Reconfiguration of C2 architecture for improved availability to support air operations

In this paper, a modern military air operation is viewed as a hierarchical multiple-timescale hybrid feedback control system. The focus of our study is on the impact of the supporting structure for the command and control (C2) functionalities on the overall air operation. The resilience of the supporting structure is measured by its availability. Our representation of the air operation allows us to link the availability of C2 to the strategic goal of an air operation, and therefore provides a framework for the optimization of the air operation at all levels. The paper shows that a prolonged unavailability of a C2 functionality can significantly worsen the outcome of an air operation. A processing unit is modeled as a queing network to quantify the effectiveness of reconfiguration in enhancing availability. The unit is included in a small scale C2 supporting structure for which a simulation study is carried out using Arena.