TACTICAL DECISION MAKING: 1. ACTION SELECTION AS A FUNCTION OF TRACK LOAD, THREAT COMPLEXITY, RELIABLE DATA PRESENTATION AND WEAPON UNCERTAINTY

Performance measures from the first major experiment in a series on tactical decision-making for treat evaluation and action selection in aero space surveillance are described. Two groups of experimental commanders performed under several levels of target track load and threat complexity conditions. The task of the commanders was: (1) to minimize damage to the weapon areas, (2) to destroy a maximum number of threatening vehicles, (3) to conserve counter weapons so as to consume a minimum of forces consistent with objectives (1) and (2) above, and (4) to develop his own strategy under constraints imposed by the ground rules. In order to provide some standard performance criteria, a sample of the experimental problems was solved analytically so as to re present both 'good' and 'poor' automated decision making and 'idealized' or maximum human performance. Human empirical scores compared favorably with analytical performance measures. Human empirical performance continuously improved as a function of number of system runs.
In cooperation with Detection Physics Lab., Air Force Cambridge Research Labs., Bedford, Mass.