MARCH 11, 2015, NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) – The Defense Department and U.S. Navy will need to develop new areas of expertise, authorities and planning processes in order to meet key goals and objectives, according to a U.S. Naval War College (NWC) game report prepared for the Pentagon’s Air-Sea Battle Office and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).
The report highlights the findings of the Global 2014 War Game and showed that changes are needed in order to achieve “unity of effort in joint cross-domain operations,” which will have important implications for joint doctrine, education, training and career progression.
The game, conducted by NWC’s war gaming department, examined four command and control concepts.
This first is the Combined Joint Force Information Component Commander (CJFICC), responsible for cyber, space, information operations and theater electronic warfare.
The second is the Cross-Domain Operations Coordination Element (XDOCE), which provides functional component commanders with cross-domain expertise.
The third is the Combined Joint Task Unit (CJTU), which assimilates capabilities from different domains and services under a functional component commander.
The last concept is the Combined Joint Force Sustainment Component Commander (CJFSCC), responsible for providing theater-wide sustainment support.
“Any efforts made to counter emerging A2/AD [anti-access/area denial] threats must be rooted in rigorous and objective analysis,” said Capt. Terry Morris, deputy director of the Air-Sea Battle Office. “This NWC game report will serve as a critical foundation for our ongoing efforts to improve joint XDO C2 [cross-domain operations command and control] and help the Navy contribute to the larger joint force effort.”
The report says that an integrated approach to planning and executing joint cross-domain operations will reshape how the joint force is organized, trained and operates, particularly at the operational level of war.
The game results show that the CJFICC concept is ready for implementation, but solely as a cyber-component commander.
The report suggests that follow-on efforts should continue to evaluate whether information operations and theater electronic warfare space could benefit from a dedicated component commander.
Both the XDOCE and CJTU concepts warrant further development and study, including their continued incorporation in joint and combined war games and exercises, according to the report.
The CJFSCC concept, the report said, is not ready to move forward, as it requires further evaluation to determine whether it contains sufficient utility to justify further development.
“The themes that emerged from Global ’14 provide a framework for improving quick, effective and proactive decision making in a time sensitive A2/AD environment where communications are often degraded or denied,” said Walter Berbrick, NWC professor and lead analyst of the Global 2014 War Game. “Much of the value of Global ’14 lies not only in the four, C2 concepts explored themselves, but in the critical working relationships that are developed and sustained beyond the game.”
Since 1979, the Navy’s Global War Game series conducted in Newport has helped the CNO define the future Navy, as well as help prepare naval and joint warfighters to meet the operational and strategic challenges of today and tomorrow.
The full report can be viewed at https://www.usnwc.edu/global14.