Abstract
This study evaluated the impact on crew workload of adding the STINGRAY weapon system to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV). Four BFV crews participated in force-on-force offensive and defensive missions in a baseline BFV (without STINGRAY) and a BFV with STINGRAY. Workload was assessed through operator ratings, post-mission debriefs, and video and audio recordings. A signficant relationship between workload and force effectiveness was demonstrated (i.e., higher levels of workload were associated with lower levels of force effectiveness). Results indicate that workload was dependent on mission type (offensive, defensive) and the mode of operation (baseline, STINGRAY-automatic, STINGRAY-semiautomatic, and STINGRAY-manual). Crew strategies to reduce workload included reallocation of some of the Bradley commander (BC) tasks to the gunner. The utility of the workload techniques employed in the study is discussed.
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