Report to Congress on Joint All-Domain Command and Control

October 27, 2020 8:28 AM

The following is the Oct. 23, 2020 Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).

From the report

What Is JADC2?

Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) is the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) concept to connect sensors from all of the military services—Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force—into a single network. Traditionally, each of the military services developed its own tactical network that was incompatible with those of other services (i.e., Army networks were unable to interface with Navy or Air Force networks). DOD officials have argued that future conflicts may require decisions to be made within hours, minutes, or potentially seconds compared with the current multiday process to analyze the operating environment and issue commands. They have also stated that the Department’s existing command and control architecture is insufficient to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). Congress may be interested in the concept because it is being used to develop many high-profile procurement programs for all of the military services.

DOD uses ride-sharing service Uber as an analogy to describe its desired end state for JADC2. Uber combines two different apps—one for riders and a second for drivers. Using the respective users’ position, the Uber algorithm determines the optimal match based on distance, travel time, and passengers (among other variables). The application then seamlessly provides directions for the driver to follow, delivering the passenger to their destination. Uber relies on cellular and Wi-Fi networks to transmit data to match riders and provide driving instructions.

Download the document here.

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