| This dissertation has two research objectives. The first is to design and develop a command, control, communication and intelligence system for the Air Force Satellite Control Network. The second is to develop a computer simulation of the satellite operations in Mission Control Complex-2 as a demonstration of the modeling that should be done by the 2d Space Wing. First, Stafford Beer's Viable System Model will be applied to develop an infrastructure for a command, control, communication and intelligence system for the Air Force Satellite Control Network. Second, the discrete event Simulation Language for Alternative Modeling will be used to construct the plant model of Mission Control Complex-2. The Commander of the 2d Space Wing is the executive manager of the Air Force Satellite Control Network. Five days out of the week individual units report to the Commander the number of and reason for failed and lost satellite supports. Also, members of the Commander's staff brief him on the status of the Satellite Control Network. In addition, each month individual units of the 2d Space Wing report to the Commander their performance in terms of lost and failed supports for personnel errors, procedure errors, hardware failures and software failures. This reporting occurs in a forum called the "trends briefing." From an overall command and control perspective, there are four problems that the researcher perceives to exist. First, the scope of the 2d Space Wing is not the same as the Air Force Satellite Control Network; therefore, there is split allegiance in terms of defining a unity of command for the Air Force Satellite Control Network. Second, there is not a common agreement on the definition of the Air Force Satellite Control Network; therefore, there is a lack of unified management control. Third, there are no measures of performance in place to effectively manage the mission control centers; therefore, the validity of the current information system is questionable as to its intended purpose. Finally, there is not a dedicated long range planning organization, for the Air Force Satellite Control Network, within the 2d Space Wing; therefore, there exists the lack of unified long range planning. |
