Speed of relevance sits at the heart of NATO’s definition of Multi-Domain Operations, but speed does not mean the same thing at every level. At the tactical level, AI-supported kill chains are closing in near real time. At the operational level, speed is measured in the quality and timing of assessments, while compressing the decision itself changes nothing. Speed belongs to the sensor and the shooter. Tempo belongs to the strategic and operational levels.
This shortread addresses what the tempo standard requires of command processes, headquarters design, and the relationship between speed and tempo at the operational level.
