Evolution of Command and Control in the Information Age

1. Information Age C2 Concepts David S. Alberts Director, Research and Strategic Planning, OASD(C3I)

2. Agenda • Why Revisit C2 • Origin and Evolution of Cn • The Essence of C2 • Enduring C2 Principles • Spectrum of C2 Approaches • Industrial Age C2 • Characteristics of the Information Age • Information Age DoD • Focus on Agility • Information Age Force Management Concepts

3. Why Revisit C2? • Nature of DoD Transformation • Co-Evolution of MCPs • Industrial Age Constraints

4. Why Revisit C2? • Nature of DoD Transformation

5. Why Revisit C2? • Co-Evolution of MCP

6. Why Revisit C2? • Industrial Age C2 constrains potential effectiveness

7. Why Revisit C2?

8. Why Revisit C2?

9. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time Started with Command “The first qualification in a general is a cool head - that is, a head which receives accurate impressions, and estimates things and objects at their real value.”

10. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time Command Control Communications Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance

11. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time Command Control Communications Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance

12. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time Command Control Communications Computers Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance

13. Essence of C2 • Role of command • Relationships among force participants • Philosophy of control.

14. Enduring Principles Cognitive Domain Sensemaking Understanding Command Intent Awareness Battlespace Information Domain Management Information Systems Physical Domain Battlespace Monitoring Synchronization Operating Environment

15. Spectrum of C2 Approaches

16. Industrial Age C2 • Specialized bureaucracies

17. Industrial Age C2 • Hierarchies

18. Industrial Age C2 • Functional differentiation

19. Industrial Age C2: Stovepipes

20. Industrial Age C2 • Interchangeable parts

21. Industrial Age C2 • Control by plan

22. Implications of Industrial Age C2 & Information Sharing Collaboration Social Networking

23. Industrial Age C2 Characteristics • Synchronous /sequential /cyclical • Inflexible • Fragile • Simple control [plan minus fog/friction] • Deconfliction as a goal • Optimization

24. Attributes of Information Age • Security Environment • Information Age Organization

25. Attributes of Information Age • Security Environment • Full mission spectrum [beyond combat to full mission spectrum] • Complex missions [military part of a larger team EBO v. attrition] • Dynamic situations [ROE changes, strategic corporal] • Requires agility

26. Attributes of Information Age • Information Age Organization • Information available from everywhere [post v. pull] • Asynchronous in time/space • Dynamic virtual task organizations • Collaborative interactions among participants • Widespread information sharing within/without • Role management • Creates/modifies conditions of ROE • Communicates intent • Supports edge • Provide requisite agility

27. Information Age C2: Tenets of NCW • A robustly networked force improves information sharing • Information sharing and collaboration enhance:the quality of information and shared situational awareness • Shared situational awareness enables self-synchronization • These, in turn, dramatically increase mission effectiveness

28. X X X

30. Information Age C2 • Control as an emergent property

31. Enduring Principles Decisionmaking Battlespace Awareness Battle Management

32. Enduring Principles

33. Information Age C2 • Power at the Center

34. Information Age C2 • Power to the Edge

35. Conclusions • Information Age C2 concepts needed to satisfy demands of Information Age security challenges • Networked relationships • Bring all information to bear • Bring all assets to bear • Ability to be agile • Ability to be proactive