A New Approach for Target Capability Assessment and Selection in Complex Situations.

Area of Science:

• Military Science
• Network Theory
• Operations Research

Background:

• Modern information warfare necessitates precise targeting of complex enemy systems.
• Identifying critical target units within a multi-unit system is a significant challenge.
• Existing methods may not adequately address the interconnectedness and cascading effects within target networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust model for selecting key target units in combat systems.
• To enhance decision-making for the strategic deployment of medium and long-range weapons.
• To provide a quantitative framework for optimizing strike effectiveness in information warfare.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a target combat system network using complex network theory and the maximum entropy principle.
• Development of a key target selection model integrating node value, network value, and cascading failure analysis.
• Establishment of an evaluation criterion function based on the optimal cost-effectiveness ratio.

Main Results:

• A four-part key target selection model was successfully constructed.
• The model effectively considers node importance, system interconnectedness, and failure propagation.
• Simulation experiments validated the model's rationality and effectiveness in identifying key targets.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers an effective solution for commanders to select key targets in complex combat systems.
• The integration of complex network theory and network value models enhances target selection precision.
• This approach provides a valuable tool for optimizing resource allocation and strike strategies in information warfare.