Development of rapidly deployable structures for military applications : a system based approach to command post facilities

Abstract

Today's battlespace is the most dynamic in recorded history. Accompanying other military improvements, Command and Control (C2) technology has also been modernized. In spite of advances in technology, it currently takes six times as long to deploy a Command Post (CP) as it did eight years ago. This decline in performance results in poor communication with forward units due to an increased distance between the units and the CP. This performance decline also increases the danger posed to command centers by enemy elements in the rear. Although each component of a modern CP functions well, CP structures are slow to deploy because many of the components of the command structure are developed separately to fulfill specific functions. Separately, these components are quick and innovative. Combined, they are cumbersome and labor intensive to assemble. The command structure must be viewed as a system that requires an encompassing solution. This thesis presents a rapidly deployable CP structure developed using a system based approach.

(cont.) The functional elements of a Command Post were analyzed and a comprehensive structure was designed to enhance the speed of CP establishment. Also, the appropriate background theory for structural and safety analysis was developed and applied to the resulting design. The proposed design, termed the Automated Command Post (ACP), is capable of establishing Command and Control in a mere fifteen minutes from start to finish; this is a 92% improvement over existing CP structures. In order to maximize the potential usefulness of the physical space within the ACP, the recommended ACP layout was constructed by modifying existing command post layouts using network theory. The ACP is an air-supported structure that requires a nominal pressure of only 0.036 psi to withstand up to 75 mph winds. Also, the ACP inflation system has an estimated fuel cost of only '/2 a gallon per day to maintain this pressure.