Abstract
Executive Summary
Agility is the capability to successfully effect, cope with, and/or exploit changes in circumstances. While other factors will also influence outcomes, C2 Agility enables entities to effectively and efficiently employ the resources they have in a timely manner in a variety of missions and
circumstances. SAS-085 was formed to improve the understanding of C2 Agility and assess its importance to NATO. SAS-085 accomplished these objectives by articulating the principles of C2 Agility, in the form of a C2 Agility Conceptual Model, substantially validating this model and establishing the importance of improving C2 Agility with empirical evidence obtained from a set of retrospective case studies and simulation-based experiments. Further, it identified next steps toward practical implementation in NATO operations and priorities for increasing the rigor and practicality of methods for measuring and improving C2 Agility. The 21st century military mission space is large and complex, characterized by extreme uncertainty, and exposed to increased public and media scrutiny. In addition to the high intensity combat operations traditionally associated with the military, potential missions include a wide spectrum of challenges such as counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, stabilization, reconstruction, and support to multi-agency disaster relief. These missions are referred to as complex endeavors and require the participation and contributions of a large variety of both military and non-military actors.
The core tenets of C2 Agility are:
• Given the differences between and among these mission challenges and the collections of entities needed to meet them, different approaches to C2 are required.
* There will also be times when an entity is engaged in a highly dynamic situation where the mission, and/or the circumstances will change and one’s current C2 Approach will no longer be appropriate.
• Thus, entities also need to be able to dynamically transition from their current C2 Approach to a more appropriate one; that is, to maneuver in the C2 Approach Space.
• This ability to maneuver in the C2 Approach Space involves: 1) recognizing the significance of changes in circumstances that affect the appropriateness of one’s C2 Approach, 2) understanding which C2 Approach(es), given the new mission and/or circumstances, are now more appropriate, and,3) being able to transition, as necessary, to a more appropriate approach.
Based on its retrospective case studies and simulation-based experiments, SAS-085 concluded that:
• C2 Agility is a critical capability that should be pursued with some urgency by NATO and its member nations, and
• C2 Agility Theory has matured to the point where it can support practical efforts to improve C2 Agility.