1. An integrated communications system is comprised of the networks and services that enable joint and multinational capabilities. The objective of the joint communications system is to assist the force commanders in command and control (C2) of military operations. Effective C2 is vital for proper integration and employment of capabilities. The Armed Force’s end-to-end communications system supporting the force commanders is the Armed Force’s Communication Network (AFCN). The AFCN is the set of information capabilities, and associated processes to collect, process, store, disseminate, and manage information on demand to warfighters, policy makers, and support personnel. The network can be interconnected or stand alone, including owned and leased communications and computing systems and services, software (including applications), data, security services, other associated services and national security systems. The AFCN conceptually unifies the Armed Force’s information and communication systems and networks into a real-time information system of systems that provides increased information capabilities to the joint force. Communications systems are more than electronic boxes, wires, and radio signals, and the AFCN is more than a collection of information networks. The interdependence of the parts, as well as the processes, policy and data on these systems, permeate daily life and preparation for and execution of operations. An effective communications system helps commanders maintain the unity of effort to apply their forces’ capabilities at critical times and places to achieve objectives.
Command and Control
2. Elements of the C2 System. The first element of a C2 system is people, who acquire information, make decisions, take action, communicate, and collaborate with one another to accomplish a common goal. Human beings—from the senior commander framing a strategic concept to the most junior service member at the tactical level calling in a situation report, are integral components of the joint communications system and not merely users. The second element of the C2 system is comprised of the facilities, equipment, communications, staff functions, and procedures essential to a commander to plan, direct, monitor, and control operations of assigned forces pursuant to the missions assigned. Although families of hardware are often referred to as systems, the C2 system is more than simply equipment. High-quality equipment and advanced technology do not guarantee adequate communications or effective C2. Both start with well-trained and qualified people supported by an effective guiding philosophy and procedures.
3. Quality of Information. There are two basic uses for information. The first is to help create situational awareness (SA) as the basis for a decision. The second is to direct and coordinate actions in the execution of the decision. In one way or another, effective C2 is inherently dependent on information: getting it, evaluating its accuracy, judging its value, processing it into useful form, acting on it, and sharing it with those who need it in the most expeditious, secure manner. The C2 system must present information in a form that is quickly understood and useful to the recipient at every required level of warfare be it strategic, operational or tactical.
4. Information Management (IM). Managing and maintaining the quality of information is as important as other military tasks. Good IM makes accomplishment of other tasks less complex. Automation and standardisation of communications system processes and procedures improve IM and assist the commander’s effectiveness and speed of C2. Improved technology in mobility, weapons, sensors, and communications continues to reduce reaction time, increase the operating tempos, and generate large amounts of information. If information is not properly managed, the abilities of commanders, decision makers and ultimately, the joint force may be degraded. It is essential that the joint communications system complement human capabilities and reduce or eliminate anticipated or known limitations to mission accomplishment. A well-crafted and coordinated set of integrated procedures and interoperable systems is important to operating in a joint, multinational, and interagency context of current and future operations. The value of technology, organisation and strategy is diminished in the absence of a professional force to leverage their value. A comprehensive and thoroughly rehearsed set of operational procedures is crucial to developing that required degree of proficiency. The communications system must be of sufficient scale, capacity, reach, reliability, resilience, survivability and robustness to support evolving operational and training missions. Additionally, the communications system should integrate new technologies to facilitate delivery of the right information to the right location at the right time in an actionable format for the intended user.
Role of Communication Network
5. A secure, robust, and reliable communications system gives the force commanders the means to assimilate information and to exercise authority and direct forces over large geographic areas and a wide range of conditions. A communications system that provides connectivity throughout the operational area from the strategic to tactical levels is vital to plan, conduct, sustain operations, and enable information superiority. The force commanders should maintain reliable, resilient, jam-resistant, and secure communications with higher, supported, supporting, and subordinate commands during all phases of an operation and in all types of degraded environments. Operations at all levels routinely require long-range, mobile communications. Consideration must be made for en route, intra-theatre and inter-theatre communications. In addition, the communications system must be prepared to interface mission partners. This same standard and rigor of communications must be maintained throughout the supporting and subordinate commands. This requirement supports information security as well as a positive flow of information.
6. The communications system is the force commander’s principal tool to collect, monitor, transport, process, protect and disseminate information. Given the criticality of information, the security of the communications system is paramount to ensuring the force commanders can trust the information it provides. Effective C2, through the exchange of information, integrates joint force components and allows them to function effectively across vast distances, in austere or complex environments and in all weather conditions. The mission and structure of the joint force drives specific information flow and processing requirements. The location and information requirements of the joint force drive the configuration and capabilities of the communications system. The goal is to rapidly achieve secure information sharing to facilitate a common understanding of the current situation throughout the operational environment. It also ensures information availability and access across the operational environment and facilitates the following :
(a) Joint and Multinational Operations and Interagency Coordination. The communications system facilitates joint and multinational operations and interagency coordination by providing the means to share operational area visualisation manage information and facilitate collaborative planning, rehearsal, execution and assessment with mission partners.
(b) Strategic Agility. The communications system supports the rapid deployment and employment of task-organised forces anywhere in the world. Rapid information sharing around the globe permits simultaneous, interactive planning from widely dispersed locations, thereby allowing the use of remote staffs to develop and coordinate an operation plan and execute an operation order. It provides force commanders, the ability to reach back to data repositories, thereby increasing deployability, reducing footprint and enhancing access to global intelligence assets. The communications system supports collaboration that assists force commanders in conducting detailed, concurrent and parallel planning.
(c) Operational Reach. The communications system supports the synchronisation of military capabilities, allowing commanders to locate and identify friendly forces in the operational environment and support the conduct of over-the-horizon operations with beyond line-of-sight communications and communications on the move.
(d) Tactical Flexibility. The communications system allows the joint force to enhance SA and timely decision making to rapidly and positively identify and engage targets and to develop and conduct a wide range of military operations. The communications system supports the development and dissemination of the commander’s intent and planning guidance, fostering decentralised execution. Timely delivery of information concerning targets, movement of forces, condition of equipment, levels of supplies and disposition of assets, both friendly and adversary to the joint force enables more effective decentralised execution.
(e) Network Enabled Operations. The modern communications system allows the interconnection (networking) of geographically separated forces, which permit network-enabled operations. Network-enabled operations are military operations that exploit information and networking technology to integrate widely dispersed human decision makers, situational and targeting sensors, forces and weapons into a highly adaptive and comprehensive system. Network enabled operations exploit the combat power derived from the networking of well informed and geographically dispersed forces. A securely networked-force can increase operational visibility and combat power thus achieving greater speed of command decisions and increasing the lethality, survivability and responsiveness of the force. Network connectivity is mission critical and can determine mission viability during planning and execution. The loss of network connectivity can put the force at risk, threatening lethality and survivability. The inseparable link between tactical communications, force capability and C2 should be continually addressed during planning and execution to mitigate the adverse impact of unforeseen consequences. Since a significant portion of any communications system relies upon wireless transmissions, access to the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) must be a consideration when planning network connectivity. Today, all joint force operations depend on assured EMS access throughout the operational environment. The joint force’s growing dependence on the EMS is a critical vulnerability that any adversary will seek to exploit. The joint force’s ability to use the EMS is a key to success in the future operational environment.
(f) Information Superiority. Information superiority is the operational advantage derived from the ability to collect, process and disseminate an uninterrupted flow of information while exploiting or denying an adversary’s ability to do the same. The communications system must facilitate information superiority and information management. Information superiority and information management lie at the core of every military activity. Information superiority is more than just having an information edge over an adversary or sustaining the information needs of our own forces. It also involves denying an adversary’s ability to do the same. This mandates the requirement to develop doctrine, tactics, techniques, procedures, organisational relationships and technologies to win the information fight. The quality of information depends upon the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, usability, brevity, security, and completeness of information from all sources.
7. Functions of a Communication System. The communications system supporting the military forces must anticipate and adapt to changing demands and provide information that meets all information quality attributes. By meeting these fundamental objectives, the communications system enables joint forces to seize opportunities and meet mission objectives. The communications system facilitates information sharing and decision support and is an essential building block in the operational environment. Information system components that make up the communications system normally have the following capabilities:
(a) Acquire. The introduction of information into the communications system.
(b) Process. Specified sequence of operations performed on well defined inputs to produce a specified output.
(c) Store. Retention, organisation and disposition of data, information or knowledge to facilitate sharing and retrieval.
(d) Transport. End-to-end information exchange and dissemination in a global environment.
(e) Control. The function of directing, monitoring, and regulating communications system functions to fulfil operational requirements within specific performance parameters.
(f) Protect. Information integrity, secure processing and transmission with access only by authorised personnel.
(g) Disseminate. Distributing processed information to the appropriate users Present Information provided to the user in the method that best facilitates understanding and use.
8. Joint Communication System Principles. A force that is linked and synchronised in time and purpose is considered networked. The joint force capitalises on information and near simultaneous dissemination to turn information into actions. An effective communications system helps the Force Commanders to conduct distributed operations. Joint force employment decisions are influenced by the communications system’s ability to network the force. This inseparably links network control to C2 prioritisation and decisions. Networked joint forces increase operational effectiveness by allowing dispersed forces to more efficiently communicate, manoeuvre, populate, access and share a common operational picture, and attain the desired end state at all levels of command. To provide the flexibility to dynamically meet mission objectives, the communications system must follow certain basic principles. These are as follows:
(a) Interoperable. A system is said to be interoperable when information can be exchanged between communications systems/equipment directly and satisfactorily between them and/or their users. It is facilitated by common equipments, compatibility of equipments, standardisation and liaison.
(b) Agility. In order to provide it the right kind of agility, a system should have the following qualities:-
(i) Responsiveness. The ability to react to a change in the environment in a timely manner.
(ii) Flexibility. The ability to employ multiple ways to succeed and the capacity to move seamlessly between them.
(iii) Innovation. The ability to do new things and to do old things in new ways.
(iv) Adaptation. The ability to change work processes and to change as per the organisation.
(c) Trusted. Trusted communication attributes are survivability, security and sustainability. Security includes physical security of the communications system components and facilities, personnel security of individuals authorized access to the communications system and operations security procedures and techniques protecting operational employment of the communications system components.
(d) Shared. The system should be able to facilitate information, services and capabilities.
(e) Low probability of intercept (LPI) and low probability of detection (LPD) capabilities and techniques designed to defeat adversary attempts to detect and exploit the communications system transmission media.
(f) Robustness . It is the ability to maintain effectiveness across a range of tasks, situations, and conditions.
(g) Resilience. It is the ability to rapidly recover from or adjust to misfortune, damage, or a destabilizing event in the environment.