ABSTRACT
Action control theory can be argued to be a composite theoretical structure deriving its primary constituents from advances in four areas: cognitive systems engineering, systems theory, control theory and cybernetics, decision-making in complex systems control and mission command, and psychophysiology. The field of cognitive systems engineering has steadily grown since the first significant contributions were published in the 1980s by J. Rasmussen, who introduced the concept of skill-, rule- and knowledge-based behaviour for the modelling of different levels of human performance. The mission execution and control model aggregate is derived from central concepts and principles of the cognitive systems engineering field, where cognition and control are always embedded in a context. The chapter focuses on the progress of the project Tactical Real-time Interaction in Distributed Environments, aimed at developing a coherent, straightforward 'package' of methods and techniques for man–machine systems analysis in the setting of tactical mission scenarios.
