Toward information superiority the contribution of operational net assessment

Air & Space Power Journal, Fall, 2005 by Peter W. Wielhouwer

Editorial Abstract: Dr. Wielhouwer notes that achieving decision superiority hinges on information superiority. He introduces the concept of operational net assessment, as well as its process and product, identifying them as enablers of effects-based planning and effects-based operations. The synergy of these tools provides joint force commanders extensive information in advance of a crisis, leading to actionable knowledge and decision superiority that facilitate the effective application of diplomatic, economic, informational, and military power.

During the short part of summer which remained, Caesar ... resolved to proceed into Britain.... He thought it would be of great service to him if he only entered the island, and saw into the character of the people, and got knowledge of their localities, harbors, and landing-places, all which were for the most part unknown to the Gauls.... After having called up to him the merchants from all parts, he could learn neither what was the size of the island, nor what or how numerous were the nations which inhabited it, nor what system of war they followed, nor what customs they used, nor what harbors were convenient for a great number of large ships.

He [sent] before him Caius Volusenus with a ship of war, to acquire a knowledge of these particulars before he in person should make a descent into the island, as he was convinced that this was a judicious measure.

--Gaius Julius Caesar The Gallic Wars, Book 4

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IN LATE SUMMER of 55 BC, Julius Caesar needed actionable knowledge. He knew that the quality of intelligence at his disposal was inadequate as he prepared for invading the British Isles, and he understood that he should judiciously gather as much information as he could. He identified what he needed prior to planning for action--information about the people, their war-fighting system, their character and customs, their military assets (such as harbors and the geography of the island), and ways of using those assets for his intended efforts. To acquire this information, Caesar tapped into multiple sources--some not helpful (a multinational corporate contingent) and others more fruitful (military intelligence).

Times have changed, but they haven't changed that much. As Caesar and generations of military leaders have understood, knowledge is central to effective war fighting. Joint force commanders require timely, relevant, and actionable knowledge in advance of military operations, and the scope of information required today boggles the mind. As a consequence, the needs of contemporary data processing challenge the effective synthesis of information.

For that reason, Joint Vision 2020 identified information superiority as a key enabler of the US military's full-spectrum dominance. Defined as the capability to collect, process, and disseminate an uninterrupted flow of information while exploiting or denying an adversary's ability to do the same, (1) information superiority is facilitated by continued advances and proliferation of communications and information technology. (2) Still, the concept "provides the joint force a competitive advantage only when it is effectively translated into superior knowledge and decisions. The joint force must be able to take advantage of superior information converted to superior knowledge to achieve 'decision superiority.'" (3)

The services' doctrines and transformation plans have further developed the vision of information superiority articulated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Air Force doctrine, for example, identifies information superiority as one of that service's distinctive capabilities. (4) The U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan specifies information superiority as a key enabler of joint and service transformation, supporting such concepts as effects-based operations (EBO), parallel warfare, and decision-cycle dominance. (5) United States Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) has developed operational net assessment (ONA) as an advanced, coherent knowledge environment and integrated tool that serves the information needs of combatant commanders and leaves intact their discretion in the operational arts.

With roots in traditional military theory, the concept makes substantial advances in the broader context of Pentagon transformation and the demands of twenty-first-century warfare. Integral to effects-based planning and operations, ONA enhances awareness of the complexity of an adversary's internal dynamics and provides insights into likely responses to military and nonmilitary actions. It thus affords commanders a more fully integrated knowledge base for planning and facilitates more effective application of all the instruments of national power. Although plans called for original implementation of the concept in about 2015, experimentation has shown that many of ONA's ideas and constructs have near-term utility.

An examination of the term operational net assessment itself should prove helpful in introducing the concept. Operational refers to the concept's focus on the operational level of war, including military operations, planning, and intelligence functions. Net conveys ONA's comprehensive character, integrating a wide range of information relevant to a particular problem. Assessment alludes to the systematic collation, analysis, and review of pertinent information to develop a decision maker's knowledge base. Thus, it is a knowledge-centered process for leveraging information and expert analysis for the operational needs of commanders and decision makers, yielding a product that enables more effective planning.