Abstract. This article is a first cut at quantitatively exploring the
conditions under which the fundamental tenets of the Network Centric
Warfare doctrine might be valid. It is based on a
somewhat more extensive study of the subject published by the
author [1] and covers three related topics: the situational awareness
that is made possible by networking of battlefield sensors, the
onset of cohesive behaviour amongst the human actors involved in
operating networked systems, and the limits of human proficiency. The
paper shows that the situational awareness obtained through the network
is not automatically better than that obtained from individual sensors
and identifies the conditions under which it might be; it
shows how the cohesive behaviour is increased by the size
of the networked community, by the quality of leadership controlling
that community, and by the degree of individual proficiency with
which members join the community; and it shows how recruiting,
training, retention, and the quality of life will affect that
individual proficiency. In the end, the article summarizes the various
factors which must be addressed before the promise of networking
can be realized.
Related topics:
network centric warfare, command systems
View first page of "Kaufman: Critical Factors Affecting the Military Utility of Networking"
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