Islam On Terrorism

Meaning and Development of Command and Control in Joint Operations

1. General. To put effective command and control into practice, we must first understand its fundamental nature -- its purpose, characteristics, environment, and basic functioning. This understanding will become the basis for developing a theory and a practical philosophy of command and control. No single activity in war is more important than command and control. Command and control by itself will not drive home a single attack against an enemy force. It will not destroy a single enemy target. It will not effect a single emergency re-supply. Yet none of these essential war fighting activities, or any others, would be possible without effective command and control. Without command and control, campaigns, battles, and organized engagements are impossible, military units degenerate into mobs, and the subordination of military force to policy is replaced by random violence. In short, command and control is essential to all military operations and activities; may these be joint operations or single arm / service operations.

2. Besides command and control, countless activities a military force must perform in order to gain purpose and direction. Done well, command and control adds to our strength. Done poorly, it invites disaster, even against a weaker enemy. Command and control helps commanders make the most of what they have -- people, information, material, and, often most important of all, time. In the broadest sense, command and control applies far beyond military forces and military operations. Any system comprising multiple, interacting elements, from societies to sports teams to any living organism, needs some form of command and control. Simply put, command and control in some form or another is essential to survival and success in any competitive or cooperative enterprise. Command and control is a fundamental requirement for life and growth, survival, and success for any system.

Definition of Command and Control

3. One often thinks of command and control as a distinct and specialized function -- like logistics, intelligence, electronic warfare, or administration --with its own peculiar methods, considerations, and vocabulary, and occurring independently of other functions. But in fact, command and control encompasses all military functions and operations, giving them meaning and harmonizing them into a meaningful whole. None of the above functions, or any others, would be purposeful without command and control. Command and control is not the business of specialists -- unless we consider the commander a specialist -- because command and control is fundamentally the business of the commander. Another definition of Command and Control is:

"The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of the mission."

Meaning of Command and Control

4. Command and control is the means by which a commander recognizes what needs to be done and sees to it that appropriate actions are taken. This recognition by commander requires such a degree of judgment and intuition that they can be performed only by skilled, experienced people -- as in devising tactics, operations, and strategies. Sometimes command and control occurs concurrently with the action being undertaken -- in the form of real-time guidance or direction in response to a changing situation. Sometimes it occurs beforehand and even after. Planning, whether rapid/time-sensitive or deliberate, which determines aims and objectives, develops concepts of operations, allocates resources, and provides for necessary coordination, is an important element of command and control. Furthermore, planning increases knowledge and elevates situational awareness. Effective training and education, which make it more likely that subordinates will take the proper action in combat, establish command and control before the fact. The immediate-action drill mentioned earlier, practiced beforehand, provides command and control. Some forms of command and control are primarily procedural or technical in nature -- such as the control of air traffic and air space, the coordination of supporting arms, or the fire control of a weapons system. Others deal with the overall conduct of military operations and joint military operations whether on a larger or smaller scale, and involve formulating concepts, deploying forces, allocating resources, supervising, and so on. This last form of command and control, the overall conduct of joint military operations, is our primary concern in this research paper.

Basis of Command and Control in Military Operations

5. The basis for all command and control is the authority vested in a commander over subordinates. Authority derives from two sources. Official authority is a function of rank and position and is bestowed by organization and by law. Personal authority is a function of personal influence and derives from factors such as experience, reputation, skill, character, and personal example. It is bestowed by the other members of the organization. Official authority provides the power to act but is rarely enough; most effective commanders also possess a high degree of personal authority. Responsibility, or accountability for results, is a natural corollary of authority. Where there is authority, there must be responsibility in like measure. Conversely, where individuals have responsibility for achieving results, they must also have the authority to initiate the necessary actions.

Relationship between Command & Control

6. The traditional view of command and control sees "command" and "control" as operating in the same direction: from the top of the organization toward the bottom. (See figure 1.) Commanders impose control on those under their command; commanders are "in control" of their subordinates, and subordinates are "under the control" of their commanders.

however different and more dynamic view of command and control which sees command as the exercise of authority and control as feedback about the effects of the action taken (See figure 1). The commander commands by deciding what needs to be done and by directing or influencing the conduct of others. Control takes the form of feedback -- the continuous flow of information about the unfolding situation