Human-Autonomy Command (HAC): Directing and Coordinating Human-Machine Systems as Cognitive Capabilities

Human-machine systems constitute hybrid capability elements, able to rapid and accurate sensing, processing and influencing of relevant agents, events and circumstances, enabling every commander and operator to develop a wide-ranging appreciation of the mission and situation into decisions and actions. This calls for the employment of intelligent agents with an ability to engage and collaborate with other agents in the mission environment, without continuous human supervision. In addition to socio-technical aspects of Human-Autonomy Teaming (HAT), it is also necessary to focus on cognitive perspectives of human operators, autonomy, and mission command. Emergent, Dynamic, Global and Evolutionary (EDGE) operations require a level of cognitive fitness that can sustain comprehensive operational awareness in the long term - shaping, supporting and utilizing cognitive superiority among and between human and machine agents. Success in EDGE operations depend on the strengths and limitations of Joint Human-Autonomy Systems, versatility in managing common as well as atypical missions and tasks, and aggregated operational performance. It is necessary to understand cognitive mission characteristics. We propose a future-oriented Essence of Human-Autonomy Command (HAC), comprising strategic capability elements that are applicable to human and non-human agents alike. HAC is grounded in and supported by hierarchical knowledge structures, along with agile high-performance organizations, where operational availability, versatility, and efficiency depend on the superiority of the selected Human-Autonomy Command approach.