**1. Introduction**

Within last decade the utilization of autonomous vehicles during waged military operations significantly increased in importance. The main factor of their utilization was protection and safe lives of own soldiers or contributors. This trend will surely continue and become relevant in the future as well.

In military operations the decision support systems for utilization of autonomous vehicles have become an integral part of the commander's decision-making process [1]. One of the models of autonomous vehicles are Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) mainly utilize for reconnaissance which is the part of the Tactical Decision Support Systems (TDSS) developed at University of Defence, Czech Republic [2]. This system aims at supporting commanders of the Czech Army with their Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP). More detailed information about the integration of TDSS into commander's Troop Leading Procedures (TLP) can be found in [3]. Reconnaissance is one of the crucial parts of intelligence support. Intelligence support is the one of the essential part of MDMP to find a solution for a specific problem allowing to fulfil the assigned mission. It consists of models of military tactics. Each model can solve the corresponding task.

One of many important models in military tactics is the optimal cooperative reconnaissance which is a problem when an area of interest needs to be searched (observed) by multiple military elements (scouts, UAVs, UGVs) as quickly as possible [4].

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

**Figure 1.**

*Military domains in operational environment.*

#### **Figure 2.**

*Categories of factors-steps for consideration and planning.*

The operational environment1 generally consists of factors and conditions that must be understood to successfully apply military capabilities protect the force and complete the mission. It influences the completion of a single mission as well as an entire campaign and its constituent elements [5]. The operational environment includes the sea, land, air and space, the enemy, neutral, friendly and other actors, facilities, weather, terrain, electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) CBRN threats and hazards, and the information environment (e.g., **Figure 1**).

The operational environment of the armed conflicts was, is and will be very diverse and it is involving many aspects. The armed forces must be able to perform a wide range of tactical activities in different domains as Land, Air, Sea, Cosmic and Cyber [5].

Both (all) fighting parties will strive to achieve their goals in the most effective way, including minimizing their loss of life and deployed resources. One of the ways to minimize the loss of lives is the utilization of modern technical means-as autonomous vehicles could be.

Nowadays the predominant domain where fighting parties operate by soldiers is Land. But the most significant domain to gain domination by forces is Air. The multiplier of requested armed forces capabilities to effectively operate in each domain is electromagnetic spectrum.

Focusing on solving issues the Land domain is the most demanding for autonomous vehicles path planning. For ground autonomous vehicles path planning

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

planned activities after the move is over.

(terrain, weather, temperature, visibility, etc.).

**2. Capability of autonomous vehicles**

capability, evaluate four basic parameters:

1. combat power/special purpose ability,

2.protection (if applicable) of the crew (subsystems),

appropriate sensors and devices for special sub-tasks.

control selected functions and their interdependence.

planning.

3.mobility,

4. signal and command.

influencing its movement.

is possible to apply the analogical approaches as for military units movement

to point in order to create conditions for and to be capable carry out particular

Movement can be understood in broad terms as relocating someone from point

There has to be considered amount of factors that affect the move and the goals set for it (e.g., **Figure 2**). The first step in movement consideration is capability (parameters, technical data) of the autonomous vehicle itself, the second step is the autonomous vehicles mission (recce, destroy, cooperate, transport, refuel, etc.), the third step is opposite acting force and the last step is complexity of environment

Most modern armies, assessing, in particular, combat vehicles and its combat

The utilization of autonomous vehicles for military purposes can be considered in two basic missions, as lethal or non-lethal assets. Within both types of mission the opposite side tries to eliminate autonomous vehicle or to capture it. For development of autonomous vehicle to be used by military purpose should be considered the same approach as for development of the combat vehicles operated by soldiers. The parameters of autonomous vehicles have to meet maximum of factors which are

According to author's long-life military experiences and deep and comprehensive analysis of the facts in the Army of the Czech Republic Lessons Learned Databases [6] the capabilities of autonomous vehicles can be considered in following ways.

**The combat power** of the autonomous vehicle will consist of the ability to meet the desired goal. This goal can be "only" to carry out monitoring and to find out the required information about the enemy, the task environment and their transfer to appropriate locations, detect the presence of undesirable substances in the area of operation, and warn troops about the presence of such substances until possible destruction of the enemy and its objects. Autonomous vehicle will be equipped with

It is necessary to consider the degree of autonomy of the resource for the **issue of protecting** the crew of an autonomous vehicle. Fully autonomous vehicle will be equipped with an artificial intelligence that will enable him to perform the task without any human intervention (collaboration), from his deployment to the fulfilment of the task, including eventual return to assigned assembly area. Partial autonomy may consist in the necessity or only the possibility of intervening in the selected phases of the autonomous vehicle implementation by the operator. The operator may, depending on the specific conditions on the battlefield and their change over the autonomous vehicle deployment planning phase, correct and

<sup>1</sup> According to Allied Administrative Publication 6 (AAP-6) the operational environment is defined as: *A composite of the conditions, circumstances and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander.*

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

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

**10**

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 1.**

Cyber [5].

mous vehicles could be.

electromagnetic spectrum.

*the decisions of the commander.*

*Categories of factors-steps for consideration and planning.*

hazards, and the information environment (e.g., **Figure 1**).

generally consists of factors and conditions that

must be understood to successfully apply military capabilities protect the force and complete the mission. It influences the completion of a single mission as well as an entire campaign and its constituent elements [5]. The operational environment includes the sea, land, air and space, the enemy, neutral, friendly and other actors, facilities, weather, terrain, electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) CBRN threats and

The operational environment of the armed conflicts was, is and will be very diverse and it is involving many aspects. The armed forces must be able to perform a wide range of tactical activities in different domains as Land, Air, Sea, Cosmic and

Both (all) fighting parties will strive to achieve their goals in the most effective way, including minimizing their loss of life and deployed resources. One of the ways to minimize the loss of lives is the utilization of modern technical means-as autono-

Nowadays the predominant domain where fighting parties operate by soldiers is Land. But the most significant domain to gain domination by forces is Air. The multiplier of requested armed forces capabilities to effectively operate in each domain is

Focusing on solving issues the Land domain is the most demanding for autono-

<sup>1</sup> According to Allied Administrative Publication 6 (AAP-6) the operational environment is defined as: *A composite of the conditions, circumstances and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on* 

mous vehicles path planning. For ground autonomous vehicles path planning

The operational environment1

*Military domains in operational environment.*

is possible to apply the analogical approaches as for military units movement planning.

Movement can be understood in broad terms as relocating someone from point to point in order to create conditions for and to be capable carry out particular planned activities after the move is over.

There has to be considered amount of factors that affect the move and the goals set for it (e.g., **Figure 2**). The first step in movement consideration is capability (parameters, technical data) of the autonomous vehicle itself, the second step is the autonomous vehicles mission (recce, destroy, cooperate, transport, refuel, etc.), the third step is opposite acting force and the last step is complexity of environment (terrain, weather, temperature, visibility, etc.).
