CAPABILITY NEEDS
ASSESSMENT GUIDE

LASS TECH CONSULTING · DEFENCE TRAINING DIVISION · CAPABILITY PLANNING MODULE

RESTRICTED — TRAINING USE

REV 1.0 · CNAG-001

01 · Foundations of Capability Needs Assessment

What This Guide Covers This guide trains defence personnel to design, complete, and aggregate modular Capability Needs Assessment forms that feed multi-level planning dashboards. Forms are capability-centric — they describe operational effects and performance gaps, not platforms or manufacturers. The output enables statistically robust, cross-command investment prioritisation.

The Core Shift: Platform → Capability

Traditional procurement forms ask "What platform do you need?" — creating vendor lock-in and preventing cross-domain comparison. Capability-centric forms ask "What effect must you achieve?"

Platform-Centric (Old)	Capability-Centric (New)
"We need 6 × F-16s"	"We need persistent air-to-surface strike within 800 km, CEP < 5 m, all-weather"
"Request 3 × P-8 Poseidon"	"Maritime ISR gap: 200 nm² / day, ASW detection range 50 km, endurance > 10 hr"
"Need AN/TPY-2 radar"	"BMD early warning: track 200 simultaneous objects at 2000 km, 3-second update rate"
"Procurement of Patriot PAC-3"	"A2/AD layer: Pk > 0.85 vs TBM, altitude 0–30 km, 360° coverage, autonomous engagement"

❌ FORM REJECTION TRIGGERAny manufacturer name, platform designation, or model number appearing in Section B will cause automatic form rejection by the aggregation engine. Forms must describe effects, not equipment.

Five Pillars of Form Design

①

MODULARITY

A mandatory core (Sections A–D) plus interchangeable domain modules. Aggregation engine handles missing modules gracefully — compare only what is populated.

②

MACHINE-READABILITY

Every submission emits a JSON record alongside the human-readable form. Schema is domain-invariant — any module attaches to the same envelope.

③

AGGREGATABILITY

Forms are designed with roll-up in mind: numeric fields use standardised units, taxonomies are hierarchical, priority scores are additive across units.

④

STATISTICAL VALIDITY

Sample size, confidence intervals, and geographic/functional distribution are tracked. Dashboards flag statistically insufficient samples before surfacing recommendations.

⑤

LIFECYCLE ALIGNMENT

Every capability gap is tagged with Required In Service Date and Urgency Band so planners can sequence investment across short (1–3yr), mid (4–7yr), and long (8–15yr) horizons.

Five-Level Aggregation Architecture

Forms submitted at L1 roll up through the hierarchy. Each level adds analytical value — deduplication, weighting, conflict detection — before passing to the next. Click a level to see its role.

L5 · MoD / NATIONAL
Strategic Investment

L4 · SERVICE / BRANCH
Capability Portfolio

L3 · COMMAND / THEATRE
Operational Gap Analysis

L2 · FORMATION / BRIGADE
Consolidated Submission

L1 · UNIT / SQUADRON
Primary Submission

Survey Lifecycle

01 SURVEY OPEN
Cycle announced

02 L1 SUBMISSION
Units complete forms

03 L2 VALIDATION
Formation review

04 L3 ANALYSIS
Command gap map

05 L4–L5 STRATEGY
Investment planning

Equipment Domain Taxonomy

Forms are tagged to one primary domain. Cross-domain capabilities (e.g. Space-based ISR) select both tags and trigger cross-domain deconfliction at L3+.

✈️AIRFixed-wing, rotary, MALE/HALE UAV, tanker, AEW&C, EW aircraft

🪖LANDArmour, artillery, manoeuvre, engineering, protection, C2 vehicles

⚓MARITIMESurface combatants, submarines, patrol, mine warfare, amphibious

🛰️SPACEISR satellites, PNT augmentation, space surveillance, launch

💻CYBER/EWSpectrum operations, cyber effects, SIGINT, COMINT, electronic protection

🔗JOINT / C2Data links, C2 architecture, JADC2, logistics networks, AI decision support

02 · Form Architecture — Sections A through D

Mandatory Core — All SubmissionsSections A–D are mandatory for every CNA form, regardless of domain. They provide the aggregation envelope into which any domain module attaches. Every field has a defined data type, validation rule, and aggregation behaviour. Section D priority score is the primary cross-unit ranking metric at all levels.

Section A · Identity & Provenance

A — Unit Identity & Submission Metadata

Section A establishes chain of custody and aggregation routing. Fields A.5–A.8 are system-generated and immutable. The UUID links all amendments back to the original submission. Officers must confirm A.3–A.4 before proceeding — misrouting adds a full review cycle.

A.1 Unit Identifier [NATO designation / national equivalent]

Format: UNIT / SERVICE / BASE — e.g. "2 REGT RA / BA / TIDWORTH" or "CNS-7 / RN / PORTSMOUTH"

A.2 Parent Formation [immediate superior HQ]

A.3 Aggregation Level ★ VALIDATE BEFORE PROCEEDING

A.4 Primary Domain ★ VALIDATE BEFORE PROCEEDING

A.5 Secondary Domain [if cross-domain capability]

Cross-domain tag triggers deconfliction review at L3. Example: SPACE primary + AIR secondary for airborne relay of space data.

A.6 Assessment Cycle [annual or supplementary]

A.7 Submission Type

AMEND and WITHDRAW require the original UUID in field A.9. Amendments overwrite; withdrawals are flagged but retained for audit.

A.8 Submitting Officer — Rank & Name

A.9 Authorising Officer — Rank & Name [CO or delegated authority]

A.10 Submission UUID [auto-generated — immutable]

A.11 Parent UUID [if AMEND / WITHDRAW]

A.12 Digital Signature Hash [auto — SHA-256]

✓ VALIDATION RULES — SECTION A A.3 and A.4 are routing keys: an incorrect level routes the form to the wrong aggregation node. An incorrect domain excludes the submission from the correct capability cluster. Both trigger manual review and delay inclusion by one processing cycle (typically 5 working days). Field A.9 authorisation is mandatory — unsigned submissions are held in quarantine until countersigned.

Section B · Capability Statement

B — Capability Gap Description & Performance Parameters

Section B is the substantive core of the CNA form. It must describe what operational effect is needed and quantify the gap between current and required performance. Every numeric parameter in B.5 feeds directly into statistical gap analysis at L3+. Vague or qualitative-only submissions are downgraded to P4 regardless of Section D score.

B.1 Capability Area [primary taxonomy node]

B.2 Capability Sub-Area [second taxonomy level]

Sub-area drives which statistical peer group this submission joins at aggregation. Misclassification causes false gap inflation in one area and undercounting in another.

B.3 Primary Operating Environment

B.4 Secondary Operating Environment [if dual-environment]

B.5 Threat Environment Classification

Threat environment determines which performance parameters are mandatory in B.6. CONTESTED submissions must complete all parameters; PERMISSIVE may leave EW-related fields blank.

B.6 PLAIN-LANGUAGE EFFECT STATEMENT MAX 250 WORDS — NO PLATFORM NAMES

❌ PROHIBITED IN B.6 — AUTO-REJECTION TRIGGERS Platform names (F-35, Typhoon, Predator, MQ-9), manufacturer names (Lockheed, Thales, Leonardo, MBDA, Raytheon), model numbers, NATO stock numbers, or any designation traceable to a specific procurement solution. The AI ingest scanner flags any string matching the prohibited entities database. Rejected forms are returned with flagged terms highlighted — the submitting officer has 5 working days to resubmit before the cycle closes.

B.7 — PERFORMANCE PARAMETER GAP MATRIX Complete all parameters relevant to B.1 capability area. Leave blank only if parameter is genuinely not applicable.

Parameter	Unit	Measurement Method	Gap Severity
Detection / Surveillance Range	km	Manufacturer test / operational trial	CL4
Ground Resolution / GSD	m	NIIRS rating / lab calibration target	CL4
Track Update Rate	sec	Data timestamp delta, operational trial	CL4
Data Latency (collect to exploit)	min	End-to-end pipeline timer, exercise log	CL3
Area Coverage Rate	km²/hr	Sensor FOV × platform speed, documented	CL4
All-Weather / Night Capability	—	Operational trial in degraded conditions	CL4
GPS-Denied Performance	—	EW jamming trial, documented endurance	CL3
Platform Availability / Readiness	% per 30 days	SQMS / maintenance log, 12-month average	CL3
Data Link / Connectivity	Mbps	Network throughput test, field measurement	CL2
Survivability / Signature	—	RCS measurement, thermal signature test	CL1

Gap Severity: CL1 — MINORCL2 — MODERATECL3 — MAJORCL4 — CRITICAL

CL4 in any single parameter = automatic P2 floor regardless of Section D score

B.8 — CURRENT MITIGATIONS & WORKAROUNDS

Interim mitigation currently in place (if any)

Mitigation adequacy & risk accepted Risk owner (appointment, not name)

B.9 — LINKED OPERATIONS & EXERCISES

Named operation / exercise where gap was observed

After-Action Report / Lessons reference

Gap confirmed by J2 / intelligence assessment?

Section C · Quantity, Timeline & Resource Context

C — Capability Units, Timelines & Funding Context

Quantities are expressed as Capability Units (CU), not platform counts. One CU is the minimum quantity of capability required to achieve the stated effect in B.6 for one operational period. Define what constitutes 1 CU in field C.1 — this definition is binding for aggregation.

C.1 — CAPABILITY UNIT DEFINITION MANDATORY — BINDING FOR AGGREGATION

C.2 Current CU Available

C.3 CU Required — Threshold [minimum operationally acceptable]

C.4 CU Required — Objective [full operational effectiveness]

C.5 CU Gap (auto-calculated) [= C.3 − C.2]

C.6 Geographic Scope of Requirement

Expressed as named AOR, grid reference, or lat/long bounding box. Required for geographic gap-mapping at L3.

C.7 Required In Service Date (RISD) — Threshold

C.8 Required In Service Date — Objective

C.9 Urgency Band

⚠ BAND A ESCALATION RULEBand A submissions are automatically escalated to L3 within 24 hours of validation, bypassing normal L2 consolidation cycle. Submitting officer must attach a signed operational risk statement (ORS) from CO or above.

C.10 Indicative Whole-Life Cost Band [for L4/L5 planning only — not binding]

C.11 Existing Budget Line? [if known]

C.12 Interoperability Requirement

Section D · Priority Assessment & Risk Statement

D — Priority Scoring, Mission Linkage & Commander's Risk Statement

The priority score is the primary cross-unit ranking metric. Score = Urgency × Criticality (1–25). Aggregation weights by affected personnel. Fields D.4–D.6 provide qualitative context that L3+ planners use to validate quantitative scores. A mismatch between a P1 score and a "LOW" mission impact narrative triggers a review flag.

D.1 URGENCY — How time-critical is this gap? (Based on operational calendar, threat timeline, or treaty obligation)

1
Routine2
Desirable3
Important4
Urgent5
Critical

D.2 CRITICALITY — Mission impact if this gap remains unresolved at RISD?

1
Marginal2
Moderate3
Significant4
Severe5
Mission Failure

D.3 Affected Personnel (headcount)

Include all personnel whose operational effectiveness is degraded by this gap — not just those who would directly operate the solution.

D.4 Affected Platforms / Systems (count & type)

PRIORITY SCORE

P1 — HIGHEST PRIORITY

P1 — 20–25Immediate action required

P2 — 13–19Programme priority

P3 — 6–12Planned enhancement

P4 — 1–5Desirable improvement

CL4 in any B.7 parameter
= automatic P2 floor

D.5 MISSION LINKAGE Link gap to named operations / tasks

D.6 COMMANDER'S RISK STATEMENT CO signature required for P1

JSON Output Schema — Complete CNA Form Envelope

// Full CNA-2.1 submission record including all Section A–D fields
{
  "schema_version": "CNA-2.1",
  "uuid": "CNA-2025-8A3F-C912-D447",
  "submitted_at": "2025-09-15T09:42:11Z",
  "section_a": {
    "unit_id": "1SQN/RSAF/KFAB", "parent_formation": "7DIV/RSAF/PSAB",
    "agg_level": 1, "domain_primary": "AIR", "domain_secondary": null,
    "cycle": "ANN-2025", "submission_type": "NEW",
    "submitting_officer": "WG CDR Al-Rashidi M.S.", "authorising_officer": "GRP CAPT Qahtani F.A."
  },
  "section_b": {
    "capability_area": "ISR", "sub_area": "ISR-PERSISTENT",
    "environment_primary": "LITTORAL", "threat_env": "CONTESTED",
    "effect_statement": "[250-word plain language, no platform names]",
    "gap_matrix": [
      { "parameter": "detection_range_km", "unit": "km", "current": 40, "threshold": 150, "objective": 250, "severity": "CL4", "measure_method": "op_trial" },
      { "parameter": "gsd_m", "unit": "m", "current": 2.5, "threshold": 0.5, "objective": 0.25, "severity": "CL4", "measure_method": "niirs" }
    ],
    "mitigation_in_place": "Coalition maritime patrol 3×/week", "mitigation_adequacy": "PARTIAL",
    "linked_operation": "Op SENTINEL / Ex IRON FALCON 24", "aar_reference": "AAR-7DIV-2024-ISR-003"
  },
  "section_c": {
    "cu_definition": "1 CU = 1 × 24-hr orbit, ≥3000 km²/hr, ≤0.5m GSD, ≤5min latency",
    "cu_available": 0.5, "cu_threshold": 3, "cu_objective": 5, "cu_gap": 2.5,
    "risd_threshold": "2027-Q3", "risd_objective": "2027-Q1", "urgency_band": "B",
    "cost_band": "250M-1B", "budget_status": "UNFUNDED", "interop": "GCC"
  },
  "section_d": {
    "urgency": 4, "criticality": 5, "priority_score": 20, "priority_band": "P1",
    "affected_personnel": 850, "affected_platforms": "18 × ISR aircraft, 3 × GES nodes",
    "mission_linkage": "Op SENTINEL — 85% coverage req, current 23%",
    "co_risk_statement": "HIGH risk accepted — coalition mitigation unsustainable beyond Q4 2025"
  },
  "modules": { /* ISR-SENSOR, EW-COMMS, etc — see Tab 03 */ }
}

03 · Domain Module Library

Optional But StructuredDomain modules attach to the Section A–D envelope. Each module is optional — forms without a module are still valid but provide less detail for analysis. Modules define standardised numeric fields, enabling cross-unit statistical comparison within each capability area.

📡 ISR-SENSOR AIRSPACE ▼

Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance sensor parameters. Covers airborne and space-based multi-mode sensor requirements including EO/IR, SAR, GMTI, and multi-INT fusion.

S.01 Primary Sensor Modality

S.02 Required Ground Sample Distance (GSD)

S.03 Area Coverage Rate (km²/hr)

S.04 Revisit Rate (for persistent ISR)

S.05 Data Latency (collection to exploitation)

S.06 GPS-Denied Operation Required?

S.07 Onboard AI Cueing/Target ID Required?

"isr_sensor": { "modality": "SAR", "gsd_m": 0.3, "acr_km2h": 5000, "revisit": "<15min", "latency_min": 5, "gps_denied": "full", "ai_cueing": "strike" }

💥 FIRES-LR AIRLANDMARITIME ▼

Long-range precision fires and strike parameters. Domain-agnostic — applies to air-launched, land-based artillery/rocket, and naval gun/missile fires.

F.01 Maximum Range (km)

F.02 Circular Error Probable (CEP)

F.03 Target Category

F.04 All-Weather Requirement

F.05 Guidance Mode

F.06 Salvo / Magazine Depth Required

"fires_lr": { "range_km": 500, "cep_m": 3, "target": "moving", "all_weather": "full", "guidance": "GPS+seeker", "salvo": 24 }

📻 EW-COMMS CYBER/EWAIR ▼

Electronic Warfare and communications spectrum parameters, covering Electronic Attack (EA), Electronic Support (ES), and Electronic Protection (EP). Also captures tactical data link and crypto requirements.

E.01 EW Functions Required

E.02 Frequency Coverage

E.03 Jamming Power (ERP, dBW)

E.04 LPI / LPD Required?

E.05 Crypto Standard

E.06 Tactical Data Link Required

"ew_comms": { "functions": "EA+ES+EP", "freq_ghz": [0.003, 40], "erp_dbw": 40, "lpi_lpd": "both", "crypto": "CNSA2", "tdl": "Link16" }

🛡️ AD-AMD AIRLANDMARITIME ▼

Air Defence and Anti-Missile Defence layered system parameters. Covers threat envelopes, engagement kinematics, and battle management integration.

A.01 Threat Category to Defend Against

A.02 Engagement Range (km)

A.03 Engagement Altitude (km)

A.04 Probability of Kill (Pk) Required

A.05 Simultaneous Track Capacity

A.06 Autonomous Engagement Authority

"ad_amd": { "threat": "TBM", "range_km": [40,100], "alt_km": [0.1,30], "pk": 0.85, "tracks": 200, "autonomy": "semi" }

🚁 UAS-CUAS AIRLANDMARITIME ▼

UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) and Counter-UAS parameters. Two linked sections — complete UAS requirements OR C-UAS requirements (or both if organic C-UAS is part of the UAS system).

UAS Requirements

U.01 UAS Class

U.02 Endurance (hours)

U.03 Operational Altitude (ft AMSL)

Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Requirements

U.04 C-UAS D3I Requirement

U.05 Detection Range (km)

U.06 Defeat Method

"uas_cuas": { "class": "HALE", "endurance_hr": 40, "alt_ft": [40000,65000], "d3i": "full", "detect_km": 10, "defeat": "hybrid" }

🛰️ SPACE-ISR SPACE ▼

Space-based ISR and Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT) augmentation parameters. Covers LEO/MEO/GEO requirements, constellation sizing, and ground segment integration.

SP.01 Orbit Type Required

SP.02 Revisit Requirement

SP.03 Ground Resolution

SP.04 PNT Augmentation Required?

SP.05 Anti-Jam / Anti-Spoofing

SP.06 Minimum Constellation Size

"space_isr": { "orbit": "LEO-SSO", "revisit_hr": 2, "resolution_m": 0.5, "pnt_aug": "backup", "anti_jam": "M-code", "constellation": 18 }

⚓ MAR-PATROL MARITIME ▼

Maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare parameters. Covers surface and underwater domain awareness, interdiction, and search & rescue support.

M.01 Area Coverage Rate (nm²/day)

M.02 ASW Sensor Suite

M.03 Endurance (hours without refuelling)

M.04 Air-Launched Weapons

M.05 Multi-static / Network Sonar

"mar_patrol": { "coverage_nm2d": 500000, "asw": "full", "endurance_hr": 12, "weapons": "multi-role", "multistatic": "required" }

🔗 C2-DIGITAL JOINT/C2 ▼

Digital command and control architecture parameters. Covers network throughput, AI decision support integration, JADC2 compatibility, and zero-trust security architecture.

C.01 C2 Architecture Model

C.02 Minimum Throughput (Mbps)

C.03 AI Decision Support

C.04 JADC2 / Joint Interoperability

C.05 Zero-Trust Architecture

C.06 Edge Compute Requirement

"c2_digital": { "arch": "edge+cloud", "throughput_mbps": [100,1000], "ai_support": "advisory", "jadc2": "GCC", "zero_trust": "full", "edge": "AI-inference" }

04 · Interactive Form Composer

Training ExerciseUse this composer to practice building a complete needs survey record. Select your identity parameters, attach domain modules, set priority, and generate a live JSON record ready for submission to the aggregation engine.

Step 1 — Identity Parameters

Aggregation Level

Primary Domain

Capability Area

Step 2 — Attach Domain Modules

Select all applicable modules. At least one module is strongly recommended.

📡
ISR-SENSOR

💥
FIRES-LR

📻
EW-COMMS

🛡️
AD-AMD

🚁
UAS-CUAS

🛰️
SPACE-ISR

⚓
MAR-PATROL

🔗
C2-DIGITAL

Step 3 — Priority & Quantity

Urgency (1–5): 3

Criticality (1–5): 3

Urgency Band

Live Form Preview

Generated JSON Record

Form Composition Rules

Rule	Description	Enforcement
R-01	Section A–D is mandatory. Forms without all 4 sections are rejected at ingest.	HARD REJECT
R-02	Section B.3 effect statement must be free of platform/manufacturer names.	HARD REJECT
R-03	At least one domain module must be attached for the form to count toward statistical samples.	SOFT WARN
R-04	Priority score must be consistent: score = urgency × criticality. Discrepancies auto-corrected.	AUTO-FIX
R-05	RISD in Section C must be a future date relative to survey cycle. Historical dates rejected.	HARD REJECT
R-06	Duplicate UUID submissions in same cycle overwrite previous (amendment flag set).	AUTO-AMEND
R-07	Cross-domain tags (e.g. AIR + SPACE) trigger cross-domain deconfliction review at L3.	FLAG

05 · Aggregation Logic & Statistical Engine

How Raw Forms Become Strategic IntelligenceThe aggregation engine runs a 7-step pipeline transforming L1 unit submissions into actionable strategic intelligence at L5 national level. Each step adds information, removes noise, and flags anomalies for human review.

7-Step Aggregation Pipeline

📥

INGEST

Schema validation, UUID index, rejection log

✅

VALIDATE

Platform-name scan, RISD check, signature verify

🔍

DEDUP

UUID deduplication, amendment chain, version tag

📐

NORMALISE

Unit conversion, taxonomy map, null-fill defaults

🗂️

CLUSTER

Group by capability area, geography, urgency band

📊

SCORE

Weighted priority, Σ personnel, statistical CI

📤

OUTPUT

JSON roll-up, PDF dashboard, API push to L+1

L1 → L2 Aggregation Operations

Field Type	Aggregation Operation	Example
Numeric (quantity)	SUM of minimum CU thresholds	3 units need 2 CU each → L2 total: 6 CU
Severity (CL1–4)	MAX of highest severity reported	Any CL4 in unit → CL4 at formation
Priority Score	Personnel-weighted average	(20×850 + 15×600) / 1450 = 17.9 → P2
Urgency Band	MIN (most urgent preserved)	Band A + Band C → Band A at L2
Module Fields	Intersection of populated fields	Only fields in ≥50% of submissions compared
Annotations	Concatenate with source attribution	[1SQN: "..."] [2SQN: "..."]

L2 → L3 Additional Operations

Operation	Description
Gap Matrix Merge	Outer join on parameter names; missing = NULL, not zero. CI calculated per parameter.
Geographic Cluster	Formations mapped to AOR polygons. Coverage heat map produced. Gaps in frontier zones escalated.
Mission Linkage	Cross-reference against Theatre Campaign Plan. Gaps mapped to named operations where possible.
Conflict Detection	Flag if two formations request contradictory solutions in same spectrum band or AOR.
Statistical CI	95% CI calculated. Samples <30 flagged as statistically insufficient. L4+ filters by confidence level.

Live Aggregation Simulation — L2 Formation Dashboard

FILTER:

Submissions Received

Critical Gaps (CL4)

P1 Priority Items

67%

Unit Coverage

CAPABILITY GAP DISTRIBUTION — BY AREA

Capability Area	Units Reporting	Avg Priority	Max Severity	P1 Count	Confidence
ISR	14 / 18	21.4	CL4	8	95%
FIRES	11 / 18	16.2	CL4	3	90%
EW	9 / 18	14.8	CL3	1	72%
AD/AMD	7 / 18	11.6	CL3	0	61%
C-UAS	6 / 18	19.5	CL4	4	67%

⚠ STATISTICAL WARNINGEW, AD/AMD, and C-UAS samples are below the 30-submission threshold for 95% confidence. L4 planners must treat these as indicative only. Supplementary survey recommended for these capability areas.

06 · Aggregation Dashboard Design

Role-Appropriate ViewsEach aggregation level sees a dashboard tailored to its decision authority. L1 sees its own submission status. L5 sees national investment priorities. Information density and abstraction increase with level.

L1 — Unit Submission Dashboard

The L1 dashboard shows the unit's own submission status, amendment history, and basic feedback from L2 validation.

✓

FORM SUBMITTED

UUID: CNA-2025-8A3F

15 Sep 2025 · 09:42Z

MODULES ATTACHED

ISR-SENSOR · EW-COMMS

PRIORITY BAND

Score: 20 / 25

SUBMISSION HISTORY

15 Sep 09:42ZSUBMITTEDInitial submission — ISR capability gap

16 Sep 11:15ZVALIDATEDL2 validation passed — no platform names detected

18 Sep 08:00ZAGGREGATEDIncluded in Formation B report — rank 2 of 14 ISR submissions

L2 — Formation Consolidated Dashboard

Units in Formation

Forms Received

78%

Response Rate

Outstanding Forms

TOP 5 CAPABILITY GAPS — FORMATION B

ISR Persistent Coverage

P1 · 21.4

14 units

C-UAS Hard Kill

P1 · 19.5

6 units

EW Spectrum Dominance

P2 · 16.2

11 units

Precision Strike LR

P2 · 14.8

9 units

AD / AMD Layer

P3 · 11.6

7 units

⚡ CONFLICT FLAGUnits 4 and 9 both request overlapping EW spectrum coverage in AOR-NORTH. Deconfliction required before L3 submission. Contact J6 for spectrum coordination.

L3 — Command / Theatre Operational Gap Analysis

Total Submissions

Critical Gaps (CL4)

P1 Priority Items

67%

Unit Coverage

AOR COVERAGE MAP

PRIORITY DISTRIBUTION

P1
12

P2
9

P3
16

P4
10

TOP 3 MISSION-LINKED GAPS

P1 — ISR PERSISTENT GAP

Linked to Op SENTINEL. 14 units report no day/night all-weather coverage north of 24°N. Est. impact: 60% reduction in target identification rate.

P1 — C-UAS LAYER ABSENT

6 forward units report zero organic C-UAS capability. Threat environment includes Class I/II UAS operating at low altitude in frontier zones.

P2 — EW SPECTRUM GAP

9 units report inability to operate in contested EW environment. Link 16 disruption reported in exercises. GPS anti-jam required.

L4 — Service / Branch Capability Portfolio View

The L4 heatmap cross-references capability areas against domain. Red cells indicate high-priority gaps reported by multiple commands. Green cells indicate adequacy. This drives programme-level investment decisions.

CAPABILITY × DOMAIN SEVERITY HEATMAP

Capability Area	AIR	LAND	MARITIME	SPACE	CYBER/EW	JOINT/C2
ISR	CL4 P1	CL3 P2	CL4 P1	CL2 P3	CL1 P4	CL3 P2
FIRES / Strike	CL3 P2	CL4 P1	CL2 P3	N/A	N/A	CL1 P4
EW / Spectrum	CL4 P1	CL3 P2	CL2 P3	CL1 P4	CL4 P1	CL2 P3
AD / AMD	CL2 P3	CL3 P2	CL1 P4	N/A	N/A	CL1 P4
C-UAS	CL4 P1	CL4 P1	CL3 P2	N/A	CL2 P3	N/A
C2 / Digital	CL2 P3	CL3 P2	CL2 P3	CL3 P2	CL2 P3	CL4 P1

CL4 Critical

CL3 Major

CL2 Moderate

CL1 Minor

N/A

L5 — National / MoD Strategic Investment Dashboard

The L5 dashboard presents a ranked national capability investment priority list, with estimated programme cost bands and projected coverage impact. This drives the defence budget submission and long-range planning cycles.

Rank	Capability Programme	Domain	Priority	CU Gap (Threshold)	Est. Cost Band	Coverage Impact
01	Persistent Wide-Area ISR — All-Weather	AIR	P1	8.5 CU	$2–4B	+68% target ID rate
02	Organic C-UAS — D3I Full Spectrum	AIRLAND	P1	6.0 CU	$600M–1.2B	Eliminates frontier UAS threat
03	EW Spectrum Dominance — Contested Env.	CYBER/EW	P1	4.2 CU	$800M–1.5B	Restores Link 16 in EA zones
04	Land-Based Precision Strike — LR	LAND	P2	3.0 CU	$400M–900M	+500 km standoff capability
05	Space-Based ISR Constellation (National)	SPACE	P2	6 sat minimum	$1.5–3B	Independent satellite ISR
06	JADC2 Digital C2 Backbone	JOINT/C2	P2	National network	$500M–1B	Full joint connectivity

✓ EVIDENCE BASERankings are derived from 47 validated unit submissions, 3 formation roll-ups, and 1 command gap analysis. Statistical confidence: ISR 95%, C-UAS 82%, EW 72%. Supplementary surveys recommended for EW and AD/AMD before budget lock.

Dashboard Design Principles

① Role-Based ViewsEach level sees only what is relevant to its decision authority. Unit commanders see their own submissions. MoD planners see national aggregates. No information overload.

② Gap-First LayoutDashboards lead with gaps and deficiencies, not adequacies. Green cells require less management attention. Red cells require immediate decisions.

③ Statistical Confidence FlagsAll statistics display confidence intervals. Samples below 30 are flagged as indicative. Planners must not act on low-confidence data without supplementary data.

④ Trend Over TimeDashboards show cycle-over-cycle trend arrows. A gap worsening over two consecutive cycles triggers automatic escalation to L+1 regardless of score.

⑤ Drill-Down Audit TrailEvery aggregate number is clickable — it traces back to the individual unit submissions that contributed to it. Full audit trail for transparency.

⑥ Export & InteroperabilityAll dashboards export to: PDF (human-readable brief), JSON (machine-readable API), and NATO-format XML for coalition sharing. Schema versioning maintained.

07 · Equipment Archetypes & Form Templates

Pre-Configured Starting PointsEach archetype provides a pre-configured form template for the most common strategic equipment types. Mandatory and recommended modules are pre-selected. Key Section B parameters are provided as guidance. These are starting points — adapt to your specific operational context.

📡Persistent ISR (Air-Based)AIR

Wide-area persistent surveillance and reconnaissance capability, typically delivered by MALE/HALE UAS or manned surveillance aircraft with multi-mode sensor suites.

Mandatory Modules

ISR-SENSOR · EW-COMMS

Recommended Modules

UAS-CUAS · C2-DIGITAL

Section B — Primary Gap

Persistent wide-area SA with all-weather night capability

Key B.4 Parameters

GSD, revisit rate, area coverage rate, data latency

Typical Priority Band

P1 in operational theatres

Section C — CU Definition

1 CU = 1 continuous 24-hr surveillance orbit over target area

SECTION B.3 EXAMPLE EFFECT STATEMENT:

Provide continuous day/night, all-weather wide-area 
surveillance of a 150 × 150 km maritime/littoral zone, 
delivering moving and stationary target updates every 
90 seconds with geolocation accuracy ≤ 10 m, capable 
of cueing strike or interdiction assets within 3 minutes 
of positive identification. Capability must be resilient 
to GPS denial and operate in a contested EW environment 
without loss of data link to ground exploitation station.

💥Long-Range Precision StrikeAIRLANDMARITIME

Standoff precision strike capability against fixed, hardened, and time-critical targets at ranges that hold adversary assets at risk without exposing delivery platforms to integrated air defences.

Mandatory Modules

FIRES-LR · ISR-SENSOR

Recommended Modules

EW-COMMS · C2-DIGITAL

Key B.4 Parameters

Range (km), CEP (m), warhead category, all-weather, guidance mode, salvo depth

Typical Priority Band

P2 general / P1 if no organic standoff

Section C — CU Definition

1 CU = 1 strike package capable of 24 precision effects within 4 hours

Provide precision standoff strike against hardened 
fixed infrastructure and time-critical moving targets 
at ranges ≥ 500 km from launch platform, with CEP ≤ 5 m 
in GPS-degraded environments. Capability must be operable 
in all weather, guided by GPS/INS with terminal seeker, 
and able to engage armoured and underground targets. 
Minimum effective salvo: 24 rounds per 24-hour period 
without resupply. Launcher must be road-mobile and 
deployable within 60 minutes.

🛡️Integrated Air & Missile DefenceAIRLAND

Layered air and missile defence providing point and area protection against threats ranging from small UAS to tactical ballistic missiles, with battle management integration across layers.

Mandatory Modules

AD-AMD · EW-COMMS

Recommended Modules

UAS-CUAS · C2-DIGITAL · ISR-SENSOR

Key B.4 Parameters

Threat categories, engagement range/altitude, Pk, simultaneous tracks, geographic coverage

Special Requirement

Geographic coverage descriptor mandatory — AOR polygon or radius from defended asset

Section C — CU Definition

1 CU = 360° coverage umbrella over 1 defended zone, all threat layers

Provide layered air and missile defence of a critical 
infrastructure node (radius ≥ 50 km) against concurrent 
threats including TBM with range ≤ 500 km, cruise missiles, 
and swarm UAS Class I–II. Minimum Pk: 0.85 single-shot 
vs TBM, 0.95 vs subsonic cruise. Engagement altitude: 
0.1–30 km. Minimum 200 simultaneous tracks, 20 
simultaneous engagements. System must integrate with 
national C2 and share tracks with coalition via TDL 
within 2 seconds of detection. Autonomous engagement 
authority required for time-critical threats.

📻Electronic Warfare & Spectrum DominanceCYBER/EWAIR

Full-spectrum electronic warfare capability covering electronic attack, support, and protection to ensure freedom of action in the electromagnetic spectrum and deny it to adversaries.

Mandatory Modules

EW-COMMS

Recommended Modules

ISR-SENSOR · C2-DIGITAL · AD-AMD

Key B.4 Parameters

Frequency coverage, ERP (dBW), LPI/LPD, ELINT capability, crypto standard

Typical Priority Band

P1 if operating in contested EW environment

Section C — CU Definition

1 CU = 1 EW-capable platform or ground station covering defined spectrum/geographic area

Provide full-spectrum EW capability across HF to Ka-band 
(3 MHz – 40 GHz) including electronic attack (jamming 
≥ +40 dBW ERP), electronic support (ELINT/SIGINT 
collection and real-time DF), and electronic protection 
(anti-jam, LPI/LPD waveforms). Capability must restore 
own-force TDL operation in a fully jammed environment 
and suppress adversary air defence radar in the forward 
battlespace. Crypto must meet CNSA 2.0 standards. 
Must be interoperable with national C2 and coalition 
Link 16 network.

🚁Counter-UAS Layer (Multi-Domain)AIRLANDMARITIME

Organic counter-UAS capability from squad to formation level, providing detection, identification, and defeat of adversary UAS systems across all classes from micro (Group 1) to MALE (Group 3).

Mandatory Modules

UAS-CUAS

Recommended Modules

EW-COMMS · AD-AMD · C2-DIGITAL

Critical B.3 Element

Threat characteristics MUST be described: UAS classes observed, operational patterns, payload types assessed

Key B.4 Parameters

Detection range by UAS class, D3I capability, defeat method, false-alarm rate

Section C — CU Definition

1 CU = organic C-UAS protection for a company/battery-sized element 24/7

Provide organic counter-UAS protection for forward-
deployed company-level elements against adversary UAS 
Class I–III operating at altitudes 0–5,000 ft AGL. 
Detection: ≥ 10 km against micro/mini UAS using passive 
RF, acoustic, and EO/IR sensor fusion. Identification: 
positive UAS ID within 30 seconds of detection. Defeat: 
full D3I — RF jamming, GPS spoofing, and hard-kill 
kinetic intercept. False alarm rate: ≤ 1 per 24 hours 
operation. Must operate day/night, all-weather, in GPS-
denied environments without RF emission signature 
detectable beyond 5 km.

🛰️Space-Based ISR & PNT AugmentationSPACE

National or collaborative space-based ISR and Position, Navigation & Timing augmentation capability, providing strategic intelligence collection and GPS-independence for national security operations.

Mandatory Modules

SPACE-ISR · C2-DIGITAL

Recommended Modules

ISR-SENSOR · EW-COMMS

Key B.4 Parameters

Orbit type, revisit rate, ground resolution, constellation size, PNT accuracy, anti-jam

Long-Term Horizon

Typical Urgency Band C–D. Flag if Band B (accelerated national programme)

Section C — CU Definition

1 CU = 1 operationally useful satellite providing stated coverage/revisit

Provide national space-based ISR capability in LEO 
(SSO, altitude 450–550 km) with ground resolution 
≤ 0.5 m (optical), SAR capability ≤ 1 m all-weather, 
revisit ≤ 2 hr for any target globally. Minimum 
constellation: 6 satellites threshold / 18 objective. 
Integrated PNT augmentation providing GPS-backup 
positioning accuracy ≤ 1 m horizontal, anti-jam 
equivalent to military M-code. Ground segment must 
be nationally sovereign, with data processed within 
national territory and secure connectivity to national 
exploitation and intelligence fusion centres.

Archetype × Module Selection Matrix

Archetype	ISR-SENSOR	FIRES-LR	EW-COMMS	AD-AMD	UAS-CUAS	SPACE-ISR	MAR-PATROL	C2-DIGITAL
Persistent ISR (Air)	MAN	N/A	MAN	N/A	REC	N/A	N/A	REC
LR Precision Strike	MAN	MAN	REC	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	REC
Integrated AD/AMD	REC	N/A	MAN	MAN	REC	N/A	N/A	REC
EW Spectrum Dom.	REC	N/A	MAN	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	REC
Counter-UAS (Multi)	REC	N/A	REC	REC	MAN	N/A	N/A	REC
Space ISR + PNT	REC	N/A	REC	N/A	N/A	MAN	N/A	MAN

MAN Mandatory — form incomplete without this module · REC Recommended — improves statistical analysis · N/A Not applicable to this archetype