Game Theory And War (Attacking Time Critical Targets [TCTs] )
The greatest foundational concept so far analyzed in our course is Game Theory.
As discussed in Game Theory: A “Game” is any circumstance in which there are decision-makers, and each of them needs to optimize their outcomes.The optimizing choice will depend on the choices of the others. Game Theory endeavors to characterize these circumstances in numerical terms, and decide what would happen in case each player acts normally. Possibly a balance can be come to (why we all drive on the same side of the street inside a nation). Perhaps this balance will be more awful for all players (why individuals litter or contaminate common assets), or maybe everyone will try to be as unpredictable as possible in their actions: something Game Theory tackles in real life with War (TCTs) scenarios.
War: one of the most important fields our nation commits to. Military leaders generally consider how much capability they need to destroy enemy forces while planning operations against time-critical targets (TCTs). They do, however, also take into account how their tactics may influence the enemy’s behavior. TCT missions include strikes against theater ballistic missiles, interception of moving forces, and suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) (TBMs). In many cases, preventing an enemy from firing surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), moving his troops, or launching TBMs is a good short-term substitute for physically destroying an opposing system.
A study by RAND Project AG, explains the use of game theory in war-like initiations. In order to simulate human decision-making in competitive contexts, game theory uses mathematics; It shows a realistic situation in which both sides are free to select their best “moves” and to modify their strategy over time, it is perfectly suited for assessing military circumstances.
Game theoretic analysis can be used by military planners to apply these ideas to TCT operations such as identifying the tactical choices each side has. For example, the attacker can decide whether to fly a striking aircraft or a SEAD aircraft, for instance, in a straightforward SEAD operation. The defender has the option of turning on or off SAMs. Further it can give each potential result a numerical value: By evaluating the probable gain or loss of an exchange, analysts serve as the commanders’ eyes and ears in the field. These figures correspond to measures made in the real world, such as a weapon system’s power and the likelihood of hitting a target. These types of insights assist military strategists in determining the level of capacity necessary to get the best results for their side with the wonders of Game Theory.
Resource:
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB108.html#:~:text=Game%20theory%20uses%20mathematics%20to,adjust%20their%20strategy%20over%20time.