Networked Operations and Transformation

The driving concept behind the transformation of Western armed forces in the twenty-first century has been a fully integrated information network that will supposedly create a "decisive" advantage in fighting and other military actions. In a detailed examination of different types of networked operations, including Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) and Network Enabled Operations, the authors argue that such operations offer not a new theory of war but a series of largely untested assumptions that must be validated before they are accepted as a basis for transforming the military.The authors consider various approaches to networked operations that are based on the physical environment and cultural context in which armed forces operate. They conclude that a "one size fits all" approach to command and control for networked operations may not be the most effective and suggest a more human-centric approach than the primarily technology-centred model used by the U.S. military.

Allan English is adjunct professor, history, Queen's University, and the author of Understanding Military Culture: A Canadian Perspective Richard Gimblett is command historian, the Canadian Navy; research fellow, Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Dalhousie University; and the author of Operation Apollo: The Golden Age of the Canadian Navy in the War Against Terrorism Howard G. Coombs is a Ph.D. candidate, history, Queen's University, and a co-editor of The Operational Art: Canadian Perspectives - Context and Concepts