[section_title title=STRATEGIC C2 FOR NUCLEAR DECISION MAKING – A proposed process]
STRATEGIC C2 FOR NUCLEAR DECISION MAKING – A proposed process
Once the strategic C2 in consultation with civilian C2 has decided to seek permission for use of nuclear weapons it is communicated to the highest authority of the nation. The Strategic C2 network for military operations and civilian C2 network provides information, intelligence and status reports to the nuclear C2 network which controls the nuclear forces. The nuclear C2 network consists of a National Command Authority (NCA) consisting of specified number of members of government. The NCA gets information from conventional Military C2 network and civilian C2 networks through Politico Military decision Centers (PMDC). The NCA based on PMDC reports decide regarding the usage of nuclear forces. These decisions are communicated to specific nuclear delivery systems through multiple and redundant strategic forces command posts. The proposed National level command control network consists of following networks.
* Strategic Command and Control Network for conventional military operations
* Civil Command and Control Network for collecting strategic information and analysis from civil agencies
* Strategic Command and Control Network for Nuclear Operations
The proposed C2 Network for Nuclear Decision Making consists of following elements
i) Politico Military Decision Center(s) (PMDC)
ii) National Command Authority (NCA)
iii) Strategic Forces Command Post (SFCP)
iv) Strategic Nuclear forces sites/systems
Politico Military Decision Center(s) (PMDC)
The PMDC receives strategic information from strategic and civil C2 network on a regular basis. The PMDC evaluates the request for use of nuclear weapons from strategic commanders and conveys it to the NCA. PMDC also prepare plans for nuclear strike. The alternate nuclear strike plans are pre-decided. The pre-decided plans consists of nuclear weapons to be launched, nuclear delivery system which will be involved, enemy target to strike and likely conditions under which the plan will be chosen. To minimize the possibility of first strike loss multiple PMDCs are maintained in hardened shelters. (We propose two fixed and one mobile center).
National Command Authority (NCA)
The NCA will comprise of some pre decided members. If a certain number, say x% of the NCA members, decide to launch, the nuclear launch commands are sent to the SFCP. The NCA has to make two major decisions – whether to use Nuclear weapons and choice of the appropriate plan. In case the decision is taken to launch Nuclear weapons, the head of the State/Prime Minister may have the power to veto the decision.
Strategic Forces Command Post (SFCP)
The SFCP has to convey the nuclear decisions to the specific nuclear weapon sites (i.e. Fixed and mobile missile sites, SSBNs, Bomber Aircraft etc.) under the specific plan chosen by the NCA. Four SFCP are proposed – One airborne (will get airborne as the crisis starts), one based on naval submarine, mobile land based, and one fixed land based command post.
KEY Pointers
It can be seen that with the modern day advancement in technology and the current military prevailing in the neighboring countries a National Command and Control (C2) Network which is robust, can share information globally and can help in rapid decision making is a must for any country.
I. Due to the current economic constraints and also due to the present command structures a framework based on Assertive Command Structure for our national C2 Network will be more useful. This Assertive network needs to be a Centralized C2 system with high degree of security, multiple-man control but still should not fail impotent.
II. To enhance the reliability of such a command structure the major attributes the system should have is a Mobile and Airborne Command Center along with deep and hardened bunkers for top level decision makers, Secure communication lines which are EMP-hardened and have sufficient redundancy so as to ensure a viable network in any eventuality and trained personnel.
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Navneet Bhushan (Navneet) is a founder director of CRAFITTI CONSULTING (www.crafitti.com) – an Innovation and Intellectual Property Consulting firm focused on co-crafting Innovation in global enterprises. He is the winner of Indira India Innovation award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Leadership for 2012. He is the principal author of Strategic Decision Making- Applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process published by Springer-Verlag, UK, as part of the Decision Engineering Series. Read Navneet Bhushan Profile. Read Navneet Bhushan Columns.
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