Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ...

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employs human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or enterprise, according to a 2015 definition by military scientists

Marius Vassiliou Marius Vassiliou (born 1957) is an American computational scientist, geophysicist, and aerospace executive. He is also an authority on the history of petroleum. Vassiliou is of Greek Cypriot descent and was educated at Harvard University and t ...

David S. Alberts David Stephen Alberts (born 1942) is a former American Director of Research for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration (NII). Biography David S. Alberts did his undergraduate work was at Ci ...

, and Jonathan R. Agre. The term often refers to a military system. Versions of the United States Army ''Field Manual 3-0'' circulated circa 1999 define C2 in a military organization as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of a

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

. A 1988

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

definition is that command and control is the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated individual over assigned resources in the accomplishment of a common goal. An Australian Defence Force definition, similar to that of NATO, emphasises that C2 is the system empowering designated personnel to exercise lawful authority and direction over assigned forces for the accomplishment of missions and tasks. The Australian doctrine goes on to state: "The use of agreed terminology and definitions is fundamental to any C2 system and the development of joint doctrine and procedures. The definitions in the following paragraphs have some agreement internationally, although not every potential ally will use the terms with exactly the same meaning."

Overview

US perspective

The US ''

Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms The ''Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms'' is a compendium of terminology used by the United States Department of Defense (DOD). The print version consists of 574 pages of terms and 140 pages of acronyms. It sets for ...

'' defines command and control as: "The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Also called C2. Source: JP 1". The edition of the ''Dictionary'' "As Amended Through April 2010" elaborates, "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." However, this sentence is missing from the "command and control" entry for the edition "As Amended Through 15 August 2014." Commanding officers are assisted in executing these tasks by specialized

staff officers A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military u ...

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 Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation ...

. 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.

Computer security industry

This term is also in common use within the

computer security Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, t ...

industry and in the context of cyberwarfare. Here the term refers to the influence an attacker has over a compromised computer system that they control. For example, a valid usage of the term is to say that attackers use "command and control infrastructure" to issue "command and control instructions" to their victims. Advanced analysis of command and control methodologies can be used to identify attackers, associate attacks, and disrupt ongoing malicious activity.

Derivative terms

There is a plethora of derivative terms which emphasise different aspects, uses and sub-domains of C2. These terms come with a plethora of associated abbreviations – for example, in addition to C2, command and control is also often abbreviated as C², and sometimes as C&C. Embraer R-99 6750 (9502952605)

"Command and control" have been coupled with: * Collaboration * Communication / communications * Computers / computing *

Electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

Interoperability Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader defi ...

Reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

* Surveillance *

Target acquisition Target acquisition is the detection and identification of the location of a target in sufficient detail to permit the effective employment of lethal and non-lethal means. The term is used for a broad area of applications. A "target" here is an e ...

and others. Some of the more common variations include: * C2I – Command, control & intelligence * C2I – command, control & information (a less common usage) * R2C2I - rapid advanced manufacturing, command, control & intelligence eveloped by SICDRONE* C2IS – command and control information systems * C2ISR – C2I plus surveillance and reconnaissance * C2ISTAR – C2 plus

ISTAR ISTAR stands for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing ...

(intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) * C3 – command, control & communication (human activity focus) * C3 – command, control & communications (technology focus) * C3 – consultation, command, and control ATO* C3I – 4 possibilities; the most common is command, control, communications and intelligence * C3ISTAR – C3 plus ISTAR * C3ISREW – C2ISR plus communications plus electronic warfare (technology focus) * C3MS - cyber command and control mission system * C3/SA - C3 plus

situational awareness Situational awareness or situation awareness (SA) is the perception of environmental elements and events with respect to time or space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their future status. An alternative definition is tha ...

* C4, C4I, C4ISR, C4ISTAR, C4ISREW, C4ISTAREW – plus computers (technology focus) or computing (human activity focus) * C⁴I² – command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, and interoperability * C5I – command, control, communications, computers, collaboration and intelligence * C5I – command, control, communications, computers, cyber and intelligence (US Army) * C6ISR – command, control, communications, computers, cyber-defense and combat systems and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance * MDC2 - multi-domain command and control * NC2 −

nuclear command and control Nuclear command and control (NC2) is the command and control of nuclear weapons. The U. S. military's ''Nuclear Matters Handbook 2015'' defined it as the "activities, processes, and procedures performed by appropriate military commanders and sup ...

* NC3 − nuclear command and control and communications and others. :Command: The exercise of authority based upon certain knowledge to attain an objective. :Control: The process of verifying and correcting activity such that the objective or goal of command is accomplished. :Communication: Ability to exercise the necessary liaison to exercise effective command between tactical or strategic units to command. :Computers: The computer systems and compatibility of computer systems. Also includes data processing. :Intelligence: Includes collection as well as analysis and distribution of information.

Command and control centers

File:Soviet command ship SSV-33.jpg, The Soviet nuclear-powered command and control naval ship SSV-33 ''Ural'' in the year 1988 File:US Navy 040616-N-3725R-009 Joint Operations Center watch standers review the latest battle assessment.jpg, Joint Operations Center watch standers aboard the command ship USS ''Mount Whitney'' in the year 2005 A command and control center is typically a secure room or building in a government, military or

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

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

US military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six Military branch, service branches: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States N ...

such as the

US Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

have command and control centers. They are also common in many large correctional facilities. A command and control center that is used by a military unit in a deployed location is usually called a "command post".US Army PEO C3T – Project Manager, Command Posts
, peoc3t.monmouth.army.mil A warship has a

combat information center A combat information center (CIC) or action information centre (AIC) is a room in a warship or AWACS aircraft that functions as a tactical center and provides processed information for command and control of the near battlespace or area of op ...

for tactical control of the ship's resources, but commanding a fleet or joint operation requires additional space for commanders and staff plus

C4I Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

facilities provided on a flagship (e.g., aircraft carriers), sometimes a

command ship Command ships serve as the flagships of the commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and their staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities. An auxiliary command ship features ...

or upgraded logistics ship such as USS ''Coronado''.

Command and control warfare

Command and control warfare encompasses all the military tactics that use communications technology. It can be abbreviated as C²W. An older name for these tactics is "signals warfare", derived from the name given to communications by the military. Newer names include

information operations Information Operations is a category of direct and indirect support operations for the United States Military. By definition in Joint Publication 3-13, "IO are described as the integrated employment of electronic warfare (EW), computer network ...

and

information warfare Information warfare (IW) (as different from cyber warfare that attacks computers, software, and command control systems) is a concept involving the battlespace use and management of information and communication technology (ICT) in pursuit of a ...

. The following techniques are combined: *

Cyber operations Cyberwarfare is the use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes. As a major developed economy, the United States i ...

with the physical destruction of enemy communications facilities. The objective is to deny

information Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random ...

to the enemy and so disrupt its command and control capabilities. At the same time precautions are taken to protect friendly command and control capabilities against retaliation. In addition to targeting the enemy's command and control,

can be directed to the enemy's politicians and other civilian communications. *

(EW) * Military deception *

Operations security Operations security (OPSEC) is a process that identifies critical information to determine if friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to them, a ...

(OPSEC) *

Psychological operations Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and M ...

(PSYOP) *

Psychological warfare Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and M ...

References

Citations

Sources

* *

External links

* * {{Commons category-inline
Command and control definitions and procedures
UK College of Policing
The Command and Control Research Program (CCRP)

"Understanding Command and Control"
by D. S. Alberts and R. E. Hayes (2006) Military terminology Military science Military organization