Deploying tactical fusion systems: the challenges

Although fusion tools have successfully been applied to a wide variety of problem domains, fusion research has failed to produce systems that can support the needs of the commanders of land based military operations, especially those that involve operations other than war. The paper explores the reasons for this failure to date, summarising the lessons of recent operations and relevant NATO research, and shows that even the apparently simple task of training fusion system users can impose significant technical challenges. The paper concludes by suggesting an agenda for further research based on the development of human-in-the-loop systems consisting of appropriate decision support tools embedded in a wider application framework.