Distributed Kill Chains: Drawing Insights for Mosaic Warfare from the Immune System and from the Navy

Mosaic warfare is a concept that the Strategic Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing to acquire, field, and employ forces in a manner that is radically different from what is currently done in the U.S. Department of Defense. Like the ceramic tiles in mosaics, individual warfighting platforms are put together to make a larger picture, known as a force package. These reports will be of interest to military acquisition specialists and strategists. This report in particular is focused on identifying potential challenges in the transition to Mosaic warfare and changes that might be required to cope with its expected traits. To better understand these challenges and the best path forward, the authors have conducted a pair of case studies: (1) an analysis of the human immune system's response to pathogens and (2) an analysis of the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) project. The report includes rudimentary biology discussions to support the use of the human immune system as an analogy to Mosaic warfare.