Command and Control (military)
Encyclopedia
Command and control, or C2, in a military
organization can be defined as the exercise of authority
and direction by a properly designated commanding officer
over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission
. The term may also refer to command and control systems within a military system.
The DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines it as "[t]he exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached 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. Also called C2."
Commanding officers are assisted in executing these tasks by specialized staff officers and enlisted personnel. These military staff are a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information
between a commanding officer
and subordinate military units.
The purpose of a military staff is mainly that of providing accurate, timely information which by category represents information on which command decisions are based. The key application is that of decisions that effectively manage unit resources. While information flow toward the commander is a priority, information that is useful or contingent in nature is communicated to lower staffs and units.
and others.
Command:
The exercise of authority based upon certain knowledge to attain an objective.
Control:
The process of verifying and correcting activity such that the objective or goal of command is accomplished.
Communication:
Ability to exercise the necessary liaison to exercise effective command between tactical or strategic units to command.
Computers
The computer systems and compatibility of computer systems. Also includes data processing
Intelligence:
Includes collection as well as analysis and distribution of information
facility that operates as the agency's dispatch center, surveillance monitoring center, coordination office and alarm monitoring center all in one. Command and control centers are operated by a government or municipal agency.
Various branches of the U.S Military such as the U.S Coast Guard
and Navy
have command and control centers. They are also common in many large correctional facilities.
A command and control center that is used by a military unit in a deployed location is usually called a command post. A warship has a Combat Information Center
for tactical control of the ship's resources, but commanding a fleet or joint operation requires additional space for commanders and staff plus C4I facilities provided on a Flagship
(e.g. Aircraft Carriers), sometimes a Command ship
or upgraded logistics ship such as USS Coronado (AGF-11)
.
US and other NATO specific:
other
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
organization can be defined as the exercise of authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
and direction by a properly designated commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
. The term may also refer to command and control systems within a military system.
The DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines it as "[t]he exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached 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
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
in the accomplishment of the mission. Also called C2."
Commanding officers are assisted in executing these tasks by specialized staff officers and enlisted personnel. These military staff are a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information
Information flow
In discourse-based grammatical theory, information flow is any tracking of referential information by speakers. Information may be new, just introduced into the conversation; given, already active in the speakers' consciousness; or old, no longer active...
between a commanding officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and subordinate military units.
The purpose of a military staff is mainly that of providing accurate, timely information which by category represents information on which command decisions are based. The key application is that of decisions that effectively manage unit resources. While information flow toward the commander is a priority, information that is useful or contingent in nature is communicated to lower staffs and units.
Derivative terms
There is a plethora of derivative terms which emphasise different aspects, uses and sub-domains of C2. They include:- C2I - Command, Control & IntelligenceMilitary intelligenceMilitary intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
- C2I - Command, Control & Information (A less common usage)
- C2ISR - C2I plus SurveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
and ReconnaissanceReconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment.... - C2ISTAR - C2 plus ISTARISTARISTAR stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing the information they gather.Information is collected on...
(IntelligenceMilitary intelligenceMilitary intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
, SurveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
, Target AcquisitionTarget AcquisitionIn the military, target acquisition denotes any process that provides detailed information about enemy forces and locates them with sufficient accuracy to permit continued monitoring or attacking it....
, and ReconnaissanceReconnaissanceReconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
) - C3 - Command, Control & Communication (Human activity focus)
- C3 - Command, Control & Communications (Technology focus)
- C3I - 4 possibilities; the most common is Command, Control, Communications & Intelligence
- C3ISTAR - C3 plus ISTAR
- C3ISREW - C2ISR plus Communications plus Electronic WarfareElectronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
(Technology focus) - C4, C4I, C4ISR, C4ISTARC4ISTARIn military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control.C2I stands for command, control, and intelligence....
, C4ISREW - plus Computers (Technology focus) or Computing (Human activity focus) - C5IC5IC5I is a military acronym describing the core capabilities involved in:*Detecting pertinent military or civil activity*Analyzing the intent or impact of the activity upon friendly forces*Disseminating the activity and analysis to friendly forces...
- Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat systems and Intelligence
and others.
Command:
The exercise of authority based upon certain knowledge to attain an objective.
Control:
The process of verifying and correcting activity such that the objective or goal of command is accomplished.
Communication:
Ability to exercise the necessary liaison to exercise effective command between tactical or strategic units to command.
Computers
The computer systems and compatibility of computer systems. Also includes data processing
Intelligence:
Includes collection as well as analysis and distribution of information
Command and Control Centers
A Command and Control Center is typically a secure room or building in a government, military or prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
facility that operates as the agency's dispatch center, surveillance monitoring center, coordination office and alarm monitoring center all in one. Command and control centers are operated by a government or municipal agency.
Various branches of the U.S Military such as the U.S Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
and Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
have command and control centers. They are also common in many large correctional facilities.
A command and control center that is used by a military unit in a deployed location is usually called a command post. A warship has a Combat Information Center
Combat Information Center
The Operations Room is the tactical center of a warship or AWAC aircraft providing processed information for command and control of the near battle space or 'area of operations'...
for tactical control of the ship's resources, but commanding a fleet or joint operation requires additional space for commanders and staff plus C4I facilities provided on a Flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
(e.g. Aircraft Carriers), sometimes a Command ship
Command ship
Command ships serve as the flagships of the Commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and his staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities....
or upgraded logistics ship such as USS Coronado (AGF-11)
USS Coronado (AGF-11)
USS Coronado is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city in California. She was designed as an Austin-class amphibious transport dock , one of seven fitted with an additional superstructure level for command ship duties.Her keel was laid down on 1 May 1965 by the Lockheed...
.
See also
- C4ISTARC4ISTARIn military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control.C2I stands for command, control, and intelligence....
for other derivative terms - Command and control warfareCommand and control warfareCommand and control warfare encompasses all the military tactics that use communications technology. It can be abbreviated as . An older name for these tactics is signals warfare, derived from the name given to communications by the military....
- Command centerCommand centerA command center is any place that is used to provide centralized command for some purpose.While frequently considered to be a military facility, these can be used in many other cases by governments or businesses...
- Command shipCommand shipCommand ships serve as the flagships of the Commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and his staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities....
- Signal CorpsSignal CorpsThe Signal Corps is a military branch, usually subordinate to a country's army, responsible for the military communications .Many countries have a Signal Corps, whose main function is usually communication .* Arma de Comunicaciones, signals branch of the Argentine Army* Arma delle...
- Communications protectionCommunications protectionIn telecommunications, communications protection is the application of communications security measures to telecommunications systems in order to: deny unauthorized access to sensitive unclassified information of value, prevent disruption of telecommunications services, or ensure the...
- Electronic warfareElectronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
- Signals intelligence (SIGINT)
- Defence Information InfrastructureDefence Information InfrastructureDefence Information Infrastructure is a secure military network owned by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence MoD. It covers the various branches of the armed forces, including the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force as well as MOD Civil Servants...
- Mission-type tacticsMission-type tacticsMission-type tactics , have been a central component of the tactics of German armed forces since the 19th century. The term Auftragstaktik was coined by opponents of the development of mission-type tactics...
- Intent (Military)Intent (military)Intent is a key capability in 21st century military operations and is a vital element to facilitate subordinates initiative , self-synchronisation Intent is a key capability in 21st century military operations and is a vital element to facilitate subordinates initiative (U.S Army 2003, para.1-69),...
US and other NATO specific:
- Deployable Joint Command and Control
- 505th Command and Control Wing505th Command and Control WingThe United States Air Force's 505th Command and Control Wing is organized under the USAF Warfare Center. The 505th CCW is dedicated to improving warfighter readiness through integrated training, tactics development and testing for operational-level command and control of air, space and cyberspace...
- Command and Control Research Program (CCRP)
- Future Combat Systems Command and Control Vehicle
- Global Command and Control SystemGlobal Command and Control SystemGlobal Command and Control System is a collection of SOA systems and applications which was developed to replace the Worldwide Military Command and Control System...
- Joint Force Air Component Headquarters
- Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control SystemsJoint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control SystemsJoint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control Systems or JINTACCS is a United States military program for the development and maintenance of tactical information exchange configuration items and operational procedures...
- NATO Communications and Information Systems AgencyNATO Communications and Information Systems AgencyThe NATO Communication and Information Systems Services Agency, , is a service provider to its NATO and national customers. Wherever NATO deploys on operations or exercises, NCSA is there, providing communication and information systems services in support of the mission...
- NATO Consultation, Command and Control AgencyNATO Consultation, Command and Control AgencyThe NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency was formed in 1996 by merging the SHAPE Technical Centre in The Hague, Netherlands; and the NATO Communications and Information Systems Agency in Brussels, Belgium...
- NORAD
- Worldwide Military Command and Control SystemWorldwide Military Command and Control SystemThe Worldwide Military Command and Control System was a military command and control system implemented for the command and control of the United States military. It was created in the days following the Cuban Missile Crisis...
other
- Kiev Military Institute of Control and SignalsKiev Military Institute of Control and SignalsKiev Military Institute of Control and Signals is an institution of higher military education in Ukraine, located in its capital city of Kiev. Subordinated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Institute is training officers specializing in signals, combat control, radio reconnaissance and...
- AtHoc, Inc. Mass Notification and Emergency Communication Systems
External links
- The Command and Control Research Program (CCRP)
- "Understanding Command and Control" by D. S. Alberts and R. E. Hayes (2006)