The provided text outlines Mosaic warfare, a strategic concept developed by DARPA that emphasizes assembling individual, low-cost warfighting platforms into flexible, resilient force packages. To evaluate this approach, the RAND Corporation conducted case studies on the human immune system and the U.S. Navy’s NIFC-CA project. The biological analysis compares immune responses to military kill chains, noting that a decentralized, diverse system offers superior adaptability and redundancy against evolving threats. Meanwhile, the Navy case study highlights the importance of incremental integration and a “willingness to fail” during the testing of complex, multi-platform networks. Ultimately, the report recommends that the military prioritize distributed command-and-control algorithms and rapid manufacturing to transition toward this modular style of combat. These sources suggest that shifting away from expensive, monolithic platforms toward fractionated, heterogeneous assets will enhance national defense.
The primary recommendations for implementing Mosaic warfare, as outlined in the sources, are categorized into programmatic, research and development (R&D), and test and evaluation (T&E) strategies.
Programmatic Recommendations
- Identify Pathfinder Programs and Exemplar Vignettes: Use specific, well-defined scenarios and initial programs to develop and demonstrate the Mosaic warfare architecture, including establishing standards for data structures and communication early.
- Structure as a Project with “Pillar” Programs: Rather than a formal program of record, Mosaic warfare should be an integration project that leverages existing, redundant “pillar” programs. This structure allows the initiative to survive budget cycles and the potential cancellation of individual component programs.
Research and Development Recommendations
- Robust Data Sharing and Distributed Processing: Develop AI/ML algorithms capable of automatically sharing relevant data and designing responses based on observed adversary capabilities across large networks.
- Low-Cost Rapid Manufacturing: Focus on reducing the cost of individual platforms and payloads to support the inherently redundant and “swarming” nature of the Mosaic concept.
- Distributed Manufacturing: Mature additive manufacturing technologies to allow the construction of platforms and payloads close to the battlefield where they are needed.
- Automated Command and Control (C2): Develop distributed C2 algorithms that can translate high-level commands into individual platform actions and adapt to changing environments.
Test and Evaluation Recommendations
- Leverage Pillar Program Testing: Rely on the testing infrastructure and exercises of component programs for early opportunities, treating test failures as scientific learning opportunities rather than project setbacks.
- Develop Strategies for Adaptable Systems: Create new approaches to test and validate AI/ML and other adaptable programs to ensure they perform within acceptable parameters.
- Test for Resilience: Explicitly conduct experiments and simulations that involve the random failure or compromise of component systems to determine the robustness of the overall Mosaic architecture.
