functionality later to all Assets w/o having to mod lots of classes.

CustomerCustomer

SubordinateSubordinate

SuperiorSuperior

ProviderProviderProvider Customer Provider Customer

Subordinate

Superior

MSP – Roles & Relationships

CombatUnit

CombatUnit



CombatUnit

CombatUnit

MilitaryUnit

MilitaryUnit

TaskGenerator

TaskListeners


SuperiorSuperior

ProviderProviderCombat

UnitCombat

Unit



CombatUnit

CombatUnit

MilitaryUnit

MilitaryUnit

TaskGenerator

TaskListeners

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

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

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

Cougaar – Agent basics

Plugins

Blackboard

(PLAN)

Agent

Publish Subscribe

Message Queue

Cougaar – The Distributed Plan

Asset

Plan Element(Allocation)

EEstimatedAR

RReported AR

Task

Blackboard

Agent

AssetAsset

TaskTask


EEstimatedAR

RReported AR


EEstimatedAR

RReported AR

Cougaar - Plugins

Allocator

Expander

LDM

Assessor

GUIProvides the web-based front end for viewing activity within society.

Populating society with data from external systems.

Allocates tasks to other agents/assets.

Decomposes tasks into more manageable Subtasks.

Evaluates the projected and actual results of allocated tasks

Cougaar – Re-planning Concept

Dynamic Re-planning & Execution Monitoring

Data Source

Real-Time Data Fusion

Self-Assessment

Allocation Results

Rescinds / Reallocations

Task Allocations

• Negotiate between agents to iteratively improve plan

• Continually recheck assumptions : Constraints, Data, Policies, Metrics

• Updates from data sources as time progresses

Cougaar – Agent behavior

Agent Relationships

Agent Roles

Agent Role RoleBn_1-8_Infantry MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitCo_A_1-8_Infantry MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitCo_B_1-8_Infantry MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitCo_C_1-8_Infantry MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitBn_1-68_Armor MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitCo_A_1-68_Armor MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitCo_B_1-68_Armor MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitCo_C_1-68_Armor MobileRefuelCustomer CombatUnitBase_Support_Company MobileRefuelProvider LogisticsUnitForward_Support_Company MobileRefuelProvider LogisticsUnit

CustomerCustomer


SuperiorSuperior

ProviderProviderProvider CustomerProvider Customer

Subordinate

Superior

Cougaar + UltraLog

UltraLog Society

Cougaar

+=

Generic Agent

Generic PlugIns

Specific PlugIns

Domain Agent

• Basic building blocks• Easy to specialize• Domain independent

• Military specific processes• Interfaces to military systems• Specific to Logistics Domain

+ Assessor

ExpanderAllocator

Plan Element - Allocation

Asset


EEstimatedAR

RReported AR

Task-1

Plan Element - Expansion

Task-1

Subtask-1.2Subtask-1.1

Plan Element(Expansion)

EEstimatedAR

RReported AR

Workflow

Plan Element - Aggregation

Task-1

Task-3

Task-2

Plan Element(Aggregation)

Composition

Plan Element(Aggregation)

Cougaar – Logical Data Model (LDM) Requirements

Support over 6 million items Support efficient transport and distribution of objects Support modification and extension during execution

Principles Based on the properties of objects and not what they are Represent all the properties of assets needed to reason about them

Over a range of granularities Supporting their time-varying nature Refering to specialized properties of assets

Implementation Use prototypes and delegation to reduce classes needed Prototype classes determine the required properties of all instances Related properties are collected in Property Groups Asset instances delegate properties to their Prototype instances

Cougaar – LDM Asset

M978TypeIdentificationPGM978PhysicalPGM978TransportabilityPGM978GroundSelfPropPGM978FuelConsumptionBGM978ContainPGOther PGM978ReliabilityPG

M978TruckPrototype

PrototypeitemIdentificationPGMaintenancePGOtherPG

Gen-A2709BMEP-208A Generator

ItemIdentification=Nomenclature=

Gen-A2709BIdentificationPG

MaintenanceLogMaintenanceSchedule

Gen-A2709BMaintenancePG

M208ATypeIdentificationPGM208APhysicalPGM208AElectricGenerationBGM208AFuelConsumptionBGOther PGM208ATransportabilityPGM208AReliabilityPG

M208AGeneratorPrototype


Truck-T789IdentificationPG


Truck-T789MaintenancePG


Truck-789M978Truck






Truck-789M978Truck






Truck-789M978Truck

ItemIdentificationNomenclature

Truck-T789ItemIdentificationPG



PrototypeItemIdentificationPGMaintenancePGOtherPG

Truck-789M978Truck
















Gen-A2709BItemIdentificationPG



MaxRatedPowerOutputMaxPowerOutputMethod(temp)StandardVoltageConnections60HzStandardVoltageConnections50HzMaxWaveformDeviation

Gen-A2709BElectricGenerationBG

M978TypeIdentificationPGM978PhysicalPGM978TransportabilityPGM978GroundSelfPropPGM978FuelConsumptionBGM978ContainPGOther PGM978ReliabilityPG

M978TruckPrototype







M208ATypeIdentificationPGM208APhysicalPGM208AElectricGenerationBGM208AFuelConsumptionBGOther PGM208ATransportabilityPGM208AReliabilityPG

M208AGeneratorPrototype






Truck-789M978Truck






Truck-789M978Truck






Truck-789M978Truck


Truck-T789ItemIdentificationPG




Truck-789M978Truck
















Gen-A2709BItemIdentificationPG



MaxRatedPowerOutputMaxPowerOutputMethod(temp)StandardVoltageConnections60HzStandardVoltageConnections50HzMaxWaveformDeviation

Gen-A2709BElectricGenerationBG

Cougaar – LDM examples

VIN=“T789”( )

Truck-T7895-Ton Truck

VIN=“T789”( )


VIN=“T789”( )


VIN=“T123”( )

Truck-T1232-1/2 Ton Truck

VIN=“T123”( )


VIN=“T123”( )


NIIN=VehicleProp=ContainerProp=OtherProp

Truck<asset>

maxSpeedMPH=fuelUseMPG=fuelType=

VehiclePG<property group>

maxWtSTON=maxVolMTON=

ContainerPG<property group>

Asset Prototypes andProperty Groups

NIIN= 123456789VehiclePropContainProp

2.5-TonTruck<prototype>

MaxSpeedMPH=50FuelUseMPG = 15FuelType=“Diesel”

VehiclePG<instance>

MaxWtSTON= 3.0MaxVolMTON= 2.0

ContainerPG<instance>

NIIN= 123456999VehiclePropContainerProp

5-Ton Truck<prototype>

MaxSpeedMPH=50FuelUseMPG = 13FuelType=“Diesel”

VehiclePG<instance>



VIN=“T123”

Truck-T1232.5-Ton Truck

VIN=“T789”

Truck-T7895-Ton TruckVIN=“T770”

ContainerProp


With Long Bed

LDM Classes

AssetInstances



References

Barger, Mark, & Wong, Jason. (2004). Cougaar Training Slides.

BBN Technologies. (Version 10.0). (2003). Cougaar Architecture Document.

BBN Technologies. (Version 10.0). (2003). Cougaar Developer’s Guide.

Berliner, Jeffrey, Thome, Michael, & Cerys, Daniel. (2003). Multi-Resolutional Knowledge Representation Using Prototypes and Properties.

“Cougaar Open Source Web Site”, http://www.cougaar.org. “UltraLog Web Site”, DARPA, http://www.ultralog.net/.

Documents

Logistics-Aided Battle Command Planning