15th ICCRTS “The Evolution of C2” Network Centric Command and Control by means of Picture Compilation and Sensor Management

A good picture of the actual situation is essential within (networked) Command and Control systems to support the execution of the actions required to achieve mission success. In this paper, the collection of processes that contribute to the construction of this picture is divided into two main categories. The paper firstly describes the set that gathers data from different types of sensors and compiles this data into an information store that is defined as the operational picture. The second set of processes analyses the quality of the information in the operational picture and assembles tasks that select and control the available sensors in order to improve the quality of the picture. Furthermore, the additional information required for optimal sensor deployment is discussed. Finally the two sets of processes are combined into a new flexible Command and Control framework that improves sensor deployment by providing better operator support and allows a more automated deployment of the available sensor systems and other resources.