(data is not exhaustive)
History
The concept for a fully connected battlefield information network is not a new one. This concept was the cornerstone of the modernisation process of human militaries during the transition from the early Digital Age to the first stages of the Information Age. During this process, Old Earth militaries developed fully connected information sharing networks for their militaries, dating back as far as the early 21st century.
The Battlenet: Overview
The ATIS Battlenet, including the Battlefield Awareness System (BAS) is the ultimate incarnation of the Aquarian Military's many attempts to create a fully autonomous, networked battlefield information augmented reality system. It consists of several key layers and components that work in harmony to provide the full capability of the system:
Full Unit Networking with multi-level, high-bandwidth communication systems and information transfer, including Radio (Broadwave), Directed (Tightbeam) and QEC (Quantum Entanglement). Dynamic resource allocation with fluid response requiring no fixed setup time for adjusting unit composition in-field. All connected units share all data as per the criteria of the Battlenet instance, including targeting, engagement orders, sensory and other interpretation meta-data.
Per-Unit Battlefield Awareness System with local processing capability for data from local and non-local sensors. Individual Vehicles must have at least basic functionality in the areas of Electronic Warfare, Sensory Data Collection, Analysis and Processing.
Aggregated Battlefield Awareness System with full-network processing capability using data from all non-local sensors and Operational Area Command structures.
Sub-Artificial Intelligence (S-AI) Heuristics analysis processing capability. Data from all available sensors will be combined into a single "perception" of the battlefield after processing by the AI. Heuristics includes "Sanity Check" ('Human Factor') analysis and application of known data to form educated 'guesses' to fill in data-gaps. Probability rating applied, 98%+ standard. Fixed, non-processed data is available to the Field commander in an alternative stream for interpretation independent from the AI depending on the defined criteria of the Battlenet Instance for auxiliary override.
The Battlenet: Instance
A Battlenet Instance is a sub-network of the Battlenet applied to a given Operational Area. It consists of, typically, all units in a Battalion or Company, linked to an Instance in a Sector Command / Operational Area Command processing environment and exposed to the Field Commander of aforementioned Battalion or Company. The instance has a minimum required unit composition as per ATIS IPF / IMC operations Doctrine that can vary depending on the circumstances of the engagement. Typically, most Battalions are composed of Mechanised Infantry, Armoured and Engineering Companies, though most companies have attached Engineering units.
The Battlenet Instance provides a 4-Dimensional (X,Y,Z, Meta) interpretation of the battlefield environment using sensory data from all connected units, including individual Infantry Soldiers (Suit-based BAS integration), allowing the Field Commander and Sector Command an unrestricted view of all battlefield events and providing unparalleled levels of unit co-ordination and automation in a combat scenario.
Each Company operates a further Sub-Network Instance of the Batallion's Battlenet and these are ordered depending on the level of the view instance selected by the Field Commander (Unit-level, Fire-team level, Company Level, Battalion Level, Theatre Level, etc).
Though the Field Commander has absolute authority, the S-AI system is constantly providing advisory data based on its interpretation of the situation, and some functions can be automated as request by the Field Commander or as per the Criteria set by Sector Command.
The Battlenet: Sensory Data Sharing
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Battlenet is the ability to share Sensory Data from all attached units in real time. An inherent advantage of this is the ability to respond to emerging threats very quickly; for example, a single Infantry Soldier makes contact with an unknown force - in a conventional military the soldier might have to radio through what he is seeing to his Company commander. With the Battlenet System, the BAS automatically synchronises his suit's optics and other passive/active sensory data to the Battlenet, which, essentially, uses his suit as its 'eyes and ears'; the soldier need not act in any way other than the orders they were given by the same system, because all the data of the contact establishment is already known to all other units and the Field Commander as per the BAS.
Sensory Data Sharing also significantly increases the versatility of multi-role weapon systems such s the Multi-Purpose Missile System (MPMS) deployed on most ATIS IPF/IMC Ground Vehicles. For example, an Infantry Fighting Vehicle with the MPM-7AG System installed in a Line of Sight (LOS) Anti-Armour Guided Missile capability can have its missiles directed in Over The Horizon (OTH) mode by a connected long-range targeting vehicle (such as the MCV) providing targeting data in real-time. This allows Field Commanders incredible flexibility without having to deploy mixed-units to all Fire Teams or Companies in the Operational Area. A single MCV can provide enough high-resolution targeting data for an entire Company.
If a Unit has contacted an enemy position but lot Visual Contact, but has the weapons required to neutralise threat - but cannot use local targeting data due to an obstruction; however another unit without the weapon required has visual contact - they can remotely operate the weapon on the first unit as if it were their own as per the Battlenet Criteria.
The Battlenet: Blue on Blue Prevention
Due to the interconnected nature of the Battlefield Awareness System, the locations, disposition and status of all friendly connected units is known at all times to all connected units. This effectively prevents Blue on Blue (Friendly Fire) incidences due to the nature of smart-weapon systems arming and/or fusing systems based on integration to the BAS. For example, many weapons will refuse to accept a targeting lock if that lock has a high probability of causing serious damage to a friendly unit.
There are exceptions to this lock-out which are handled by the S-AI Heuristics systems, however. For example, in a situation where a small friendly loss due to Blue on Blue would prevent a catastrophic defeat or even greater friendly loss from an enemy action - and the AI system is in full agreement, Blue on Blue can be "permitted" but with mitigation adjustments to cause minimal damage to friendly units. This underscores the importance of the S-AI Heuristics system and its ability to "think as a human would" or, as some describe it, using "Gut Instincts" in battle.
The System also effectively filters out 'false positives' for Blue on Blue such as those that might occur with friendly forces in the Line of Sight, but unlikely to be impacted that might confuse a simpler system with depth analysis or overlay topographics (I/e, conditional checks for friendly units within the targeting zone).
The Battlenet: IPF Specialised Units
The Imperial Planetary Forces has a variety of specialised units that are designed to augment the Battlenet and all Connected units in a multitude of ways.
Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV) - based on the T-4406 Minotaur IFV chassis, the MCV carries a powerful directed MLADAR Multi-Spectrum Active Sensor Array (i.e, X-Ray Pulse) capable of penetrating physical objects in order to achieve detailed targeting telemetry. Furthermore, the MCV carries a ground-optimised PARALAX array with passive radiological detection with AI-accelerated charged particle directional analysis on a rotational mount that extends above the vehicle. The PARALAX array allows the MCV to provide extremely sensitive detection, early warning and passive targeting telemetry to all connected units.
MMS (Mobile Missile System) - also based on the T_4406 Minotaur IFV chassis, the MMS provides the Battlenet instance with a long-range, multi-role, high-volume missile platform utilising the versatile MPM-7(AG) platform. MMS also carries a lower-power PARALAX array and directed MLADAR MSASA with X-Ray pulsing like the MCV, for detailed targeting data. A single connected MMS can deploy up to 16 MPM-7AG missiles to at least 16 independent targets at the request of any connected unit, in a single salvo.