Communication of Intent in Military Command and Control Systems

Abstract

Military command and control (C²), air traffic control, and nuclear power plant control rooms are examples of distributed supervisory control systems. Distributed supervisory control systems are hierarchical and cooperative. They involve remote supervisors who work through intelligent local actors to control some process. A remote supervisor typically provides plans and procedures to multiple local actors. However, these plans and procedures are often inadequate to cope with the unanticipated variability of local situations (Woods & Roth, 1988). As a result, local actors must adapt the plans and procedures to the situation based on their understanding of the remote supervisor’s intent. The research reported here investigated how remote supervisors (senior commanders) who are separated by both time and space from local actors (subordinate commanders) impart their presence by communicating intent to permit coordination and adaptation of underspecified plans and procedures.