What is the impact of battlefield digitization on future maneuver warfare?

The impact of battlefield digitization on future maneuver warfare. Since maneuver warfare is the main form of combat for our army under high-tech conditions, it is also the basis of the operational doctrine of our army's main combat targets to be pursued for a long period of time in the future. Therefore, it is of great significance to discuss the possible impact of battlefield digitization on future maneuver warfare in the light of the U.S. Army's concept of building a "digital force" and exercise tests.

(1) Battlefield digitization will realize the "panoramic perception" of the battlefield situation is conducive to real-time monitoring, more conducive to the timely detection and capture of combat opportunities in combat. Battlefield intelligence is the basis of all combat operations, for mobile warfare, to play its "flexible and active" advantage, more must rely on commanders, troops on the entire battlefield situation comprehensive, timely and accurate understanding. The emergence of digital forces and the development of battlefield digitization trend, to meet the special requirements of maneuver warfare on information intelligence provides a possibility. This is because the battlefield digitalization, will be through the command organs, front-line troops, combat platforms and each soldier equipped with advanced digital communications equipment, to establish a digital fusion technology as the core of the whole information distribution network system, so that the collection, processing and transmission of battlefield information to show the traditional means of collecting, processing and transmission of the two major "advantages" difficult to match "

The first "advantage" is the ability to "panoramic perception" of the entire battlefield situation. After the realization of battlefield digitization, in the past only in the division above units equipped with strategic, tactical C3I system will be extended down to the armored combat vehicles, main battle tanks, self-propelled artillery, combat command vehicles, reconnaissance helicopters, tactical support combat aircraft, combat vehicles and even single soldiers. In this way, each combat platform, each soldier, while obtaining information from superiors and friendly neighbors, can also make use of its own reconnaissance and observation equipment, such as cameras, infrared detectors, night-vision devices, sensors, etc., to carry out reconnaissance of the battlefield environment around the location and, through the additional digital conversion circuitry, will be collected and stored or passed on to the superiors and friends and neighbors. In this way, the entire combat unit is like an open "information collection network", and each soldier is like a "tentacle" of information. Whether on the ground in the air, no matter in the front depth, as long as there are their own troops, can carry out the collection of battlefield information, the enemy's deployment, action completely "covered" in their own "information collection network", to achieve the entire battlefield situation of the The first one is a "panoramic" perception of the entire battlefield situation.

The second "advantage" is the ability to monitor the entire battlefield situation in real time. In high-tech conditions, due to the fast pace of combat, the situation is urgent, the commander to traditional means of obtaining information to grasp the battlefield situation, often lagging behind the changes in the battlefield situation. With this lagging intelligence to guide the implementation of maneuver warfare, it is not only difficult to capture the opportunity to fight, but also may fall into passive. On the digital battlefield, with the establishment of a battlefield distributed communications area network between combat units, each combat platform and individual soldier can talk or digitally communicate with the network using VHF low-end frequencies and connect to the Army's tactical C3I system via a single-channel ground/airborne radio system. As a result, the command center can transmit battle-level and tactical intelligence to subordinate units at all levels at any time by "broadcasting", while units and soldiers at all levels can also report and transmit their own battlefield intelligence to their superiors and friends and neighbors at any time. This grasp of the entire battlefield situation is not only "panoramic", but also real-time. As envisioned by the U.S. Army, the digital image displayed on the flat-screen display will be a dynamic image of the changing situation with the enemy and I, "and no longer a stereotypical battlefield geometry consisting of stage lines, targets and combat positions.

It is obvious that, through the battlefield digitization, the realization of the battlefield situation of the "panoramic" perception and real-time monitoring, the command authority at any time, any place to randomly grasp their own, friendly neighbors and the enemy's position and movement trends. Every mistake and weakness of the enemy, even if it occurs in its depth or flank battlefield, will be exposed, so as to effectively implement the commanders maneuver "bypass the front of the enemy, to strike its flanks or rear" guiding principle to create positive conditions. Especially through the real-time monitoring of the battlefield, will greatly improve the timeliness and utilization of battlefield intelligence, commanders will be more timely, continuous grasp of the battlefield situation, which is not only for the commanders to foresee the opportunity to plan decision-making provides a solid basis for the organization of the troops to capture the opportunity to win a more adequate time. Therefore, the U.S. military also believes that "through the battlefield digitalization, to obtain timely and comprehensive information is the key to mastering the advantages of mobile warfare".

(2) Battlefield digitization will improve the overall speed of combat operations, more conducive to maintaining the advantage of "always faster than the enemy". "The main weapon of maneuver warfare is speed, not only the speed of movement, but also the speed of all actions." Because only in the action is always faster than the enemy, in order to make the enemy's response inevitably lag behind the continuous implementation of their own decisive action to failure. Therefore, "to win by speed, strive for quick decision", has always been an important principle of maneuver warfare. With the development of battlefield digitization, the realization of the efficient circulation of battlefield information, will comprehensively improve the operational planning and decision-making, order transmission, battlefield maneuvering and manpower response and other aspects of the action speed, more conducive to the combat always maintain "faster than the enemy" advantage.

Planning decision-making fast. Battlefield digitization, so that the army command of all aspects of the degree of automation is further improved. In particular, the degree of command automation for units below division level will reach an unprecedented level. Commanders of these units will be able to, like battle commanders, through the command center's wide-screen monitors will be the entire battlefield situation at a glance. With the command center of the large database connected to the countless data chain will reach every corner of the battlefield, the enemy and our position, action and other information transmitted to the command center, the commander can quickly make up his mind accordingly, the change in the situation immediately respond. At the same time, the decision-making support system will provide a variety of alternatives in accordance with the commander's intentions, the mission planning system can quickly develop a corresponding specific action plan.

Fast order transmission. Once the commander has made up his mind to fight, he can quickly communicate the combat order data transparency map by "electronic mailbox" in near real time to the subordinate forces at all levels scattered in the vast battlefield, and the cycle of ordering will be shortened from the present hours to a few minutes. At the same time, the commander does not have to spend a long time to receive the subordinates of the battle report. The U.S. Army says its digital experimental units are uploading reports from company to battalion level at a rate one times faster than conventional units.

U.S. Air Force Col. Boyd argues that the process of maneuver warfare can be viewed as "a competitive cycle of observation, judgment, determination and action over time. Any party that outpaces its adversary in all phases of that cycle can achieve a great, if not decisive, victory. From the above analysis, it can be seen that in the future battlefield, with "digital" army, will be in the maneuver warfare "competition cycle" of each link, to occupy the advantage of one step ahead of the enemy, and thus always be able to speed, time and maneuver constraints on the enemy, so that the enemy will always be in "reactive". The enemy will always be able to constrain the enemy in terms of speed and time and maneuver, so that the enemy will always be in a position of "reactive response" until it is completely defeated.

(3) Battlefield digitization will greatly enhance the ability to control and coordinate in combat, more conducive to the non-linear battlefield to achieve the full depth of the battlefield at the same time. Maneuver warfare against the unchanging, linear, rule-based combat concepts, especially against the pattern of action on the battlefield behavior, and highly emphasize the "troops should dare to boldly in the enemy's flanks or behind the flow of combat," the concept of the non-linear battlefield. However, in the non-linear battlefield, to ensure that the various dispersed, mobile forces can be unified and coordinated combat faces many challenges, the most prominent is the command of the loss of control and coordination disorders. In this regard, the U.S. military also believes that "command and control of forces that are far away from their own side is a very difficult problem". In the digital battlefield, these in the traditional battlefield difficult to cross the "obstacles", will be solved. This is because, through the battlefield digitization, in the upper and lower levels, the military and various weapons systems to achieve the integration of information acquisition, transfer processing, so that the battlefield of various elements linked into a whole, greatly enhancing the battlefield command and control and coordination capabilities.

First of all, the command and control ability between the upper and lower levels has been enhanced. On the one hand, the use of digital communication systems to transmit instructions, more accurate than the use of analog or digital-analog hybrid system, more conducive to the subordinates to correctly understand the intentions of superiors. The U.S. military tests and exercises show that, under the same conditions, the traditional analog signal voice command transfer accuracy is only 22%, while the corresponding digital signal transfer accuracy is as high as 98%, the worse the battlefield environment, the more obvious this difference. On the other hand, the commander's understanding of the situation in combat mainly comes from each weapon platform, each soldier equipped with the C3I system, and thus can grasp the situation of each combat unit at any time and anywhere. Even platoon commanders are able to directly monitor the position and posture of the sub-unit under their jurisdiction by virtue of their Commander's Integrated Display (CID), which greatly strengthens their command and control capability.

Secondly, the coordination between the military services to enhance the ability. An important difference between digital battlefield command and traditional command is that the latter can only strengthen the vertical (vertical) chain of command, while the former, in addition, can also be horizontally outside the geographical area of responsibility with other military services, friendly neighboring forces to establish rapid information channels. In this way, the abolition of the previous "chimney" communication system within the various military branches, and make a variety of important information can be transmitted simultaneously to the various military branches of the commanders at all levels, to achieve a high degree of information on the entire battlefield **** enjoyment. For example, commanders at all levels can see from different command centers on the screen at the same time the deployment of their own troops and actions, each armored fighting vehicles through the vehicle information system can be informed at the same time from their respective vehicle display of the position of the other fighting vehicles. Because this contact is uninterrupted, thus not only greatly reducing the probability of battlefield injuries, but also so that each unit can be adjusted through the autonomous continuous, with unprecedented precision and speed to implement the coordinated operation.

In addition, as an important feature of the increased coordination between the military services, the battlefield weapon systems are gradually converging towards integration. For example, the interoperability of army tanks and helicopters was once considered to be an insurmountable gap, but in the digital exercise held by the U.S. Army not long ago, the two have realized the interface: a reconnaissance helicopter to the target data to the MIA2 tanks, which then summoned the supporting firepower. As the target data transmission of all digital communication systems, only 2 minutes, the mortar that is to destroy the target, so that "the Army for the first time almost like the use of direct fire as the use of indirect fire". It can be seen that in the digital battlefield, any one weapon is not isolated, but linked to other weapons. All weapon systems, will *** with constitute a huge battlefield weapon system, coordinated use of firepower. It is not difficult to see from the above, although the future of mobile warfare, combat troops in the non-linear battlefield will be more decentralized, mobility, but through the digital system, whether it is a large-scale battle-level forces, or independent wedge into the enemy's depth of the special detachment, will be in a unified "digital information network" in a coordinated action, mutual support, The first is a "digital information network" that will support and coordinate with each other to strike the enemy simultaneously across the entire length and breadth of the battlefield.

(4) battlefield digitization will greatly improve the battlefield service security, maximize the solution of mobile warfare worries implementation of mobile warfare, the biggest "worries" is the battlefield service support problems. This is because the maneuver warfare, the deployment of the troops gap, coupled with frequent maneuvers, the enemy and I crisscross, so it is difficult to support and combat (supported) between the troops to establish a solid support relationship. Once the position of the combat unit changes, it may result in a disconnect between the support operation and the combat operation. The problem is especially acute for units that break into the enemy's depth. The realization of battlefield digitization will provide a great possibility to solve this "worry".

The development of battlefield digitization, so that all levels of security command institutions, and even a variety of independent security vehicles can be through the "digital system", the whole battlefield to monitor the demand for service security situation. On the one hand, the battlefield weapons and equipment wear and tear, casualties can be displayed faster, security forces can take the initiative to contact the security forces, and according to the nature of the security and workload, reasonable security forces. On the other hand, due to the convenience of information transfer, the protection personnel can not only make effective preparation according to the situation on the way forward, but also provide effective guidance to the protection object. In addition, as the battlefield changes can be immediately fed back to the protection force, the protection force can accurately judge the protection tasks to be accomplished according to the battlefield situation, make the necessary preparations for the protection in advance, and improve the protection time. Especially by virtue of the aggregated monitoring data display, the protection department can clarify the priorities, rationalize the regulation of material flow, accurate prediction, timely support. In this way, in the digital battlefield, combat service security is no longer limited to simple ammunition, fuel, equipment and other hardware support, and will also include a large number of such as "equipment emergency maintenance instruction program" and other software support, this software support will greatly improve the combat troops of the self-protection ability.

The battlefield digitalization, the improvement of the battlefield rear service guarantee, also highlights the "digitalization" greatly improves the soldier's battlefield survivability. Soldier C3I system equipment, will make the soldier's communication, positioning, enemy identification, battlefield situational awareness and other capabilities unprecedented strengthening, the end result is to improve the soldier's combat effectiveness at the same time, but also improve their ability to survive. For example, the soldier's computer is equipped with enemy identification program, which can be input by the soldier's characteristics of the suspicious vehicle and the data stored in the database to be compared to give the correct match graphic display, and put forward preventive measures. Currently the U.S. Army is developing the second generation of soldiers C3I system, the requirements of another soldier can be real-time enemy identification, and in 0.5 seconds to identify the results of the data network to the command center. In addition, because the soldier carries a global positioning system, at any moment know where they are, once they or their companions are injured, they can quickly guide the rescue team directly to the location of the casualty, and can be in the rescue team arrived before the use of the helmet on the TV camera, to accept the doctor's guidance on mutual aid, in order to fight for time, to save more in accordance with the conventional means of communication and the rescue procedures delayed and lost their lives of the casualty. In summary, the trend of battlefield digitization not only creates more favorable conditions for maneuver warfare to play its original great role in high-tech conditions, but also provides great possibilities for solving the many problems it used to face. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that the trend of battlefield digitization will inject greater vitality into the maneuver warfare, the maneuver warfare will still be the future high-tech battlefield in the main form of combat.