Simulation analysis of UAV and ground teams for surveillance and interdiction

As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) become more prevalent on the battlefield, ground forces will increasingly have to rely on them for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as target marking and overwatch operations. This paper presents the use of the Situational Awareness for Surveillance and Interdiction Operations simulation analysis tool in conjunction with the design and analysis of experiments to study aspects of UAVs’ surveillance characteristics in conjunction with ground-based interdiction teams to aid in increasing the number of targets cleared from the area of interest. Different teaming strategies and coordination measures between searching and interdicting assets are studied in order to understand the effectiveness of the interdictor possessing an organic tracker UAV. The objective of this research is to quantify the benefit or penalty of an additional UAV asset that is organic to a quick reaction force in the context of the overall surveillance and interdiction operation.