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COMMITTEE ON C4ISR FOR FUTURE NAVAL STRIKE GROUPS
DAVID V. KALBAUGH,
Centreville, Maryland,
Co-Chair
NILS R. SANDELL, JR.,
BAE Systems Advanced Information Technologies,
Co-Chair
RICHARD E. BLAHUT,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
JOHN M. BORKY,
Raytheon Corporation
JOSEPH R. CIPRIANO,
Lockheed Martin Information Technology
ARCHIE R. CLEMINS,
Boise, Idaho
ANTHONY C. DIRIENZO,
COLSA Corporation
LEE HAMMARSTROM,
Applied Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University
JAMES A. HENDLER,
University of Maryland
BARRY M. HOROWITZ,
University of Virginia
RICHARD J. IVANETICH,
Institute for Defense Analyses
HARRY W. JENKINS, JR.,
ITT Defense Industries
JERRY A. KRILL,
Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University
ANNETTE J. KRYGIEL,
Great Falls, Virginia
JULIUS LONGSHORE,
Northrop Grumman Corporation
JOHN S. QUILTY,
Oakton, Virginia
JOHN J. SHAW,
BAE Systems Advanced Information Technologies
JOHN P. STENBIT,
Oakton, Virginia
JOHN F. VESECKY,
University of California at Santa Cruz
PETER J. WEINBERGER,
Google, Inc.
DAVID A. WHELAN,
The Boeing Company
CINDY WILLIAMS,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Staff
CHARLES F. DRAPER, Director
ARUL MOZHI, Study Director
SUSAN G. CAMPBELL, Administrative Coordinator
MARY G. GORDON, Information Officer
IAN M. CAMERON, Research Associate
AYANNA N. VEST, Senior Program Assistant (as of June 25, 2005)
SIDNEY G. REED, JR., Consultant
RAYMOND S. WIDMAYER, Consultant
NAVAL STUDIES BOARD
JOHN F. EGAN,
Nashua, New Hampshire,
Chair
MIRIAM E. JOHN,
Sandia National Laboratories,
Vice Chair
ARTHUR B. BAGGEROER,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JOHN D. CHRISTIE,
LMI
ANTONIO L. ELIAS,
Orbital Sciences Corporation
BRIG “CHIP” ELLIOTT,
BBN Technologies
KERRIE L. HOLLEY,
IBM Global Services
JOHN W. HUTCHINSON,
Harvard University
HARRY W. JENKINS, JR.,
ITT Defense Industries
DAVID V. KALBAUGH,
Centreville, Maryland
ANNETTE J. KRYGIEL,
Great Falls, Virginia
THOMAS V. McNAMARA,
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
L. DAVID MONTAGUE,
Menlo Park, California
WILLIAM B. MORGAN,
Rockville, Maryland
JOHN H. MOXLEY III,
Korn/Ferry International
JOHN S. QUILTY,
Oakton, Virginia
NILS R. SANDELL, JR.,
BAE Systems Advanced Information Technologies
WILLIAM D. SMITH,
Fayetteville, Pennsylvania
JOHN P. STENBIT,
Oakton, Virginia
RICHARD L. WADE,
Exponent
DAVID A. WHELAN,
The Boeing Company
CINDY WILLIAMS,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ELIHU ZIMET,
National Defense University
Navy Liaison Representatives
RADM JOSEPH A. SESTAK, JR.,
USN, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, N81 (through October 1, 2004)
MR. GREG MELCHER,
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Acting N81 (from October 2, 2004, through November 8, 2004)
RADM SAMUEL J. LOCKLEAR III,
USN, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, N81 (from November 8, 2004, through October 13, 2005)
RDML DAN W. DAVENPORT,
USN, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, N81 (as of October 14, 2005)
RADM JAY M. COHEN,
USN, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, N091 (through January 19, 2006)
RADM WILLIAM E. LANDAY III,
USN, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, N091 (as of January 20, 2006)
Marine Corps Liaison Representative
LTGEN EDWARD HANLON, JR.,
USMC,
Commanding General,
Marine Corps Combat Development Command (through September 30, 2004)
LTGEN JAMES N. MATTIS,
USMC,
Commanding General,
Marine Corps Combat Development Command (as of October 1, 2004)
Staff
CHARLES F. DRAPER, Director
ARUL MOZHI, Senior Program Officer
SUSAN G. CAMPBELL, Administrative Coordinator
MARY G. GORDON, Information Officer
IAN M. CAMERON, Research Associate
AYANNA N. VEST, Senior Program Assistant (as of June 25, 2005)
Preface
Recent conflicts have demonstrated that U.S. military forces need to be ever more responsive in their ability to reconfigure and redirect their global defense activities. Moreover, the Bush administration’s defense planning guidance requires that the U.S. military have the ability to distribute forces more widely than in the past in order to enhance forward deterrence and rapid response. As currently configured, today’s forward-deployed naval forces1 would be hard-pressed to meet these requirements. Therefore, the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps recently put forth new organizational constructs and a Global Concept of Operations. The organizational constructs include the carrier strike group and the expeditionary strike group as key components of the global integrated naval force necessary to meet the forward-deterrence and rapid-response requirements of the defense strategy.2,3
Under the new organizational constructs, it is envisioned that future naval strike groups will be assembled as follows:
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Carrier strike groups (CSGs). CSGs, which will remain the core of the Navy’s warfighting capability for dealing with major contingencies, will consist generally of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser (CG), two guided-missile destroyers (DDGs), a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), and a fast combat-support ship (T-AOE). Compared with today’s carrier battle group (CVBG), the CSG will have fewer surface combatants and submarines, although it is intended that the CSG continue in the role of providing air defense capabilities for shore- and sea-based joint and coalition forces, as well as strike capabilities against land and sea targets.
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Expeditionary strike groups (ESGs). ESGs, which are the major new element of this organizational construct, will consist of a standard three-ship amphibious ready group (ARG) augmented with a CG, two DDGs, an SSN, and a next-generation destroyer (DDX). The ESG is thus intended to be able, in low- to medium-threat environments, to defend itself against air, surface, and subsurface threats; provide a long-range strike capability with Tomahawk missiles; and provide naval surface fire support to its embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).4 While ESGs have been deployed, their status is regarded as somewhat experimental.
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Strike and missile defense surface action groups (SAGs). SAGs will be capable of operating independently or with CSGs or ESGs. In the near term, three Tomahawk land-attack missile (TLAM)-equipped SAGs will be established to provide additional independent strike capability, although it is envisioned that this capability will evolve to provide the foundation for a sea-based, mobile, ballistic missile defense capability for joint and allied forces ashore.5
Littoral combat ships (LCSs), when available, may be added to these groups as needed for additional protection in littoral areas. In addition to the benefit that each naval strike group brings to many types of operations, an expeditionary strike force (ESF), composed of CSGs, SAGs, ESGs, and the amphibious forces, could be employed for a major combat operation. Moreover, a mix of CSGs, ESGs, in-theater assets (e.g., guided-missile submarines and LCSs), and maritime surface groups (e.g., combat logistics force ships and maritime prepositioned force squadrons) could surge globally to form a large-scale expeditionary strike force in support of the Joint Force Commander (JFC). Whether naval strike groups are deployed independently or collectively as an ESF, however, their composition will vary and evolve in response to surrounding operational and technological developments.
The need for ESGs, SAGs, and CSGs, and the Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) (MPF[F]) to operate independently and to combine to form ESFs will increase the need for flexible, adaptive command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems. This need will be further increased by the Fleet Response Plan,6 which increases deployment rates and is reducing the time available for the integration of the C4ISR systems and the training of the various maritime force packages.
To be operationally effective, forward-deployed naval forces must be supported by naval and joint C4ISR capabilities. These capabilities are embodied in command-and-control practices, in the information infrastructure, and in sensors, together with the platforms to support them. These and other naval and joint capabilities are being transformed through new operating concepts and systems collected under the rubric of “network-centric warfare.” Network-centric warfare applies the integrating power of modern information technology to naval operations via FORCEnet,7 which will also take advantage of new unmanned vehicles and connections with joint initiatives such as the Global Information Grid (GIG).
The different uses, configurations, and concepts of operation of future naval strike groups, as well as their continuing evolution, require a naval and joint C4ISR architecture that is sufficiently adaptable and interoperable to meet the
highly variable and changing needs that naval strike groups will be called on to meet, including those of operations with coalition and allied forces. For example, recent operations have shown that the ability to acquire mobile targets and deliver timely fires may depend on the integration of C4ISR capabilities that are supplied by other military forces (U.S. Air Force or Special Operations Forces).
In summary, differently configured future naval strike groups enable the Department of the Navy to increase the number of its independent strike forces, and they provide JFCs with a choice of multimission force packages to meet their evolving objectives. Key to the scalability and operational effectiveness of these strike groups, however, is the Department of the Navy’s ability to develop and make effective use of an adaptable C4ISR architecture. This adaptability should also facilitate future upgrades as advances in C4ISR technology mature and are implemented in FORCEnet.8
TERMS OF REFERENCE
At the request of the Department of the Navy, the Naval Studies Board of the National Research Council conducted a study to examine command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) for future naval strike groups, to include (1) carrier strike groups (CSGs), (2) expeditionary strike groups (ESGs), (3) strike and missile defense surface action groups (SAGs), and (4) an expeditionary strike force (ESF) composed of all three groups with in-theater assets as well as maritime surface groups (MSGs) consisting of combat logistics force ships and maritime prepositioning force squadrons. Specifically, the terms of reference for the study are as follows:
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Review the Department of Defense’s Operational Availability Campaign Analysis program as part of the overall Analytical Agenda, as well as the Defense Planning Scenario and Multi-Service Force Deployment programs used to provide the necessary insight into CSG, ESG, SAG, and MSG operations during major combat operations.
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Review the constitution and concepts of operations of each maritime group, as defined by the Department of the Navy, in the context of naval and joint operations these forces are intended to support.
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Identify C4ISR technology trends that promise to improve operational effectiveness of naval maritime forces in the future and should be considered in designing the C4ISR architecture for future adaptation.
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Recommend a C4ISR architecture for the entire—not separate—naval maritime force (i.e., CSGs, ESGs, SAGs, MSGs, expected shore-based reach-back
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entities) that would be utilized as part of a major combat operation. In particular, the C4ISR architecture should (a) enable appropriate command and control, (b) provide battlespace awareness necessary for force defense, and (c) provide targeting for power projection. The architecture should be sufficiently adaptable to (1) meet the needs of the defined future strike groups and potential evolution of these definitions, (2) interoperate with Joint assets, when available, and (3) facilitate future upgrades as C4ISR technology advances.
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Assess the C4ISR capabilities for each strike group within the context of the above recommended C4ISR architecture needed to support strategic, operational, and tactical objectives. The assessment should not be limited to systems, but should also examine new concepts of operations and organizational enhancements necessary to enable the recommended C4ISR architecture.
THE COMMITTEE’S APPROACH
The approach of the Committee on C4ISR for Future Naval Strike Groups is rooted in the first item of its terms of reference: to focus on major combat operations. For the purposes of this report, the committee elected to focus on Sea Strike and Sea Shield missions for clarity of discussion and as a unifying theme. Hence the report focuses more on Navy issues than on Marine Corps issues.
C4ISR for future naval srike groups has many aspects. Focusing on major combat operations, the committee emphasized in its considerations the naval missions of strike warfare, theater and air missile defense, and undersea warfare.9 The committee’s earlier discussions had led it to decide to limit the scope of the study to what could be adequately covered in the time available. Thus, other than taking into account issues of time-sensitive fire support, force tracking, and overland air defense, the committee did not consider C4ISR needs in support of maneuver warfare on land. Its considerations also emphasized C4ISR needs and prospects common to all strike groups. The committee also did not consider the issue of command ships.
There is considerable overlap in content, but with differences in perspective, between the present study and the recently completed report on FORCEnet imple-
9 |
The National Research Council, under the auspices of the Naval Studies Board, is currently conducting a study entitled “The Role of Naval Forces in the Global War on Terror” (see <http://webapp/cp/projectview.aspx?key=307>). That study is addressing National Security Presidential Directive 41 (NSPD 41) and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 13. NSPD 41 sets out a new Maritime Security Policy establishing Maritime Domain Awareness as a key concept and commits the Navy and other agencies to actions in both the national security and homeland security domains. These directives have significant impact on the security context for future naval forces, the C4ISR requirements, and the relationship between naval forces and the Coast Guard. |
mentation.10FORCEnet Implementation Strategy complements this study, and it is recommended that both reports be read for the most complete picture.
The Committee on C4ISR for Future Naval Strike Groups (biographies of the committee members are provided in Appendix A) convened in August 2004 and held additional meetings over a period of 6 months, both to gather input from the relevant communities and to discuss the committee’s findings.11 Agendas for these meetings are provided in Appendix B.
The months between the committee’s last meeting and the publication of the report were spent preparing the draft manuscript, gathering additional information, reviewing and responding to the external review comments, editing the report, and conducting the required security review necessary to produce an unclassified report.
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Norman Abramson, San Francisco, California,
Frank Fernandez, Del Mar, California,
Edward A. Frieman, University of California at San Diego,
David E. Frost, USN (Ret.), Colorado Springs, Colorado,
Bruce B. Knutson, Jr., USMC (Ret.), Tucson, Arizona,
Stewart D. Personick, Bernardsville, New Jersey, and
James Saunders, MITRE Corporation.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Bruce Wald, Arlington, Virginia. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.