AFRL Transitions Information Warfare Software Tool to the Operational Community Published June 7, 2007 By Human Effectiveness Directorate AFRL/HE WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Researchers from Air Force Research Laboratory and ManTech International's Cognitive Systems Engineering Center teamed to develop the Information Warfare Combat Assessment Tool, an information warfare air campaign decision and situation awareness aid. Focused on the cognitive work that warfighters perform within their respective domain, IWCAT helps users interpret information and make decisions in the proper context. Essentially, the tool enhances the warfighter's ability to understand, trace, and anticipate the direct and indirect behavioral effects of offensive and defensive, lethal and nonlethal, kinetic and nonkinetic actions directed against adversary information, information-based processes, and information systems. Over the past 5 years, the program team has successfully deployed several IWCAT prototypes, transitioning and integrating portions of these products into the operational version of the Information Warfare Planning Capability. Originally a tool suite used exclusively within the Air Force information operations community, the IWPC--including portions of IWCAT--now extends to users throughout the entire Air Operations Center for planning and assessment purposes. The IWPC will provide the baseline for another effort involving IWCAT as well. This follow-on work will leverage both the IWPC and its IWCAT components in establishing the Joint Information Operations Planning Capability, a tool suite ultimately intended to facilitate integrated joint force activity. IWCAT version 5.0 includes specific advancements that show potential in supporting this joint functionality. Accordingly, the successful prototype has prompted further efforts to achieve IWCAT's viable incorporation into future IOPC-J tools. In designing the IWCAT software, the program team employed a cognitive systems engineering approach. In general, the decision-centered analysis inherent to this design methodology has extended the state of the art for systems development; specifically, the approach has produced powerful decision support system tools and information management applications that reduce volumes of complex data into tailored, domain-specific displays. These representative displays improve battlespace awareness, enhancing the ability of a warfighting staff and commander both to understand the combat effectiveness of a combined air, space, and information campaign and to rapidly grasp the impact of current operational decisions on mission success and future combat capability. As a result, IWCAT has improved the overall assessment capability of the Air Force Information Operations Center and Information Warfare Flights.