Understanding Information Age Warfare. . - Touch and Go - book review

Aerospace Power Journal, Summer, 2002 by Herman Maj. Reinhold

Understanding Information Age Warfare by David S. Alberts et al. Command and Control Research Program (CCRP) Publications (http://www.dodccrp.org), c/o EBR, Inc., 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 250, Vienna, Virginia 22182-2216, 2001, 312 pages, free from Web site or to government offices.

Need to know about war in the computer age? This detailed primer explains the importance and possibilities of the latest technology Not only does it show concepts, theories, hypotheses, and models, but also it recommends ways of getting and keeping a military advantage. The authors explain the physical, information, and cognitive worlds; their relationships; and the way modern war works in those areas. They also point out the value of information in war, from the writings of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz to current and future sources of data. We must avoid the uncertainty of war and use modern tools as force multipliers for quick victory at the lowest cost. Detailed models, comparisons with traditional systems, and exercise examples all aid the reader's comprehension by explaining the use of information-age tools, organizational structures, and decision processes. A fount of knowledge for the computer illiterate and an update for the computer savvy, Understanding Information Age Warfare calls for aggressive plannin g, investment, and coordination of these tools.