Coalition Warfare

Abstract

The Coalition Warfare Program (CWP) is the only Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) program dedicated to initiating cooperative research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) projects with allies and coalition partners. CWP projects accelerate the delivery of high-quality solutions to warfighter problems, improve U.S. interoperability with its coalition partners, and strengthen global partnerships. Projects leverage foreign investments in technology and manpower to address Combatant Command (COCOM) requirements and support DoD RDT&E community undertakings. CWP can also help program offices convert U.S.only projects into coalition solutions, with the expenses and benefits shared by the U.S. and international partners. Current U.S. military strategy and the global security environment make coalition warfare and multinational operations fundamental features of the U.S. national security strategy. Coalitions provide a broad-base of technological, operational, and logistical support for military operations and ease the U.S. financial and manpower burdens associated with meeting military goals and objectives. In addition, effective responses to global humanitarian disasters require broad international, interagency, civilian, and non-governmental coordination. As national defense budgets decline, but threats to mutual security do not, coalition operations will continue to grow in importance. Despite decades of conducting multi-national operations, the United States and its partners continue to experience interoperability issues. Shortcomings in areas such as C4ISR (command, control, communications, and computers and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), battlespace awareness, and logistics reveal the complexities and challenges associated with multinational air, land, and sea campaigns and encumber warfighters’ abilities to effectively and safely complete missions. Small investments in interoperability early in the research and development process can help avoid larger expenses related to adding coalition capability later in the development cycle. Partner nations participate in the Coalition Warfare Program (CWP) to the extent permitted by security considerations and when such partnering is advantageous to the U.S. government.

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Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2013
Source ID
P923_0603923D8Z_4_0400_PB_2013

Tags

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Science and Technology Research and Modernization.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

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

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