The World Wide Military Command and Control System: Evolution and Effectiveness - Touch and Go - Book Review

Air & Space Power Journal, Fall, 2002 by Dr. Louis Haeck, Pierre Nadeau

The World Wide Military Command and Control System: Evolution and Effectiveness by David E. Pearson. Air University Press (http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/aul/aupress), 131 West Shumacher Avenue, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 36112-6615, 2000, 414 pages, $37.00.

In this book, David Pearson, now a professor at the University of Texas, demonstrates his perception and understanding of a complex reality. An expert in his field, the author describes the effectiveness of the architecture built around the complex, interconnected computer network known as the World Wide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS), reviewing the progress of technology and its impact on this defense information system for the last few decades. Concentrating on computers and communications networks rather than sensors and command posts, Pearson outlines the organization, technology, and ideology behind WWMCCS. He clearly succeeds in conveying how computers and communication networks play a vital role in defending us from many types of attacks, including cyber warfare by hackers, who may or may not have terrorist intentions.