The Unintended Consequence of Information Age Technologies: Avoiding the Pitfalls, Seizing the InitiativeDiscusses the potential benefits of information technologies in the military and the potential costs associated with unintended consequences regarding the deleterious effects of excessive information access. These technologies include collection, display, communications, and processing technologies of data fusion and analysis as well as support for decision making. Advocates and makes recommendations for the adoption of a comprehensive and systematic technological insertion approach for introducing and using emerging technologies and for the testing and refinement of new mission capability packages. |
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ability adoption adverse unintended consequences amounts of information analysis approach to command appropriate arena assets avoid battlefield C4IFTW changes coherent command and control concepts of operation coordination cost crucial decision makers design and acquisition doctrine community doctrine development dynamics of information education and training effective ensure environment expected expert systems failure force structure global identified impact implementation improvements individuals information age technologies information overload information systems information tech information warfare integrity issues linkages maintain manage mand mation MCP approach MCP concepts ment Mission Capability Package National Defense University nature nologies non-traditional missions organizational organizations potential adversaries problems professional military education programs realistic training refine reliance on COTS relying on commercial requirements for information risks associated set of concerns situations strategy System Design technical technology insertion test and evaluation tion traditional combat U.S. military unexpected opportunities users virtual virtual reality vision Warfighter
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Page 30 - ... developed. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to a discussion of...
Page 63 - Professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University...
Page 11 - ... totally prevent unintended consequences, we must design a strategy for introducing information technologies that a) identifies and anticipates negative repercussions and enables us to avoid those repercussions or minimize their impacts, b) recognizes and takes advantage of unexpected opportunities, and c) balances the risks associated with the failure to achieve these two objectives. This strategy must also be capable of facilitating change fast enough to keep pace with exogenous forces impacting...
Page 6 - For example, how does the provision of information relate to a unit's mobility and lethality? The appropriate command concepts for an information-rich battlefield have, as yet, not been determined even at the most basic level. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential adverse effects of increased visibility into operations at all levels, including potential for information overload, second guessing, micromanagement, stifling of initiatives, and distraction.
Page 6 - Given that our potential adversaries have access to virtually the same information technologies that we have, the margin for victory will be the degree to which we manage our transformation into the information age. Our ability to integrate a wide variety of systems into a true system of systems will...
Page 41 - ... if a compromise does occur, the perpetrator will have access to more information than would have been available in the past. Indeed, as this system grows and becomes more fully interconnected, the mere task of noticing a penetration or penetration attempt becomes extremely difficult. Often system...
Page 29 - Concerns arise regarding the impacts that these changes will have en the decision process and upon decision makers. Other concerns involve new or increased vulnerabilities associated with information age systems and processes. Finally, a set of concerns centers on our ability to design and acquire systems given the information age realities of increased reliance...
Page 48 - ... the relevant remedies, five action areas emerge: 1) professional military education and training; 2) doctrine, concepts of operation, and command arrangements; 3) technical requirements to perform missions; 4) system design; and 5) organizational issues. In addition, acquisition reform, particularly transformation of test and evaluation from an arcane process to a robust, holistic, and functionally-oriented process, is essential.
Page 26 - ... conflicts arising from environmental issues, particularly disputes over water rights, ocean areas, and transboundary air pollution. Perhaps most important, media coverage and recent successes have led to very high expectations about the performance of the US military. Minimum casualties among both combat forces and civilians is widely perceived as an important and achievable goal.
Page 3 - ... been used as a tool to define and shape the environment in which soldiers operate to ensure conforming behavior. The military is now on the road to becoming an information age organization. The transformation involved is fraught with both risks and opportunities because it will affect the nature of the information provided as well as the manner in which it is provided. Background and Purpose...