Coalition Mission Command: Balancing Information Security and Sharing Requirements
Abstract
As the United States expands its use of coalitions in future combat operations, commanders will face challenges of when and how much information to share to be effective versus security concerns. U.S. military forces must develop and implement policies, processes, and technology to share sensitive mission command information with coalition partners, finding the balance between sufficient disclosures to enhance combat operations with protection against unauthorized release of information which would jeopardize those operations. Current policy and international agreements form the basis for information sharing, but such strategic documents are insufficient to assist commanders in guiding subordinate leaders in fast-moving tactical combat situations. This paper reviews the background of coalition information sharing, and introduces its benefits for both the United States and other nations. Next, several ongoing efforts in information sharing are discussed, including the Afghan Mission Network (AMN) that is currently in use in Afghanistan. Using a U.S. Intelligence Communities model to assess information sharing, the paper reviews the use of the AMN in five critical areas, providing potential explanations and assessment of future risk. Relying on these explanations, the author presents five recommendations to assist future policymakers in supporting commanders faced with balancing information sharing with information security requirements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 28, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA553143
Entities
People
- Jonas Vogelhut
Organizations
- United States Army War College