Subject: [NEXTEL-1] June 2004 MILITARY OPERATIONS Recent Campaigns Benefited from Improved Communications

From: NEXTEL-1
Date: Sun, 04 Jul 2004 20:20:55 -0400

June 2004 MILITARY OPERATIONS Recent Campaigns Benefited from Improved
Communications
and Technology, but Barriers to Continued Progress Remain

Improvements in force networks and in the use of precision weapons are
clearly primary reasons for the overwhelming combat power demonstrated
in recent operations. However, the full extent to which operations have
been speeded up or otherwise affected is unclear because DOD does not
have detailed measures of these effects. Enhancements to networked
operations, such as improved sensors and surveillance mechanisms, and
more integrated command and control centers, have improved DOD’s ability
to share a broad view of the battlefield and communicate quickly with
all elements of the force—reducing the time required for analysis and
decision making in combat operations. However, recognizing that the full
impact of these changes is unclear, DOD is conducting a series of case
studies to better understand the effects of networked operations.
Improvements in force networks have also been enhanced by the use of
precision-guided weapons and associated technologies. These improvements
not only provide commanders with greatly increased flexibility, such as
the ability to conduct bombing operations in poor weather and from
higher and safer altitudes, but also increase the accuracy of bombing
operations. GAO’s analysis found that the percentage of attacks
resulting in damage or destruction to targets increased markedly between
operations in Kosovo and those in Afghanistan.

Notwithstanding these improvements, certain barriers inhibit continued
progress in implementing the new strategy. Four interrelated areas stand
out as key:

• A lack of standardized, interoperable systems and equipment, which
reduces effectiveness by requiring operations to be slowed to manually
reconcile information from multiple systems and limiting access to
needed capabilities among military services.

• Continuing difficulties in obtaining timely, high quality analyses of
bombing damages, which can slow ground advances and negate other
improvements in the speed of operations.

• The absence of a unified battlefield information system to provide
standardized measures and baseline data on bombing effectiveness, which
creates confusion about the success of new tactics and technologies,
about assumptions used in battlefield simulation programs, and about
procurement decisions.

• The lack of high quality, realistic training to help personnel at all
levels understand and adapt to the increased flow of information, more
centralized management, and other changes in the operating environment
brought about by the strategic changes.

Recent U.S. combat operations in
Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq
benefited from new Department of
Defense (DOD) strategies and
technologies, such as
improvements in force networks
and increased use of precision
weapons, designed to address
changes in the security
environment resulting from the
continuing terrorist threat and the
advent of the information age.
Based on the authority of the
Comptroller General, GAO
reviewed these conflicts, with a
focus on bombing operations, to
gain insight into the changes being
implemented by DOD. This report
focuses on (1) assessing the impact
on operational effectiveness of
improvements in force networks
and in the use of precision
weapons and (2) identifying key
barriers to continued progress.
GAO recommends that DOD take
steps to improve standardization of
information used in bombing
operations, address continuing
problems with battle damage
assessments, develop a unified
battlefield information system to
improve analyses of combat
effectiveness, and develop realistic
joint training to help personnel
adapt to emerging changes to the
operating environment. DOD
generally agreed with the
recommendations and stated that it
is addressing the issues GAO raised
in a variety of ongoing efforts.

More
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04547.pdf

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