Network-Centric Command Decision Services (netCDS) for the Component Numbered Air Force (7th Air Force Korea and 13th Air Force)

Abstract : The structure of the United States Air Force is changing with Headquarters United States Air Force Program Directive 06-09, entitled "Implementation of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Direction to Establish Force Component Organization," As Component Number Air Forces (C-NAF) operationalize the directive, Command and Control systems must adapt with a network centric environment that supports distributed operations between the tactical and operational levels of war, to include reachback for shared resources and capabilities. C2 systems are required to enable the commanders to quickly focus on priority issues with appropriate and sufficient information to make decisions or to monitor tasks that the AFFOR Staff is executing. The AFFOR Staff requires enhanced situational awareness and collaboration capability to plan, monitor, and sustain operations. This requirement will enable the AFFOR staff to actively think and innovate with a focus on airpower analysis, planning, and execution - not a battle rhythm synchronized around static tools such as briefing slides and spreadsheets. This paper reports an action research case analysis of the employment of a network centric command decision service (netCDS) at the 7th and 13th Air Forces over an 18 to 24 month period. Critical guiding principals for this case analysis are the Network Centric Operations (NCO) framework, technology adoption and the Technology Transition Model as well as decision-making and human communication theories that can be used to examine and explain the behavior of users of network centric operation systems.