Comparative analysis of the situational awareness and OODA loop concepts

Abstract

The OODA loop, developed by the United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd, and the concept of situation awareness (SA), proposed by Dr. Mica Endsley, a former Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force, were analysed and compared in this paper to show the contributions of these concepts to the contemporary planning and implementation of military operations. Specific characteristics of these concepts and their application in the planning, preparation and implementation of military operations have been elaborated. In the paper, the NATO Comprehensive Operations Planning Directive (COPD), endorsed by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE, 2013) was used to compare the OODA loop with SA. It explains the fact that the OODA loop and SA have in an original and quality way improved the system of military decision-making and operation planning, and are among the most important concepts in NATO, the EU and their member states that were used in the planning of military operations at the beginning of the twenty first century. The application of the concept of SA and the OODA loop also facilitated the introduction of disruptive technology into the military decision-making process, which accelerated and increased the quality of the decision-making process. In addition to military application, SA and OODA loop are increasingly applied in planning processes for civilian use.