A kill chain optimization method for improving the resilience of unmanned combat system-of-systems

Unmanned combat system-of-systems (UCSoS) refers to a new type of combat force composed of unmanned combat platforms with different capabilities and whose structure can be topologized as a heterogeneous network. Enemy damage to network nodes can lead to degradation of UCSoS performance, making it crucial to enhance its battlefield resilience. Due to resource and time constraints, the traditional structural reconstruction approach cannot be the preferred solution for resilience enhancement. Therefore, this paper proposes a kill chain optimization method (KCOM) for resilient UCSoS from the kill chain process perspectives of observation, localization, decision-making, and action. First, based on the modern combat cycle theory, a kill chain model of UCSoS is constructed to model the mission delivery process among network nodes. Second, a novel resilience metric is proposed to evaluate the resilience of UCSoS in terms of mission benefits and post-interruption performance fluctuations. Last, a KCOM is proposed, which considers the resilience improvement strategies from the resistance and recovery perspective. Focusing on utilizing limited resources, KCOM improves UCSoS resilience by optimizing the kill chain selection on the network. Simulation experiments verify the feasibility of the model and the superiority of the optimization method, and some conclusions are expected to provide forward-looking guidance for future battlefield command and control.