Command, Cooperation, and Control for Joint Distributed Operations
Abstract
Our current and potential adversaries understand that they cannot fight the American military in a symmetric manner. We face at each level of war an adaptive, autonomous, highly motivated, dispersed enemy who executes in a decentralized fashion. We should expect that our conventional foes may adopt in part or as a whole this asymmetric form of warfare mixed with viable conventional capability. Distributed Operations provides the joint force and the joint force commander with the additional operational capabilities necessary to counter a decentralized foe and rapidly and decisively defeat these threats. The tempo and depth of Distributed Operations will require a change to the current joint forces command and control structure and system to match the speed and chaos that effective distributed units can bring to bear against the enemy. Command and control as we currently fight would be the Achilles heel of the Distributed Operations capability. Thus, the joint force requires an evolution of the command and control to a more cooperative balanced system. A cooperative balanced system will enable independent, but synchronized actions that achieve a faster and disproportionate effect compared to the force committed. Failure to create the necessary C2 structure that takes full advantage of Distributed Operations will severely limit, if not preclude the commander's utilization of this operational capability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 13, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA463663
Entities
People
- Anthony M. Henderson
Organizations
- Naval War College