This is the fourth and final concept paper in a series examining the possible evolution of military command and control (C2) in the future. Building on the findings of previous papers, CP4 takes a closer look at enablers for C2 systems in the future, in terms of technological, personnel-related and organisational characteristics.  It also looks at how Defence can ensure that C2 capability continues to evolve and adapt to the demands of the FOE. 

Command and Control in the Future

Concept Paper 4: C2 Enablers

Rebecca Lucas, Stella Harrison, Conlan Ellis, James Black, Ben Fawkes, Martin Robson, Alan Brown, Edward Keedwell

ResearchPublished Jul 24, 2024

This is the fourth and final concept paper (CP) in a series examining the possible evolution of military command and control (C2) in the future. Building on the findings of previous papers, CP4 takes a closer look at enablers for C2 systems in the future, in terms of technological, personnel-related and organisational characteristics.  It also looks at how Defence can ensure that C2 capability continues to evolve and adapt to the demands of the FOE. It ends by drawing out a series of key implications for the UK Ministry of Defence from the findings of all four CPs. 

Key Findings

  • The Defence C2 enterprise of the future will not be a single entity, but rather a more fluid and varying combination of individuals and organisations.
  • Collaboration with diverse partners is going to be a key enabler of C2 systems in the future. The Defence C2 enterprise will therefore need to consist of multiple, parallel C2 systems and must be able to adapt effectively and move flexibly to handle diverse challenges and circumstances. To make this more flexible and adaptable C2 enterprise work in practice, Defence will need to undergo profound change both to ways of organising and to more intangible aspects of culture. The necessary organisational changes will not be possible without a united effort from Defence, including clear endorsement and investment from leadership.
  • Training, education and rigorous exercises will be key enablers for a range of capabilities. To guide this process of learning and iteration, and support resource prioritisation, Defence is going to need metrics and a shared understanding of what 'good' looks like.
  • Defence will need to put in greater effort to attract and recruit a variety of skills crucial to C2 systems in the future. Given intense competition for such skills from across Defence, PAGs and the private sector, Defence must also consider how best to motivate, develop and retain this talent.
  • Defence will need to understand C2 as a socio-capability that needs to be continuously cultivated in a holistic and proactive manner in order to join up efforts from across Defence and achieve shared goals.
  • Defence cannot simply 'purchase' new C2 systems off-the-shelf and should be wary of promises of any technological 'silver bullet', but rather will need to invest in and iterate new capabilities and systems over time while responsibly managing the transition away from legacy capabilities.
  • Achieving these objectives will require collaboration and cooperation across the whole of the Defence enterprise, including industry and academia.

Topics

Document Details

  • Copyright: Crown copyright (under DEFCON 703)
  • Publisher: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2024
  • Pages: 68
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2476-4
  • Document Number: RR-A2476-4

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Lucas, Rebecca, Stella Harrison, Conlan Ellis, James Black, Ben Fawkes, Martin Robson, Alan Brown, and Edward Keedwell, Command and Control in the Future: Concept Paper 4: C2 Enablers. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2476-4.html.
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This research was prepared for the Development Concepts and Doctrine Centre and conducted by the Defence and Security Program within RAND Europe.

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