1. Information Age C2 Concepts
David S. Alberts
Director, Research and Strategic Planning, OASD(C3I)

2. Agenda
Why Revisit C2
Origin and Evolution of Cn
The Essence of C2
Enduring C2 Principles
Spectrum of C2 Approaches
Industrial Age C2
Characteristics of the Information Age
Information Age DoD
Focus on Agility
Information Age Force Management Concepts

3. Why Revisit C2? Nature of DoD Transformation Co-Evolution of MCPs
Industrial Age Constraints

4. Why Revisit C2?
Nature of DoD Transformation

5. Why Revisit C2?
Co-Evolution of MCP

6. Why Revisit C2?
Industrial Age C2 constrains potential effectiveness

7. Why Revisit C2?

8. Why Revisit C2?

9. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time
Started with Command
“The first qualification in a general is a cool head - that is, a head which receives
accurate impressions, and estimates things and objects at their real value.”

10. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time
Command
Control
Communications
Intelligence
Surveillance
Reconnaissance

11. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time
Command
Control
Communications
Intelligence
Surveillance
Reconnaissance

12. Origin of Cn & its Usage Over Time
Command
Control
Communications
Computers
Intelligence
Surveillance
Reconnaissance

13. Essence of C2 Role of command Relationships among force participants
Philosophy of control.

14. Operating Environment
Enduring Principles
Cognitive Domain
Sensemaking
Understanding
Command Intent
Awareness
Battlespace
Information Domain
Management
Information Systems
Physical Domain
Battlespace
Monitoring
Synchronization
Operating Environment

15. Spectrum of C2 Approaches

16. Industrial Age C2
Specialized bureaucracies

17. Industrial Age C2
Hierarchies

18. Industrial Age C2
Functional differentiation

19. Industrial Age C2: Stovepipes

20. Industrial Age C2
Interchangeable parts

21. Industrial Age C2
Control by plan

22. Implications of Industrial Age C2
&
Information
Sharing
Collaboration
Social
Networking

23. Industrial Age C2 Characteristics
Synchronous /sequential /cyclical
Inflexible
Fragile
Simple control [plan minus fog/friction]
Deconfliction as a goal
Optimization

24. Attributes of Information Age
Security Environment
Information Age Organization

25. Attributes of Information Age
Security Environment
Full mission spectrum [beyond combat to full mission spectrum]
Complex missions [military part of a larger team EBO v. attrition]
Dynamic situations [ROE changes, strategic corporal]
Requires agility

26. Attributes of Information Age
Information Age Organization
Information available from everywhere [post v. pull]
Asynchronous in time/space
Dynamic virtual task organizations
Collaborative interactions among participants
Widespread information sharing within/without
Role management
Creates/modifies conditions of ROE
Communicates intent
Supports edge
Provide requisite agility

27. Information Age C2: Tenets of NCW
A robustly networked force improves information sharing
Information sharing and collaboration enhance: the quality of information and shared situational awareness
Shared situational awareness enables self-synchronization
These, in turn, dramatically increase mission effectiveness

28. X

30. Information Age C2
Control as an emergent property

31. Enduring Principles Battlespace Awareness Decisionmaking Battle
Management

32. Enduring Principles

33. Information Age C2
Power at the Center

34. Information Age C2
Power to the Edge

35. Conclusions
Information Age C2 concepts needed to satisfy demands of Information Age security challenges
Networked relationships
Bring all information to bear
Bring all assets to bear
Ability to be agile
Ability to be proactive