Dynamic Planning & Execution

In order to gain tactical and operational advantage, the military must deliver effects by conducting activities at optimum tempo; thus staying inside an adversary's decision-action cycle. To date, planners have used various methods to deal with changes in situation: contingency planning, commander's intent and inbuilt flexibility in plans. However, some recent operational experiences indicate that the dynamism of the battlespace has outstripped current ability to respond effectively. The challenge is how to plan and execute continuously in the face of a rapidly changing situation. The technical cooperation program (TTCP) action group 1 (AG1) has been investigating both the theory and practical application of dynamic planning and execution (DP&E). Having examined the problem in a defence context, the findings suggest that representation of plans and coordination are two of the key technical enablers in realising DP&E. This paper is a summation of AG1's work on DP&E to date, and will present the findings from studies and explain the rationale and nature of technical challenges.