Battle command
Encyclopedia
Battle command is the art and science of visualizing, describing, directing, and leading forces in operations
against a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy. Battle command applies leadership to translate decision into actions, by synchronizing forces and warfighting functions in time, space, and purpose, to accomplish missions. Battle command refers both to processes triggered by commander
s and executed by soldiers and to the system of systems
(SoS) that directly enables those processes. When referring to a process, battle command is clearly a human endeavor.
decision-making, leading, and motivating soldier
s and their organizations into action to accomplish missions. BC includes visualizing the current state and future state, formulating concepts of operations to get from one to the other, and doing so at least cost. Assigning missions, prioritizing and allocating resources, selecting the critical time and place to act, and knowing how and when to make adjustments during the fight are also included.
at brigade level enables commanders to lead, prioritize, and allocate assets required to employ and sustain combat power. The brigade commander must see further, process information faster and strike more precisely and quicker. If information is the medium of the BC process, the BC system must provide the commander with timely and accurate information on which to base the commander's decision.
. In other contexts (e.g. Battle management command), BM appears to be a subset of command and control
.
es associated with command and control
of military
forces are detailed in various publications of the United States Department of Defense
.
exhibits all of the traits/qualities of an SoS. A BC SoS
can be decomposed into system
s such as maneuver
, logistics
, fires and effects, air support
, intelligence
, surveillance
, recognizance
(ISR), terrain
, and weather
). Among the many inputs of these systems is a plethora of sensors which undergo sensor fusion
and are compiled into a common operational picture
/local operational picture
that enable commanders to achieve situational awareness (SA)/situational understanding (SU). SA/SU is paramount for commanders to command and control modern military
forces.
of the BC SoS
is the PM BC, a subordinate organization within the PEO C3T.
is that a commander
has little communication
while in the battlefield. Command and control
planning occurs at a command post
(CP) or tactical operations center
(TOC). Once a battle begins, a commander
leaves the CP/TOC and moves forward to stay engaged. A commander has limited communication possibilities while in the battlefield, making it difficult to follow and control all events as they happen. Battle command on the move (BCOTM) is a capability that provides commanders all of the information resident in their CP/TOC and the required communications necessary to command and control on the move, or at a short halt, from any vantage point on the battlefield.
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
against a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy. Battle command applies leadership to translate decision into actions, by synchronizing forces and warfighting functions in time, space, and purpose, to accomplish missions. Battle command refers both to processes triggered by commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
s and executed by soldiers and to the system of systems
System of systems
System of systems is a collection of task-oriented or dedicated systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to create a new, more complex system which offers more functionality and performance than simply the sum of the constituent systems...
(SoS) that directly enables those processes. When referring to a process, battle command is clearly a human endeavor.
FM 100.5
BC is defined as the art of battleBattle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
decision-making, leading, and motivating soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s and their organizations into action to accomplish missions. BC includes visualizing the current state and future state, formulating concepts of operations to get from one to the other, and doing so at least cost. Assigning missions, prioritizing and allocating resources, selecting the critical time and place to act, and knowing how and when to make adjustments during the fight are also included.
FM 7-30
BC is the art and science of battlefield decision making and leading soldiers and units to successfully accomplish the mission. The BC basic elements are decision making, leading, and controlling. The BC System of SystemsSystem of systems
System of systems is a collection of task-oriented or dedicated systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to create a new, more complex system which offers more functionality and performance than simply the sum of the constituent systems...
at brigade level enables commanders to lead, prioritize, and allocate assets required to employ and sustain combat power. The brigade commander must see further, process information faster and strike more precisely and quicker. If information is the medium of the BC process, the BC system must provide the commander with timely and accurate information on which to base the commander's decision.
Synonyms
BC is also known by the following terms:- Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissanceC4ISTARIn military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control.C2I stands for command, control, and intelligence....
(C4ISRC4ISTARIn military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control.C2I stands for command, control, and intelligence....
)
Battle management
Battle management (BM) is the management of activities within the operational environment based on the commands, direction, and guidance given by appropriate authority. BM is considered to be a subset of BC.In some contexts (e.g. BMC3 and C2BM), BM appears to be distinct from command and controlCommand and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization 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...
. In other contexts (e.g. Battle management command), BM appears to be a subset of command and control
Command and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization 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...
.
Processes
Business processBusiness process
A business process or business method is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks that produce a specific service or product for a particular customer or customers...
es associated with command and control
Command and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization 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...
of military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
forces are detailed in various publications of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
.
System of systems
Modern BC software/hardwareHardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
exhibits all of the traits/qualities of an SoS. A BC SoS
System of systems
System of systems is a collection of task-oriented or dedicated systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to create a new, more complex system which offers more functionality and performance than simply the sum of the constituent systems...
can be decomposed into system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
s such as maneuver
Maneuver
Maneuver, manoeuvre may be a synonym for strategy or tactic. It is the manipulation of a situation in order to gain some advantage.- Military or naval movement :* Military exercise...
, logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, fires and effects, air support
Air Support
Air Support is a 1992 computer game for the Amiga and Atari ST. It is a top-down strategy game, with a first-person mode available for special missions. The game takes place during a retrofuturistic 21st century where all wars are fought in virtual reality. The game was given mostly positive...
, intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
, surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
, recognizance
Recognizance
In some common law nations, a recognizance is a conditional obligation undertaken by a person before a court. It is an obligation of record, entered into before a court or magistrate duly authorized, whereby the party bound acknowledges that he owes a personal debt to the state...
(ISR), terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
, and weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
). Among the many inputs of these systems is a plethora of sensors which undergo sensor fusion
Sensor fusion
Sensor fusion is the combining of sensory data or data derived from sensory data from disparate sources such that the resulting information is in some sense better than would be possible when these sources were used individually...
and are compiled into a common operational picture
Common Operational Picture
A common operational picture is a single identical display of relevant information shared by more than one Command...
/local operational picture
Local operational picture
A local operational picture is a single identical display of relevant information of the battlespace constructed for local use.A LOP is an emerging military concept...
that enable commanders to achieve situational awareness (SA)/situational understanding (SU). SA/SU is paramount for commanders to command and control modern military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
forces.
Military acquisition
The Department of the Army organization primarily responsible for the acquisitionMilitary acquisition
Military acquisition is the bureaucratic management and procurement process dealing with a nation's investments in the technologies, programs, and product support necessary to achieve its national security strategy and support its armed forces...
of the BC SoS
System of systems
System of systems is a collection of task-oriented or dedicated systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to create a new, more complex system which offers more functionality and performance than simply the sum of the constituent systems...
is the PM BC, a subordinate organization within the PEO C3T.
Battle command on the move (BCOTM)
One of the problems with BC SoSSystem of systems
System of systems is a collection of task-oriented or dedicated systems that pool their resources and capabilities together to create a new, more complex system which offers more functionality and performance than simply the sum of the constituent systems...
is that a commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
has little communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
while in the battlefield. Command and control
Command and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization 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...
planning occurs at a command post
Command and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization 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...
(CP) or tactical operations center
Tactical Operations Center
A tactical operations center is a command post for police, paramilitary, or military operations. A TOC usually includes a small group of specially trained officers or military personnel who guide members of an active tactical element during a mission....
(TOC). Once a battle begins, a commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
leaves the CP/TOC and moves forward to stay engaged. A commander has limited communication possibilities while in the battlefield, making it difficult to follow and control all events as they happen. Battle command on the move (BCOTM) is a capability that provides commanders all of the information resident in their CP/TOC and the required communications necessary to command and control on the move, or at a short halt, from any vantage point on the battlefield.
Airborne battle command
Example airborne systems that contribute to BC:- E-8 Joint STARSE-8 Joint STARSThe Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is a battle management and command and control aircraft of the United States Air Force...
- E-3 SentryE-3 SentryThe Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
See also
- 505th Command and Control Wing505th Command and Control WingThe United States Air Force's 505th Command and Control Wing is organized under the USAF Warfare Center. The 505th CCW is dedicated to improving warfighter readiness through integrated training, tactics development and testing for operational-level command and control of air, space and cyberspace...
- Battle management language
- C4ISTARC4ISTARIn military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control.C2I stands for command, control, and intelligence....
- Command and control (military)Command and Control (military)Command and control, or C2, in a military organization 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 Research Program
- Command and control warfareCommand and control warfareCommand and control warfare encompasses all the military tactics that use communications technology. It can be abbreviated as . An older name for these tactics is signals warfare, derived from the name given to communications by the military....
- Command centerCommand centerA command center is any place that is used to provide centralized command for some purpose.While frequently considered to be a military facility, these can be used in many other cases by governments or businesses...
- Command shipCommand shipCommand ships serve as the flagships of the Commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and his staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities....
- Common operational pictureCommon Operational PictureA common operational picture is a single identical display of relevant information shared by more than one Command...
- Future Combat Systems manned ground vehiclesFuture Combat Systems manned ground vehiclesThe Future Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicles was a family of lighter and more transportable ground vehicles developed by BAE Systems Inc and General Dynamics as part of the United States Army's Future Combat Systems program. The ground vehicles were to be based on a common tracked vehicle...
- Global Command and Control SystemGlobal Command and Control SystemGlobal Command and Control System is a collection of SOA systems and applications which was developed to replace the Worldwide Military Command and Control System...
- Global Information GridGlobal Information GridThe Global Information Grid is an all-encompassing communications project of the United States Department of Defense.It is defined as a "globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating, and managing information on demand to...
- Joint Force Air Component Headquarters
- Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control SystemsJoint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control SystemsJoint Interoperability of Tactical Command and Control Systems or JINTACCS is a United States military program for the development and maintenance of tactical information exchange configuration items and operational procedures...
- Local operational pictureLocal operational pictureA local operational picture is a single identical display of relevant information of the battlespace constructed for local use.A LOP is an emerging military concept...
- NATO Communications and Information Systems AgencyNATO Communications and Information Systems AgencyThe NATO Communication and Information Systems Services Agency, , is a service provider to its NATO and national customers. Wherever NATO deploys on operations or exercises, NCSA is there, providing communication and information systems services in support of the mission...
- NATO Consultation, Command and Control AgencyNATO Consultation, Command and Control AgencyThe NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency was formed in 1996 by merging the SHAPE Technical Centre in The Hague, Netherlands; and the NATO Communications and Information Systems Agency in Brussels, Belgium...
- NORAD
- Program Executive Office Command Control and Communications Tactical
- Project Manager Battle CommandProject Manager Battle CommandProject Manager Battle Command develops, deploys and sustains integrated Battle Command software capabilities to the Army and Joint forces. PM BC supports the Warfighter by ensuring units are efficiently fielded, effectively trained and professionally supported...
- Project Manager Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below
- Staff (military)
- Worldwide Military Command and Control SystemWorldwide Military Command and Control SystemThe Worldwide Military Command and Control System was a military command and control system implemented for the command and control of the United States military. It was created in the days following the Cuban Missile Crisis...
- Mobile Modular Command and Control (M2C2) program