Not to Foresee, But to Enable: The Promise and Pitfalls of Computer Simulations in Operational Planning
Abstract
While warfare's philosophers and theorists have long asserted the value of planning for war, practitioners have inevitably found military planning a devilishly difficult task. The advent of the communication age has made operational planning more, rather than less, difficult. The complexity of the world situation is increasing while the time available for planning is compressing. Fortunately for U.S. military planners, the forthcoming generation of computer simulation technology promises to provide powerful new planning tools. My analysis shows that systematic use and integration of computer simulations in the operational planning process will decrease planning time while simultaneously improving the quality of the plans produced. Operational commanders and staffs will be free to focus their brain power and precious time on the art of warfare while delegating much of the science to advanced computer simulation systems. Computer simulations are no panacea. They provide only partial solutions to some of planning's current shortfalls and in other, more intractable areas, may be of no help at all. Additionally, to reap the full benefits of what computer simulations have to offer we will need to more thoroughly network them with other automated planning systems. In the end we may even need to redesign our planning processes and products to realize all the benefits that computer simulations can offer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA363148
Entities
People
- James C. Bell
Organizations
- Naval War College