How Non-Weapon-System Parameters Affect Combat Results

Abstract

Military operations analysts make predictions of the probable combat results of hypothetical engagements, and of the comparative results of different engagements, for many purposes. Most of these involve attempting to determine and compare the possible contributions which could be made to a force’s performance through alternative changes in force structures or weapons system designs. The analyst’s attention may be on either absolute results (“will this force be sufficient to do the job?”) or comparisons (“is design A a better candidate for this role than design B?”). The normal technique for the examination of such questions is to select one or two “typical” military missions/situations and one or two “typical” environments, and conduct gaming or simulation analyses of each relevant force or weapon design in each case. If comparisons are to be made, differences or ratios of measures of effectiveness are analyzed. If absolute results are of interest, the measures of effectiveness are analyzed directly.