Using information technology - network centric warfare

Recently, the commercial sector has been at the forefront of exploiting technology to more effectively and efficiently serve customers. As a result, the conduct of business has been revolutionised, resulting in the demise of some traditional industries and incredible levels of growth in many others.

The 'business of business' essentially remains the same, but the ways and means of doing business have changed as information technologies are explored, adapted and applied. These same technologies are affecting the way armed forces conduct their business of warfighting. This is change is often summed up as Network Centric Warfare (NCW).

NCW will not change the essence of warfighting-it will remain chaotic, dangerous, violent and uncertain-but technology is enabling new ways of achieving missions. Existing and emerging information technologies provide opportunities and novel ways of warfighting. Change brings opportunities. The challenge for armed forces is to identify relevant and affordable opportunities to better achieve required outcomes.

Much of the debate on NCW is centred around the impact it will have on large and highly developed armed forces such as the United States. However, small nations and their defence forces will have different challenges and will therefore require different approaches to benefit from modern information and communications technology. Smaller scale of forces, more modest budgets, and unique strategic circumstances all demand specialist solutions.

One organisation that has helped provide these answers is Australian company Noetic Solutions (Noetic). Noetic has assisted the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in developing its concepts and ideas for implementing NCW. Noetic produced the capstone strategic concept/developing doctrine in Enabling Force 2020: Network Centric Warfare.

This included over 40 focussed interviews across Defence's senior leaders and the facilitation of a workshop to determine the key issues arising from Network Centric Warfare specific to the ADF. Noetic continues to support the Office of the Chief Information Officer in the development of concepts, road maps and architectures for the ADF.

This includes work on networking the land battlespace, human resources implications and information support and superiority. Noetic has also participated in international conferences and conducted workshops on Network Centric Warfare for small nations.