Functional cartography of heterogeneous combat networks using operational chain-based label propagation algorithm

doi:10.23919/JSEE.2025.000138

Journal of Systems Engineering and Electronics ›› 2025, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (5): 1202-1215.doi: 10.23919/JSEE.2025.000138

• SYSTEMS ENGINEERING • Previous Articles

Functional cartography of heterogeneous combat networks using operational chain-based label propagation algorithm

Kebin CHEN¹^,²(), Xuping JIANG²^,*(), Guangjun ZENG²(), Wenjing YANG²(), Xue ZHENG²()

¹ School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
² College of Information and Communication, National University of Defense Technology, Wuhan 430019, China

Received:2025-10-25 Online:2025-10-18 Published:2025-10-24
Contact: Xuping JIANG E-mail:chenkebin17@nudt.edu.cn;jxpjiangxuping@163.com;guangjun_zeng@nudt.edu.cn;xianywj@sohu.com;snowzx89@foxmail.com
About author:
CHEN Kebin was born in 1987. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China in 2011 and 2013, respectively. He received his Ph.D. degree from National University of Defense Technology, Wuhan, China in 2023. He is currently a lecturer at the National University of Defense Technology. His research interests include combat system-of-systems, complex networks and systems engineering. E-mail: chenkebin17@nudt.edu.cn

JIANG Xuping was born in 1975. He received his B.S. degree from College of Communication Engineering, Nanjing, China in 1997, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China in 2000 and 2003, respectively. He is currently a professor at the National University of Defense Technology. His research interest is information systems principles and engineering. E-mail: jxpjiangxuping@163.com

ZENG Guangjun was born in 1982. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China in 2004 and 2007, respectively. He is currently an associate professor at the National University of Defense Technology. His research interests include combat system-of-systems, complex networks and operations research. E-mail: guangjun_zeng@nudt.edu.cn

YANG Wenjing was born in 1975. She received her B.S. and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China, in 1998, 2005 and 2011, respectively. Her research interests include combat system-of-systems, and military information service. E-mail: xianywj@sohu.com

ZHENG Xue was born in 1989. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in microelectronics from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China in 2011 and 2013, respectively. She is currently an assistant with the National University of Defense Technology. Her research interests include network security, and community detection of complex networks. E-mail: snowzx89@foxmail.com

Abstract

Abstract:

To extract and display the significant information of combat systems, this paper introduces the methodology of functional cartography into combat networks and proposes an integrated framework named “functional cartography of heterogeneous combat networks based on the operational chain” (FCBOC). In this framework, a functional module detection algorithm named operational chain-based label propagation algorithm (OCLPA), which considers the cooperation and interactions among combat entities and can thus naturally tackle network heterogeneity, is proposed to identify the functional modules of the network. Then, the nodes and their modules are classified into different roles according to their properties. A case study shows that FCBOC can provide a simplified description of disorderly information of combat networks and enable us to identify their functional and structural network characteristics. The results provide useful information to help commanders make precise and accurate decisions regarding the protection, disintegration or optimization of combat networks. Three algorithms are also compared with OCLPA to show that FCBOC can most effectively find functional modules with practical meaning.

Key words: functional cartography, heterogeneous combat network, functional module, label propagation algorithm, operational chain

Kebin CHEN, Xuping JIANG, Guangjun ZENG, Wenjing YANG, Xue ZHENG. Functional cartography of heterogeneous combat networks using operational chain-based label propagation algorithm[J]. Journal of Systems Engineering and Electronics, 2025, 36(5): 1202-1215.

Figures/Tables 13

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Type	Number
Sensor node	129
Decider node	22
Influencer node	59
Link	356

FM	Node	Link	Hub type	Role of FMs
FM1	68	108.5	S	S-leading combat module
FM2	69	106	D	D-leading combat module
FM3	74	129	S	S-leading combat module
FM4	12	18.5	S	S-leading combat module
FM5	2	8.5	S	Detection module

Functional cartography of heterogeneous combat networks using operational chain-based label propagation algorithm

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