THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
Obstacles can be ditches, wire, natural restrictive terrain and, in this case, lethal munitions. Terrain-shaping obstacles specifically are lethal munitions that as an economy of force can easily equal 25 percent of a maneuver force’s capability. Terrain-shaping obstacles were previ- ously represented by traditional row land mines, but those have left the Army inven- tory because of policy restrictions. So a completely new, revolutionary munition is needed.
Developing the concept of operations for terrain-shaping obstacles is the challenge that today’s Army faces. Te end state is to achieve or exceed the same battlefield effects and provide the warfighter the means to achieve those effects.
Traditionally, developing a concept of operations requires an examination of capabilities required to solve the current problem and identifying what’s within the realm of possibilities, such as linking remote sensors to shooter systems; mine- fields that “self-heal” by repositioning or re-orienting to close gaps in coverage; autonomous munitions; and human- in-the-loop munitions. Stakeholder
“Normally, industry meetings with government program offices are one-way communications from the government to industry with a few questions from the audience. This forum was open and free-flowing.”
input from the warfighter, industry and the Army science-and-technology and research-and-development communities provides the foundation for informing requirements.
Providing information requirements early in the process as programs develop new technology and solutions is the key to ensuring that we are developing the right technical solutions for the future. It is vital to engage specific stakeholders early in the process of the requirements docu- ment development, to drive candid, open discussions about options, concepts and operational scenarios.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then involving all Soldiers—from those
fresh out of the schoolhouse to seasoned combat veterans—at the earliest oppor- tunity is the first step to getting the requirements right and developing a concept of operations for the next genera- tion of terrain-shaping obstacles. Once we understand the intent for their use in the larger picture, then we can begin to under- stand what needs to be developed.
But collecting meaningful Soldier feed- back (from user jury events, Soldier touch points, etc.) in a timely manner is also a challenge. It is one the Army has tried to address with experimentation and rapid prototyping, but these events are diffi- cult to get approved, resource-intensive to execute, and difficult to use as a way to inform requirements until many decisions
ENGINEER BRIEFING
The author, left, gives engineer Soldiers an overview during the Close Terrain Shaping Obstacles Seminar Wargame at the U.S. Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Candid feedback and questions were strongly desired. (Photo by Stephen McFarlane, Product Manager TSO)
76
Army AL&T Magazine
Summer 2019
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