Command and control

This article is about command and control in the military. For command and control in management, see Command and control (management).

Command and control, or C2, can be defined as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission.

Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of the mission.

Commanding officers are assisted in executing these tasks by specialised staff officers and enlisted personnel. These military staff are a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units.

The purpose of a military staff is mainly that of providing accurate, timely information which by category represents information on which command decisions are based. The key application is that of decisions that effectively manage unit resources. While information flow toward the commander is a priority, information that is useful or contingent in nature is communicated to lower staffs and units.

Command and Control Centers

A Command and Control Center is typically a secure room or building in a government, military or prison facility that operates as the agency's dispatch center, surveillance monitoring center, coordination office and alarm monitoring center all in one. Command and control centers are operated by a government or municipal agency.

Various branches of the U.S Military such as the U.S Coast Guard and Navy have command and control centers. They are also common in many large correctional facilities. These centers are staffed by highly skilled and trained C2 technicians, C2 dispatchers or C2 officers. The title will vary depending on the agency or bureau.

A command and control center that is used by a military unit in a deployed location is usually called a command post. A warship has a Combat Information Center for tactical control of the ship's resources, but commanding a fleet or joint operation requires additional space for commanders and staff plus C4I facilities provided on a Flagship (eg Aircraft Carriers), sometimes a Command ship or upgraded logistics ship such as USS Coronado (AGF-11).

See also

• Staff (military)
• Command and control warfare
• Command center
• Command ship

US and other NATO specific:

• C4ISTAR
• Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control Systems
• NATO Communications and Information Systems Agency
• NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency
• NORAD
• Worldwide Military Command and Control System
• Future Combat Systems Command and Control Vehicle
• Global Command and Control System
• Joint Force Air Component Headquarters
• Command and Control Research Program
• 505th Command and Control Wing

References

• Field Manual 3-0, Operations, Headquarters United States Army, Department of the Army, Washington, DC, 2001

External links

• The Command and Control Research Program (CCRP)
• "Understanding Command and Control" by D. S. Alberts and R. E. Hayes (2006)