Measures of Effectiveness for the Information-Age Navy: The Effects of Network-Centric Operations on Combat Outcome

In military operations, information has always beenevery bit as vital as fuel or ammunition in achieving favorable outcomes.Today, the need to reduce decision timelines highlights its importance. TheNavy postulates that network-centric operations will enhance theeffectiveness of combat systems by allowing commanders to mass effects fromgreat distances. At issue is verification of this assumption. How can theeffectiveness of network-centric information systems be linked to combatoutcomes? The authors seek to identify how information affects outcomes anddetermine how to measure the link between the two. This report creates aframework for developing measures to help the Navy decide hownetwork-centric operations affect combat outcomes and which informationsystems work best. The authors demonstrate a proof-of-concept tool that cangenerate several alternative network-centric command, control,communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissancesystems. Using a spreadsheet model, they take the first steps towarddeveloping formulas to help the Navy codify an approach to measuring combateffectiveness in network-centric operations.