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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/I006672/1
Title: C2 Agility and Requisite Maturity Loughborough University Participation in NATO Task Group SAS-085
Principal Investigator: Henshaw, Professor M
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Electronic, Electrical & Systems Enginee
Organisation: Loughborough University
Scheme: Overseas Travel Grants (OTGS)
Starts: 01 June 2010 Ends: 30 November 2012 Value (£): 31,526
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Control Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The purpose of this proposal is to fund the participation of Professor Michael Henshaw, with his expertise in systems engineering for Network Enabled Capability (NEC), in a new NATO Technical Activity Programme (TAP) on Command and Control (C2) maturity. The need for agility within the multinational forces of NATO is paramount in operations ranging from combat to disaster relief. In particular, the need for effective and agile interoperation with civil authorities is a priority concern. The work of this NATO TAP will lead to improved matching of appropriate C2 to the dynamic complexity of the operational context and the organisations that are responding to it. There are ten nations taking part in the TAP, which is chaired by Dr. David Alberts (of US Dept. Of Defense) who is recognised internationally as a leading thinker in C2 and whose work on Warfare in the Information Age has fundamentally changed the nature of western military operations.NATO has conducted a number of studies in C2 maturity and these have indicated the importance of matching the sophistication of the C2 to the complexity of the operation or event in which it is deployed. Studies of disaster relief, such as the New Orleans floods and Pakistani earthquake of 2005, have revealed significant failings in the relief effort due to the mismatch of the military and civilian C2 and the problems associated with using a sophisticated C2 in the absence of sufficient technology and infrastructure. Furthermore, as the operational situation changes dynamically, the C2 should change correspondingly; an understanding of how it should change is the objective of the TAP.The NATO TAP will not only research requisite C2 maturity, it will transform the research outputs into core documentation and educational materials to enable force transformation.Between Aug06 and Apr09, Prof. Henshaw directed an EPSRC-BAE Systems sponsored research programme in systems engineering (called NECTISE) to support industry's response to the NEC challenge. A model for achieving agility was developed and systems engineering tools and processes needed for more agile systems were created. The outputs were, necessarily, focused on the systems to be developed by industry. The NATO TAP focuses on the military (and civil) decision making and, thus, forms the complementary part of the overall system of interest. Prof. Henshaw's participation in the working group will provide a systems engineering input to the work of the group and enable a better understanding of C2 by the systems engineering community to inform the developments of the future. The high level objectives of participation can, therefore, be summarised as:- dissemination of knowledge and methods developed by the systems engineering community in the areas of complex, dynamic, and agile systems of systems into the C2 community in order to enhance the exploitability of new knowledge within both communities. - extend the impact of the EPSRC-sponsored NECTISE research programme on the international stage- create the opportunity to develop new multi-disciplinary and international research programmes in the area of complex, dynamic systems Success Would Look Like:- Direct application of NECTISE models and other outputs in the SAS-085 Task Group products.- Significant advances in the definition of C2 and requisite C2 maturity- At least two research papers published in high quality systems journals (IJSSE and IEEE Systems Journal) bringing together knowledge from systems engineering and C2.- Improved educational material for military and civilians/industry in the area of C2 for Network Enabled Capability.- Submission of new research proposals in agile, complex systems- Participation of Loughborough University in a lecture series on C2 agility.
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Organisation Website: http://www.lboro.ac.uk