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Annals of C2 Vol1 (2024-1)

Welcome to the inaugural issue of NATO C2COE’s Annals of Command and Control (C2) published in close collaboration with the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre. As Editor-in-Chief, I am thrilled to introduce this new unique platform. The Annals of C2 will be dedicated to publishing relevant, timely and high-impact scholarly articles in the field of C2 in military operations and C2-related civilian disciplines. And as such it is the first journal in the world exclusively dedicated to Command and Control.

The relevance of Command and Control has never been more critical. As geopolitical tensions rise and the nature of warfare becomes increasingly complex, the need for effective C2 is paramount.

Yet at the same time the ability to conduct effective C2 now requires ever faster adaptation of the entire C2 landscape to keep ahead of our adversaries. Artificial intelligence and ever advancing ways to share data and communicate are changing the ways we can conduct C2. Command remains inherently human, dependent on trust, wisdom and leadership, requiring a real cultural change in these new realities.

Within military alliances, robust C2 structures are essential for maintaining cohesion, ensuring interoperability among member nations, and achieving strategic objectives. Within NATO the ambition is to be able to conduct multi domain operations. NATO’s C2 will need to ensure coordinated efforts across multiple domains and within multiple nations, from land, air and sea to cyber and space, enabling swift and precise responses to create converging effects in all environments.

Command and Control is seen as the most important military function, yet there is no universally accepted definition. In the absence of such agreement (or consensus) , NATO C2COE developed and uses the working definition: “C2 is the exercise of authority by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces, performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures in the accomplishment of the mission.”

The Annals of C2 aim to excel in publishing original contributions that enhance, understand, and clarify research and case studies which may help readers to obtain a deeper understanding and application of C2, including the role of multi-domain operations (MDO’s) and new technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. It is our ambition that over time the Annals of C2 will become a record documenting the journey of thought that has accompanied the changes in Command and Control now still ahead of us. In this way giving credit to the journal’s name.

The ambition of Annals of C2 is only possible by the availability and support of an excellent editorial board and peer reviewers who are enthusiastic in moving forward the field of C2. In producing this first issue and following the scientific peer review process, we heartily thank the reviewers who gave their time to comment on original research or position papers. We also thank our authors who submitted their papers and worked with the peer reviewers and editors to meet the stringent deadlines.