Link-Centric Research on the Capability Resilience of Heterogeneous Information Combat Networks

The combat system-of-systems (CSoS) in high-tech information warfare consists of multiple interconnected combat entities, which can be abstracted as a complex heterogeneous information combat network (HICN). Research on the capability resilience of a HICN is highly valuable for optimizing network structure, enhancing network survivability, and improving network security. Accordingly, this paper presents an integrated framework called HICN capability resilience framework based on network percolation (HICNCR) for assessing the capability resilience of HICN. Specifically, first, we establish a HICN model of a CSoS, taking into account the heterogeneity of entities as well as the diversity and weight of information flow. Based on this, we present an index called operational capability resilience index (OCRI) to evaluate the capability resilience of HICN. This index directly identifies which CSoS is more resilient when facing identical operational tasks, while simultaneously considering both network structure and function. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments on a military case to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed HICNCR. Compared to natural connectivity and other resilience metrics, it provides more valuable insights to inform the operation and design of more resilient CSoS.