Combat Analysis of Joint Force Options using Agent-Based Simulation

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will continue to evolve its capabilities to facilitate more effective integration of the joint force in an extended battlespace. The availability of key capabilities can have the potential to contribute to greater operational effectiveness. However designing a force is not simply adding new platforms to the inventory, but shaping a system of coordinated capabilities. A key part of this evolution is about utilising weapon systems throughout the battlespace that are networked to enable coordinated employment. As an example of evaluating a joint force along these lines, an exploratory analysis using an abstracted combat model was performed to gain quantitative insight on the value of information on force advantage in a fictitious conflict. This agent-based simulation can be used in designing a force to compare the relative worth of combat units in terms of offensive and defensive power.