Next Steps in Joint Force Integration
Abstract
The battlefields of the next century will little resemble those of today. At the upper end of the conflict spectrum, long-range and highly lethal precision-guided munitions launched from an assortment of ground, naval, and air platforms and guided by a complex web of command and surveillance assets will continue to blur the lines separating land, sea, and air warfare. Feedback will be immediate -- not just from battle damage assessments conducted by Joint Force Commanders (JFCs), but from anyone on or near the scene with access to commercial satellite communications technology. Graphic reports and imagery from the battlefield by journalists, relief workers, and other noncombatants will quickly sway public opinion. Concern over casualties, collateral damage, and fratricide will pressure political decision makers and military leaders to end kinetic conflicts as rapidly and decisively as possible. Victory will depend on the ability of JFCs to master the "system of systems" composed of multiservice hard- and soft-kill capabilities linked by advanced information technologies. A JFC orchestrating a battle must rapidly process and disseminate information to his forces and deny an enemy sanctuaries of time and space. In sum, joint forces will have to be thoroughly integrated to fully exploit the synergism of land, sea, and air combat capabilities. This article discusses the evolution of joint warfare, the role of the U.S. Atlantic Command (ACOM) in joint warfare, joint force integration, joint interoperability, joint training and exercises, bringing reserve forces into the total joint force structure, and joint integration and efficiency. (4 figures, 8 photographs)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA426797
Entities
People
- John J. Sheehan
Organizations
- National Defense University