Information Operations: The Command and Control Warfare (C2W)

Abstract

The Informant Age and the increased use of information-based communications systems has created incredible possibilities and vulnerabilities for the users of such systems. What is of particular importance to the military are the advanced information communications networks that create information infrastructures for global information infrastructures (GII), national information infrastructures (NII), and the defense information infrastructure (DII). These interconnected systems permit the rapid exchange of information and ideas throughout the world and an interdependence among their users. This interdependence further produces a dangerous dichotomy of use. At the same time that these technological advances provide users with new and exciting capabilities and opportunities to transmit information, they also expose them to incredible vulnerabilities. For the Department of Defense (DoD), a user of these information infrastructures, this dichotomy is a lethal two-edge sword. On one hand, a user may employ offensive information operations to attack the command and control elements of an adversary, while on the other hand, the adversary may attack first or have highly developed defensive measures. All of the DoD Service components are developing technology and systems to increase the lethality of their offensive information operations, while at the same time they strive to diminish the lethality of potential adversaries through protective defensive information operations. This paper will focus on the U.S. Army's response to the dichotomy of use in information operations with respect to command and control warfare (C2W). The U.S. Army provides examples of the continuing search by the military community to understand fully and employ effectively the tools of information operations for continued success in identifying and neutralizing future threats.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA529200

Entities

People

  • Steve High

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Command Control Communications And Computer Systems
  • Computer Networks
  • Computers
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Links
  • Databases
  • Department Of Defense
  • Information Operations
  • Information Systems
  • Information Warfare
  • Local Area Networks
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Operations Security
  • Psychological Operations
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control