*Military Factors Influencing Path Planning DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86421*

*Path Planning for Autonomous Vehicles - Ensuring Reliable Driverless Navigation...*

The autonomous vehicle missions can include:

• Route, area, object and zone reconnaissance,

○ Combat search and rescue (C-SAR),

○ Battle damage assessment (BDA),

○ Situation awareness (SA) development,

○ Intelligent preparation of battlefield (IPB),

○ Target acquisition (TA),

○ Electronic warfare (EW),

○ Mine and chemical detection,

○ Material and munition resupply,

in vehicles or covered in shelters or in buildings.

in swarming collaboration (dozens of vehicles).

○ Communications relay,

○ Weather surveillance,

○ Casualty evacuation.

**4. Opposite force**

○ Mine cleaning,

○ Rear area security,

• Surveillance of named areas of interest (NAIs),

to support units.

support (CIFS),

• Support to:

are unavailable or excessive risk or other conditions render use of manned vehicles less than deliberate. The autonomous vehicles can conduct day and night operations

• Adjusting indirect fire weapons, close air support (CAS), and close-in fire

In case of that autonomous vehicle is equipped by a weapon system (considered as a combat vehicle) it can fulfill combat missions to destroy enemy in open terrain,

Special consideration for mission planning is if autonomous vehicle act independently (alone) or act in cooperation with other vehicle or with units (soldiers) or act

The basic factor in the use of the autonomous vehicle will be the possibility of a conflict with the enemy. This factor is based on all other factors and, in particular, on autonomous vehicle technology. In the case of a high probability of a conflict with the enemy it will put demands on the protection of the autonomous vehicle,

**14**

weapon system, observation systems and autonomous vehicle cloaking. The enemy's factor will further affect the mobility and speed of the autonomous vehicle, which also affects its navigation on the battlefield.

Factors affecting autonomous vehicle movement within conflict with the enemy:

