Disruptive Effects of Net-Centricity on Command and Control
Abstract
This paper explores the potential for net-centric operating environments to disrupt traditional practices in command and control. We conclude that at least two major disruptive effects are likely: information non-attribution and control decentralization. Information non-attribution reverses the assumption that commands are issued from an individual entity to an individual entity. In net-centric worlds, orders will be issued to a resource pool, and information will be gleaned from an infosphere. The military command hierarchy must therefore get accustomed to issuing orders to "nobody in particular," and commanders will lack an individual subordinate with whom to attribute the responsibility. Conversely, they must accept information from the infosphere without the trust inherited from known reliable providers. Control decentralization is a tendency for decision-making to migrate to the "edges" of the organization, where the most direct sensors and effectors are physically located. Net-centricity directly empowers those closest to the action by giving them access to information of quality and quantity that is potentially equal to or better than that available in command centers. Together, these effects of net-centricity suggest disruptive changes in command and control practices that must be modeled and explored as the vision of net-centric command and control becomes a reality.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA486751
Entities
People
- John S. Bay
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory