Variable-Resolution Combat Modeling: Motivations, Issues, and Principles
Abstract
The ability to do a cross walk among levels of resolution is important to a wide range of military and defense-planning activities such as systems analysis and policy analysis, war gaming, operational planning, and the development of a coherent military systems science. There are strong logical linkages among these activities, linkages that have been inadequately appreciated in the past. For example, systems analysts serving policymakers must suppress most details and deal with aggregated descriptions, but to understand which details to suppress they need to appreciate real-world military operations and some relatively complex phenomena. Commanders working amidst massive uncertainty to choose among alternative concepts of operation must also take a relatively aggregated view of events, but must thoroughly understand detailed operations, be able to conduct spot checks, and in some instances specify specific low-level missions that bear directly on the success of higher-level operations. And, as a final example, those concerned with high-resolution studies involving weapon-on-weapon interactions need sometimes to see their work in higher-level contexts so as to judge the relative significance of various capabilities and vulnerabilities. Ultimately, workers, whether they be military scientists or commanders, need to appreciate both forests and trees. This requires being able to change perspectives as appropriate and, in particular, being able to view problems at different levels of resolution.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA260943
Entities
People
- Paul K. Davis
- Reiner K. Huber
Organizations
- RAND Corporation