Incorporation of physical fitness in a tactical infantry simulation

Abstract

While physical fitness is generally accepted to influence the outcome on the battlefield, it is currently not incorporated into tactical infantry simulations. Infantry soldiers are modeled with equal physical capabilities representing the average of soldiers on the field. However, humans have varying physical capabilities. This research asked the question ‘Does modeling human physical capabilities have an impact upon the tactical success of operations in a simulation?’ Physical fitness data and rushing times were collected, as rushing is a battlefield task influenced by physical fitness. Two scenarios, a helicopter extraction of a squad and rushing for cover in an attempt to throw a grenade, were implemented in agent-based simulations to demonstrate the effect of rushing speed upon the outcome of a tactical infantry scenario. These scenarios used experimentally obtained rushing velocities as input and were compared to real world scenarios to ensure plausibility. In both simulations rushing speed significantly affected the probability of survival of the individual soldier and the probability of success for the mission (i.e. scenario). Therefore, individual rushing speed should be included as a viable input parameter for infantry simulations, as it can affect the outcome of tactical simulation scenarios.

Critical Velocity Is Associated With Combat-Specific Performance Measures in a Special Forces Unit

“…The requirements of a tactical athlete to successfully complete combat specific tasks have been suggested to include high levels of both aerobic and anaerobic capacity, speed, strength, power, and a high level of cognitive and reactive awareness (Nindl et al, 2002;Kraemer et al, 2004;Sporis et al, 2012;Heinrich et al, 2012). The physical requirements for these operational tasks can be focused on the approach to the battlefield (e.g., marching or running with or without heavy loads across various terrains) and on combat specificity (e.g., repeated sprints from area of cover to cover, dragging or carrying wounded to safety, crawling, lifting, pulling, climbing, jumping and lunging (Bacthelor et al, 2008;Hendrickson et al, 2010;Heinrich et al, 2012;Spiering et al, 2012;Blount et al, 2013;Hoffman et al, 2014). In military operations, loss of physical capacity may decrease survivability for the combat operative (Thorlund et al, 2010).…”

“…Tactical engagement in the modern battlefield, especially within the close quarters and complex infrastructure of urban terrain, requires a high level of physical fitness and alertness (Blount et al, 2013). Evaluating the soldier's physical capability to perform and sustain such activity would appear necessary to properly prepare and select appropriate personnel.…”

“…Specifically, research has focused on predicting operational success and readiness by developing simulated operational tests that measure the physical limits of the soldier. As such, some studies have examined the relationships between physical fitness tests and actual performance on the battlefield (Nindl et al, 2002;Hendrickson et al, 2010;Heinrich et al, 2012;Blount et al, 2013), while others have analyzed the effectiveness of the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) compared to combat specific tasks (Batchelor et al, 2008;Cuddy et al, 2011;Heinrich et al, 2012;Spiering et al, 2012). In light of this, the US Army is in the process of evaluating a new soldier readiness assessment called the Army Combat Readiness Test (ACRT), which will focus more on combat specific tasks (running speed, victim rescue, load carrying and lifting, mobility, agility, balance etc.)…”

“…Most western militaries, including the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and American military utilize standard physical fitness tests such as the number of push-ups, number of sit-ups, body mass index and the time to complete a distance run to assess soldier fitness (Knapik et al, 1990;Knapik et al, 2005;Knapik et al, 2009;Cuddy et al, 2011;Blount et al, 2013). These physical assessments provide a measure of the health and fitness of the soldier, but they have not been validated for predicting operational success.…”

“…Current physical assessments employed by most western militaries however, fail to evaluate the totality of physical demands and stressors, which together are vital for success in the combat environment. For example, high intensity activities such as sprinting across wide streets, climbing stairwells, carrying fallen comrades, wall climbs, engaging in 3-5 second "rush" sprinting are anaerobic demands that have been observed in both rural and urban environments (Heinrich et al, 2012;Blount et al, 2013) but are not assessed in any of the basic military assessments.…”