In peacetime through the scale of conflict to a situation of war, command and control systems are there to monitor the current situation and keep society out of harm’s way. For example, we use these systems when there is a natural disaster, ensuring that the necessary provisions can be brought in to support people in affected areas as quickly as possible.
But we’ve come a long way from the early beginnings of command and control. In the digital age, pens, maps, charts and compasses have given way to increasingly more sophisticated smart command and control systems. These new systems are being developed to support crisis planning and use an integrated set of analytics tools and flexible data transfer capabilities.
Saab’s command and control systems are to a great extent used by the Swedish authorities and defence forces to monitor the country’s waters, coastline, land mass and airspace. With access to up-to-the-minute data, they are able to keep tabs on events and react if necessary. Each of these systems consist of a multitude of sensors that for instance pick up radio telecommunications and radar signals, which are then used to create information. These systems are also used for surveillance to protect borders and monitor illegal activities such as drug smuggling – both on land and at sea.
As Daniel Wengelin explains, “While any conflict will inevitably be won through sheer grit and determination, a military mission can only be carried out effectively once a consolidated picture has been built up through digital signal processing technology. It helps to eliminate errors, improves quality and makes you far less vulnerable to countermeasures.”
The technology also allows the sharing of a common picture between allies, enabling complete situational awareness.
“Sweden and Finland share national data to keep a complete and updated recognised maritime picture in the Baltic Sea,” says Johan Hägg, Senior Director & Naval C2 Domain Owner at Saab. ”Maintaining territorial integrity, knowing what’s going on around us, is a pillar of defence and hence an important part of national freedom, the protection of people and the values the nation represents.”
The fog of war
It’s not always easy to see everything though, because when a conflict develops, it comes with a certain level of confusion. The Prussian general and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz referred to this as “the fog of war”. He also wrote about “the friction of war”, where unforeseen circumstances hold up decisions and delay or prevent the execution of military strategies. Commanders need a critical overview to understand their position as it changes.
Given an accurate picture of the status quo by their command and control systems, military commanders are able to keep track of their units, vehicles and aircraft, monitor their weapons, and keep tabs on their fuel, provisions and so on. They can also identify enemy installations and vehicles and monitor their units – all essential information that helps with the planning process.
“If the command and control system knows where your own forces and the enemy forces are, and if it knows the range of your adversary’s weapons, you can assess whether you are within reach of them,” says Daniel Wengelin. “You want to be as dangerous to your enemy as possible without being shot down.”
The OODA loop
During the combat operation process, there is a cyclical process that force commanders engage in, called the OODA loop. The process is divided into four principal steps: observe (O), orient (O), decide (D), act (A). The execution of this OODA loop is supported by the command and control system.
The OODA loop theory was first developed by the US Air Force where it was applied during military campaigns. Litigation, business and law enforcement use it as much as the military. Because after all, it’s all about allocating your energies in the best possible way to defeat your adversary as quickly as possible and survive.
Daniel Wengelin says: “The faster you complete the OODA loop, the greater chance you have of success in the face of your adversary.
“In a military operation, the first ‘O’ in the loop (observe) could involve all available technical sensors and other sources to get a swift and good enough picture of the situation. Meanwhile, countermeasures such as false information, deception or jamming would be used to limit the ‘O’ for the antagonist. Data collected by the systems at hand is then consolidated and made into usable information presented in a way that makes sense, which helps with orient, the second ‘O’ in the loop. The picture gained then facilitates the process of outlining the options regarding decision-making (‘D’). Finally, the necessary action (‘A’) is taken.”