CMS

Question 1

What is the definition of a Combat System?

Answer 1

The Combat system is the set of person and machine resources which comprise the fighting capability of the vessel

Question 2

What is the definition of a combat management system and why do we need it?

Answer 2

The CMS is a military management system, comprising a close integration of personnel and machines.

It enables:
1. Production of tactical picture
2. Issuing directives for deployment of available resources
3. Monitoring compliance with directives

Question 3

What function should the CMS fulfil?

Answer 3

Control of:
1. Weapon deployment
2. Propulsion
3. Emissions
4. Damage control and repair
5. External Comms.

6. Total information requirement of command
7. Planning, threat evaluation and decision taking

Question 4

What are the time critical components of naval C2 and what are their definitions?

Answer 4

1. Tactical data fusion- Fusing real time information from a range of distributed sources
2. Situational assessment- tactical intelligence assessment of the environment of a single or group of ships
3. Resource allocation- Deployment of resources in response to prevailing situation
4. Resource planning- Deployment of resources in anticipation of future situations

Question 5

What is the definition of a combat support system (CSS)?

Answer 5

Logical grouping of personnel and machines responsible for medium to long term.
Organic and non-organic data fusion

Longer acronym (CSS/CS) longer term

Question 6

Draw a diagram of the types of NATO system architecture

Answer 6

1. Centralised (Peripherals connected to one central processor)
2. Federated (Subsystems connected to controlling computer)
3. Distributed (many processors connected to one another)

Question 7

Explain functional grouping (Diagram?)

Answer 7

Grouping systems that regularly communicate with faster connections
eg. Radar connected to AWW

Question 8

What are the operational requirements of a CSS?

Answer 8

1. Display recognised maritime picture
2. Display wide area picture
3. Provide value added information
4. Communicate to shore HQ
5. Access shore databases
6. Provide encyclopaedic data
7. Decision and planning aids
8. Provide post operation analysis
9. General IT

Question 9

What are the defined timescales a CMS operates over?

Answer 9

1. Long term- Days to months, over major sea areas
2. Medium term- hours to days, over thousands of miles
3. Current- seconds to minutes, over a few hundred miles,
4. Immediate- minutes to fractions of a second