Oct. 13, 2021

Building Situational Awareness In Joint And Combined Operations: The Challenge Of The Common Tactical And Common Operational Pictures

In 1999, the US military found itself asking the same question it does today: how do you enable commanders and staff to make timely and informed decisions in uncertain environments? While technology has dramatically changed since the time the author’s article was originally published, the fundamental requirement to rapidly build and share situational awareness on the battlefield has not. Even before the year 2000, decision makers were struggling with the amount of data available through emerging sensors and how to turn this data into useful information. The development of (then known as) C4I systems was seen as part of the solution to this surge of data. The author’s message of the need to properly determine essential requirements which should drive C4I system development, and more importantly not allow the reverse to happen, is as relevant today as when published two decades ago.