Pratice Exam (CMS) Flashcards
What is the definition of a combat system?
A combat system is the set of person and machine resources which comprise the fighting capabilities of the vessel.
sub-systems will include weapons, sensors, intelligence and information sources and the combat management system.
What is the definition of the combat management system and why do we need it?
The Combat Management System is a military management system, comprising a close integration of person and machines which together enable:
• The production of a comprehensive tactical picture.
• Formulation and issuing of directives for the deployment of available resources.
• Monitoring compliance with directives and the extent to which they may require modification.
We need it to maximise the fighting capability of the vessel
What functions should CMS fulfil?
A Combat Management System should fulfil the following functions:
• Provide access to, and display of, the total information requirements of the Command.
• Assist the Command in planning, threat evaluation and decision taking.
• Provide control over weapon deployment.
• Provide control over ship’s movements.
• Provide control over external communications including the means for the transmission, receipt and where appropriate, the display of orders and information to and from other units and shore authorities.
• Provide control over ship emissions, e.g. signature reduction, electronic and acoustic emissions.
• Provide control over damage and weapons repair.
What are the time critical components of naval C2 and what are their definitions?
Long Term. This is concerned with very long term planning and resource allocation with a range of interest extending over major sea areas and over periods ranging from a day up to months.
Medium Term. This relates to planning and resource allocation to meet objectives over a shorter period than the ‘long term’ context. This activity will have a range of interest of the order of a thousand miles, and have a time range from hours to days.
Current. This is concerned with short term (tactical) management of resources to meet the demands of the environ¬ment with the aim of achieving the objectives laid down in the ‘medium term’ planning. The activity will operate over the range up to a few hundred miles and a time range from seconds to minutes.
Immediate. This relates to the control of individual resources in response to direction from the ‘current’ level and to sudden changes in the environment. This activity is concerned with limited ranges of information and time-scales in the range of minutes down to fractions of seconds.
What are the time critical components of naval C2 and what are their definitions?
Tactical Data Fusion
Formulation of a coherent picture by fusing together in real time all the information available on board ship from a wide range of disparate sources. Multi sensor data fusion reflects the need to combine data of many different types arriving through many different channels. The data is not limited to real time information, gathered by the ship’s onboard sensors, but includes also the non real time, unstructured information derived from intelligence reports, sightings, local events and tactical plans. Multi platform data recognises that ships rarely operate individually, and that the information is normally produced by a group of ships, aircraft and possibly submarines.
Situation Assessment
Derivation of an intelligent assessment, in tactical terms, of the environment of a single ship or group of ships. The tactical picture is interpreted in terms of the deployment, capability and effectiveness of all forces involved. Possible examples of the assessment process include:
• Threats – assessment of potential, possible or actual threats.
• Engagements – assessing the outcome of an engagement in real-time.
• Rules of Engagement – assessment of the threat against the current ROE in order to assist Command in the judgement of when decisions have to be made.
• Sensor and Weapon Coverage – assessment of sensor and weapon coverage as a guide to the effectiveness of defence screens.
• Plan Monitoring – assessing how well the plans in force, both defensive and offensive, are proceeding.
• Surveillance – assessing the extent of knowledge on both sides about each other.
Resource Allocation
Deployment of resources necessary in response to the prevailing situation. At Force level, this may involve the deployment of surface or air assets to prosecute an enemy platform. At single ship level, it may require a fast reaction for immediate direction and control of own platform, sensors and weapons whilst avoiding mutual interference between hard-kill and soft-kill resources and ship manoeuvres. In some cases these responses need to be so fast that pre-programmed actions are built into electronic equipment and once set up by operators will act autonomously.
It is possible that emerging techniques in information technology may benefit other combat management functions outside the time-critical domain and will more suitably lie in the Command Support System.
Resource Planning
Deployment of resources in anticipation of a future situation using knowledge, including intelligence, to predict what might happen and how own forces should be deployed to counter any threats.
What is the definition of the command system?
The Command System is the logical grouping of personnel and machines responsible for the immediate to current activities of the Combat Management System and for the management of the Combat System in the short term.
What is the definition of the command support system?
The Command Support System is the logical grouping of personnel and machines responsible for the medium to long term activities of the Combat Management Systems which will include:
• Medium & long term Planning.
• Organic & non-organic information fusion.
• Management of non-organic information systems.
What are the standard system architectures designated by NATO?
• A Centralised structure which comprises one (or a small number of) central functional processor carrying out all data handling compilations and control functions.
• A Federated structure which comprises a number of subsystems which are autonomous in data handling to a certain degree, but are still controlled to a certain degree by one (or small number) controlling computer.
• A Distributed structure which divides the data handling load via the processors in the system without using fixed or central points.
Give a technical description (with diagrams of each NATO system architecture.
Which one do most modern RN systems use?
Centralised
Federated
Distributed
Most often used is distributed but often use a hybrid (variation)
What do you understand by by the term Functional grouping?
Sensors to be combined with weapon systems. e.g. missile system matched up with radar this it to allow systems to talked directly with each other on point to point links or DTS
What impact did the introduction of the LAN have on the CMS system architecture?
The advances in data handling technology made it possible for what had previously been peripheral systems to pass data directly from one to another instead of through the Combat Management System. They now become equal members (peer systems) with the CMS so far as data handling is concerned.
Give a technical description (with diagram) of a triple redundant CSH?
Each system connected to the CSH be it a weapon, sensor or Command System, is referred to as a member system.
HCMC at each end of ship.
Port, STBD & Keel line
Polls the systems
What are the characteristics of a CSH and how does it operate?
• Multiported to allow a sufficient number of user equipment to be connected.
• High Data Bandwidth for high speed operation.
• High Data Integrity and the ability to conduct error detection and correction.
• Polled data transfer technique. The highway uses a poll and response mechanism. All member systems are given the opportunity, in a pre-determined sequence, to transmit data onto the highway.
• Intelligent Interface Terminals. The highway provides an intelligent Direct Memory Access (DMA) interface, which means that any member system can access any other member systems computer memory via the highway.
• Broadcast Messages. A message transmitted on the highway can be received by all other member systems at virtually the same time.
• Message Standards. The originator of a message also appends a Message Catalogue Number (MCN) from a catalogue of standard message templates. Any other member systems can then correctly interpret the fields within the message using the same catalogue.
• Time Synchronisation. The active HCHM broadcasts a Time Synchronisation Message (TSM) on the highway for use by all member systems.
** Operation**
Highway Health Monitoring Systems containing redundancy, such as the CSH, have their reliability and survivability capabilities reduced if loss of redundancy is not reported immediately. This situation has been overcome by use of highway health monitoring. If a fault occurs which reduces the effectiveness of the CSH the HCHM will log the fault and broadcast the details in a Highway State Message (HSM). A maintainer can then take appropriate repair action.
What are the operational requirements of CSS?
The Operational Requirements of a CSS can be determined as follows:
Display the Recognised Maritime Picture (RMP).
The prime task is to display the RMP. This is the distilled intelligence picture, received on board as the OSIS picture (Ocean Surveillance Information System) or low data rate OTHT Gold signals provided by Northwood.
Display the Wide Area Picture.
The Wide Area Picture is a combination of the RMP and the Local Area Picture. The CSS has to combine the Local Area Picture (from local data sources – data link, CSH etc.) with the RMP to give what will be called the Wide Area Picture. For ships involved in amphibious ops, particularly the Command and Control unit, there is a need to display the Land Tactical Picture as well, although the Joint Operations Picture (JOP) will in the future provide this.
Provide Added Value Information.
As well as displaying the RMP, there is often associated additional information given. Not just that a particular type of ship is there, but the hull number, any intelligence held, particular known problems, singing prop etc.
Communications Access to Shore HQs.
A direct connectivity to shore HQs using an interface to legacy signalling methods or email and other collaboration tools.
Access Shore Databases.
Extensive databases in Northwood and High Wycombe or other tri-service information sources, covering a variety of topics which CSS can access to provide the embarked staff with the most up to date and relevant information.
Provide Encyclopaedic Data.
A further follow on is that the CSS should locally provide Encyclopaedic Data. This is info such as Janes, harbour and pilotage detail, beach data and the large number of publications on board that are available in electronic format.
**Decision and Planning Aids (DAs/PAs). **
A key area for the system is to help the user in the decision making process, not just as a data representation tool. Software applications should provide the user with recommendations, based on information available. This should allow the user to carry out higher level decision making and not be subject to data overload.
Provide Post Operation/Weapon Effectiveness Analysis.
The system should be capable of post operational and weapon analysis and identify performance degradation factors.
**General IT. **
General IT facilities to process and disseminate the information described above are also important.
What impact will NEC have on defence?
Obvious advantages of the exploitation of NEC in an operational environment can be drawn from the example given above. That said the potential of NEC and the power of networking spans the whole of Defence and has implications for both operational and non-operational environments. Although not an exhaustive list, the bullets below illustrate the likely impact of NEC:
• Provision of timely information and intelligence drawn from a broad range of sources to support the political and military decision making process.
• Integration of sensors, decision-makers, weapons platforms and support capabilities to enable agility and thus permit commanders to better synchronise effects.
• Enhanced force protection and the reduction of fratricide.
• Increased interoperability and collaboration within and between Services, components and government organisations, both nationally and internationally.
• Optimizing the efficient use of available resources in a robust operational support structure, by improving the precision and timeliness of logistics, medical and personnel information.
• Improving the sharing of defence information, where appropriate, beyond the traditional boundaries through a resilient information infrastructure.
• Accelerating the establishment of common standards and facilitating the sharing of data with industrial partners to improve acquisition processes.
• Enabling effective UK home defence through inter-agency operational support to police, customs and coastguard etc.
• Enabling the development of more effective command and management structures and better ways of working within Defence.
