Artificial intelligence technologies applied to terrain analysis

The US Army Training and Doctrine Command is currently developing, in cooperation with Los Alamos National Laboratory, a Corps level combat simulation to support military analytical studies. This model emphasizes high resolution modeling of the command and control processes, with particular attention to architectural considerations that enable extension of the model. A planned future extension is the inclusion of an computer based planning capability for command echelons that can be dynamical invoked during the execution of then model. Command and control is the process through which the activities of military forces are directed, coordinated, and controlled to achieve the stated mission. To perform command and control the commander must understand the mission, perform terrain analysis, understand his own situation and capabilities as well as the enemy situation and his probable actions. To support computer based planning, data structures must be available to support the computer's ability to understand'' the mission, terrain, own capabilities, and enemy situation. The availability of digitized terrain makes it feasible to apply artificial intelligence technologies to emulate the terrain analysis process, producing data structures for uses in planning. The work derived thus for to support the understanding of terrain is the topic of this paper. 13 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs