The Contribution of Command and Control to Unity of Effort
Abstract
While joint and multi-national operations are not a new phenomenon, achieving unity of effort in their conduct has generally proved elusive. Through much of history, whatever unity that had been achieved was the result of mutual cooperation between the commanders involved. Towards the end of the Great War it was becoming apparent that mutual cooperation alone was not sufficient and that a unified command system was needed. The Western Allies during World War II achieved levels of unified command that have probably not been exceeded since. This paper examines the function that command and control performs, through the medium of command arrangements, in achieving unity of command so as to attain unity of effort. By studying historical examples of joint and multi-national military operations, the importance of command arrangements as a means to achieving unity of effort will established. This leads to an approach not only for establishing the effectiveness of command arrangements, but of establishing the effectiveness of the other entities that are embraced by the umbrella term of "Command and Control."
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA467488
Entities
People
- Noel Sproles
Organizations
- University of South Australia