A concept of operations for the use of emergent open internet technologies as the basis for a network-centric environment

Abstract

The Industrial Age spawned a revolution that brought fundamental changes to the business of commerce, the structures of society, and the theories of warfare that are used to this day. With the dawn of the Information Age a similar revolution has begun, with the realization of the science of networks and their effects on complex systems, such as command and control and sharing information both internally and externally of a traditional military organization. Recognizing the power of Network-Centric Warfare, the US Military is transforming to develop that means. This has translated into the holistic requirement of agile, interoperable networks to achieve information superiority in fighting future wars and maintaining peace. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a concept of operations for the use of emergent open Internet technologies as the basis for a network-centric environment. Examining current relevant research on networks and their application in the US military, a system of information systems will be presented to demonstrate current and potential capabilities in information sharing. Developing constructs such as web feeds, portals, blogs, and wikis will be used to create an interconnected framework for use with coalition partners, other government agencies, non-government organizations, and internal communications.