Network-Centric Operations -- Promise, Chimera, and Achilles' Heel: Challenges and Pitfalls for Networks and Information Infrastructure

摘要

Network-Centric Operations (NCO) concepts and capabilities are central to Department of Defense (DoD) transformation efforts and are predicted by advocates to have a wide-ranging impact on the conduct of warfare and military forces. The authors highlight the centrality of NCO to DoD transformation efforts using examples from Joint Vision 2010/2020, the Secretary of Defense's Office of Force Transformation, and Service transformation documents. They examine NCO concepts to identify core characteristics and the underlying capabilities levied on the supporting network. They then analyze several required capabilities to identify challenges and potential impacts should U.S. networks fail to achieve the required performance or collapse under attack. The authors illustrate these challenges using examples from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. NCO relies heavily on collaboration and information sharing and creates a radical and challenging set of requirements for supporting networks and information infrastructure. Current and near-term capabilities leave a significant gap between the network and the information infrastructure envisioned and required by NCO. Without this underlying infostructure, the projected benefits of NCO concepts will not be realized and any dependent military capabilities will suffer. The authors conclude by providing recommendations for mitigating some of the identified capability gaps and vulnerabilities.