ISSUE 176 : Jul/Aug - 2008 - Australian Defence Force Journal

Perceptions of Operations and Command
from the Battlespace: The Collaboration Space
Dr Leoni Warne, DSTO, Irena Ali, DSTO, Celina Pascoe, DSTO and Mark Lewis,
DSTO
Introduction
The Human Dimension Concepts Team (HDCT) from DSTO’s Joint Operations Division (formerly
Defence Systems Analysis Division) has been investigating the human dimension issues of
Network Centric Warfare (NCW) and future warfighting concepts over the past four years. 1
As part of this research, the team has conducted semi-structured interviews with personnel
returning from the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) between 2003 and 2007. This
article reflects, through the voices of the warfighters themselves, some of the significant
issues emerging from this research. Findings on mission command and the devolution of
command in the battlespace are presented elsewhere in this issue. 2 In this article, perceptions
on working in a coalition environment and the related issues of cultural differences and trust
are presented, in order to derive some human dimension lessons from the deployment to the
MEAO and to heighten awareness of these issues for future operations. The primary purpose
of this article, therefore, is to promote discussion on some of the issues in the collaboration
space of the modern battlespace.
The Australian concept for NCW is encapsulated in the following quote:
On the surface, Network Centric Warfare (NCW) is a simple concept that involves the linkage of
engagement systems to sensors through networks and the sharing of information between force
elements. Consequently, much of the discussion and early development of the concept revolved
around connecting information systems and creating software applications that allow people to
use the available data. However, NCW is also based on the idea that information is only useful if
it allows people to act more effectively: this makes the human dimension fundamental to NCW.
(ADF, 2004, p. v)
The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan provide significant ADF experience of warfare
fitting, at least to some extent, the notion of ‘NCW’ or Network Centric Warfare (Warne et al.
2004). NCW is based on the idea that rapid information transmission allows personnel and units
to act more effectively through enhanced connectivity, distributed warfighting and the linkage
and interaction of national policy, government agencies and military operations. NCW can,
therefore, be described as the style of warfare that is potentially possible when combat units
are robustly connected by information. While this has not yet been fully achieved in the Middle
East theatre of operations, it certainly has been partially achieved and therefore emerging issues
can be identified early to optimise future warfighting. In Iraq, active deconfliction and more
discriminating and economical combat power was deployed as well as far more integration
of joint capabilities through NCW. It is clear that future warfare will continue to involve even
more collaboration across Services, across nations, and with civilian agencies. 3
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