Network Centric Warfare is military operations that are enabled by the fully integrated applications and information networking of the force. Network Centric Warfare enables the military to leverage extensive information to their advantage in an effort to dramatically increase combat effectiveness and efficiency through self-synchronization across the host of entities operating on the network.The experiences with early efforts to explore network centric operations have shown the value and benefits of extending the current state of NCW capabilities.The value of NCW has been recognized as a critical capability for the military's future at the most senior levels of the military and government.
"We must build forces that draw upon the revolutionary advances in the technology of war...one that relies more heavily on stealth, precision weaponry, and information technologies."The value of information to the field command and the entire command and control staff will increase exponentially once the entire battlefield is connected.The network infrastructure will enable capabilities that her to fore have not even been considered due to the complexity and dynamics of the information.
George W.Bush,
Commander in Chief
Current Strategy
The military's strategy for NCW is based upon their vision of what
applications will drive the most value.Due to this constraint, the
military must establish a set of priorities.Once these priorities
have been established, a clear and concise set of goals for the program
must be developed.These goals are the essence of the measurement
system that will assess the progress and degree of success for the NCW
program.The implementation of NCW will create significant
change to the entire spectrum of the military organization.Key to
the success of this initiative will be an agreed upon set of operational
and technical standards upon which the military will have complete interoperability
with allies.This set of standards will undoubtedly reach outside
the US and possibly to all of NATO.
Conceptual Architecture
Critical to the successful development and evolution of the NCW technology
is a component-based architecture that is extensible and secure.
Each individual component must integrate into a platform that is easily
deployed and coupled together by a self-healing, high bandwidth, dynamically
encrypted wireless communications network.Each component used in
field systems must be constructed so that any attempt to dismantle the
equipment would result in the destruction of the device.This would
further ensure the integrity of the entire NCW system.
Major Operational Components
- Integrated Multi-platform Network
- Secure Role Based Identity/Asset Management System
- Geographic Information System (GIS) with Distribution Requirement Planning
- Real-time Enough Automated Reporting Applications
- Integrated Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID)
- Graphical/Audible Information Interface
- Integrated Asset Management & Monitoring System
- Integrated Engagement Task Planning and Tracking System
Future Direction
The network centric warfare system of the future will completely integrate
every aspect of logistics and communications right down to the individual
soldier (See Figure 1).The automated sharing of information at this
level of integration will dramatically change the way conflicts are planned
and executed.The real-time theater wide battlefield management system
coupled with intelligent collaborative scenario planning systems will create
the ability to retask units or division in seconds.This dynamic
response capability created the competitive advantage over forces using
traditional command and control techniques and technology.
Figure 1 (Click for larger image)
The future integrated NCW systems will have intelligent shoulder carried weapons and personnel monitors send information to their assigned vehicle. The vehicle system could report status of the vehicle, inventory of ammunition, fuel and other critical materials, status of personnel and their individual inventory to the engagement management system.The current assignment, status, and inventory of all vehicles, equipment and personnel of the unit would be provided to the division.The division's current assignment, status, and inventory of all soldiers, vehicles, and other equipment would be reported to the battlefield management system.And finally, all soldiers, vehicles, equipment and other assets operating within a given theater would report current status to the theater-wide operational command center.
Example Applications
The technical and operational evolution of NCW will occur over the
next decade.Rapidly moving through the five stages of the technology
maturity model this critical capability is forecasted to reach mass deployment
and use near 2020.The five example applications illustrate
the evolution and extension of integration anticipated for NCW.
- Vehicle Based Systems
- Integrated Weapons Systems
- Battlefield Wide Systems
- Theater Wide Systems
- Integrated Individual Systems
This capability may seem to be decades away from reality with hundreds of millions of dollars of research being needed before the NCW is ready for prime time.The reality is that systems such as the ones described here are only several years off (see Figure 3).Given the current strategy that seeks to leverage commercial off-the-shelf software and hardware, the time to develop and deploy advanced NCW capabilities in the not so distant future is realistic.Many operational components required for a system such as this are in commercially available and in use today. Supply Chain software in use today by most corporations can serve as the basis for the logistics support and modeling.Commercially available computer aided dispatching (CAD) systems in use by police departments, emergency medical services and fire departments could also serve to accelerate the custom application components that specifically address the unique challenges faced by the military.The conceptual systems hardware requirements pose a bit more of a challenge.Hardened and tamper proof packaging technology must advances to protect the integrity of fielded systems in the event some of this equipment would fall into enemy hands.
While the development of a fully integrated and functional system will be difficult and not without risk, none of the challenges are seen to be insurmountable or pose an undo amount of risk.
Figure 3 (Click for larger image)
Conclusion
While the value of NCW is rarely questioned any longer, there are numerous
areas of risk that will need to be managed.Careful attention must be given
to cognitive information processing and visualization.The significant
increase in information provided by and to the battlefield commanders could
create an information overload situation resulting in slower decision making.
Another significant area of concern is that the military planners may become
reliant on the systems overtime that their manual process skills may be
dulled.The capabilities described here only scratch the surface
of capabilities in the planning and development stages under programs such
as Joint Tactical Information Distribution Systems (JTIDS).Many
advances that are more exciting are on the way.