2.5 Chapter Summary
The objective of this chapter was to provide an holistic view of the constituent theories and physical components of a TEWA DSS within the context of a GBAD environment. The first part (§2.1) contained an introduction to the concept of NCW and a description of the modern concept of NCW (§2.1.1). Special emphasis was also placed on the importance of implementing NCW principles into a TEWA DSS (§2.1.2). After forming a foundation for the concept of NCW, the notion of C2 was introduced in §2.2. The well-known OODA cycle was described in §2.2.2, which will be used later in this thesis to model the C2 processes associated with the TEWA decision cycle.
The second part of this chapter contains a discussion on the physical elements forming a TEWA system. Special emphasis was placed on the physical environment (§2.4.1), sensor sys- tems (§2.4.2), aerial threats (§2.4.3), WSs (§2.4.4), DAs (§2.4.5) and the HMI (§2.4.6) of such a system.
CHAPTER 3
The Current State of TEWA Knowledge
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. — Isaac Newton
Contents
3.1 South African GBAD Programme . . . 31 3.2 Domestic TEWA Knowledge . . . 32 3.2.1 Threat Evaluation . . . 33 3.2.2 Weapon Assignment . . . 36 3.3 International TEWA Research . . . 38 3.3.1 Threat Evaluation . . . 39 3.3.2 Weapon Assignment . . . 39 3.3.3 Human-Machine Interaction . . . 40 3.4 Existing TEWA Systems . . . 40 3.5 Chapter Summary . . . 43
This chapter opens with an introduction to the origins of this research project, after which previous research available to the author is elucidated from both a Domestic and an International viewpoint. The domestic research refers to all the TEWA-related work done in South Africa, mainly by members of the TEWA Centre of Expertise at Stellenbosch University, while the international research includes work by members of external international institutions which is available in the open literature. This chapter concludes with a brief overview of existing TEWA DSSs, in order to provide some context on the typical nature of these systems.
Several international studies have been conducted on TEWA DSSs in a GBAD environment. Because of the sensitive nature of this work, however, most of the detailed research done by these studies has been classified. As such, the majority of the studies available to the author were conducted within the TEWA Centre of Expertise at Stellenbosch University.
3.1 South African GBAD Programme
This project has its roots in the South African GBAD programme, which started in the late 1990s and mainly entailed modernising the South African air-defense capability. This project was broken down into several phases. Although the first phase involved the establishment of
an early local warning system responsible for early threat detection and threat evaluation, the contract mainly entailed integrating existing, proven equipment [167].
After the project’s concept exploration stage, it was decided to subcontract the development of a TEWA system to an external company. This external company had already developed a combat proven point-based TEWA DSS and it was assumed that they would be able to adapt the current system so that it is applicable in a South African area-based environment. The company in question delivered the product as a black-box system, thereby making it extremely difficult for South African companies to modify and improve upon the system.
The TEWA system was commissioned, but the end-product required modifications to the al- gorithms before the initialisation of the full-scale utilisation stage. This is the main reason for formation of the TEWA Centre of Expertise at Stellenbosch University — to build a South African knowledge base of TEWA-related expertise. Modifications were required to the procured system, because some advanced test scenarios generated counter-intuitive solutions. Because of this contradiction, the system would not be able to provide the essential decision support re- quired by the operators. These problems may have been the result of a conversion from the point-based to area-based system, since some algorithms/assumptions are not directly transfer- able. Without more information, however, it is not possible to determine the exact root-cause of this problem.
During 2003, the contract to further the development of the GBAD system was placed with Denel Integrated Systems. In 2012, the system was delivered to its end-user, the South African Army, which led to the start of the utilisation phase. According to Denel’s newsletter [157], the system is currently in the support phase and undergoing upgrades, while the next stages of the GBAD program are initiated. An example of a typical upgrade that forms part of this project, includes integration of Denel Dynamics’s Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Umkhonto surface-to-air missiles.
Furthermore, in March 2014 Rheinmetall AG1 signed a contract with the South African Army to modernise the ageing South African air-defense systems. The contract made provision for implementation of the Skyshield fire control units as well as refurbishment of the existing 35 mm guns with the purpose of using Rheinmetall’s latest generation Ahead Airburst2 ammunition, giving them MK VII status. These improvements are therefore focused on modernising South Africa’s CIWSs. The contract is scheduled for completion by 2017 [162].
From the preceding discussion, it is clear that the South African GBAD system is undergoing continuous development and there are, as such, still numerous areas for improvement. The objectives in this thesis are structured in such as way so as to add to the South African knowledge base in respect of TEWA DSSs, with the long-term goal of developing a proudly South African TEWA DSS.