§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential of network-centric warfare in the future tactics of the(a) United Kingdom and (b) United States armed forces; and what plans he has to adopt it. [140567]
§ Mr. HoonDeveloping a networked capability is fundamental to achieving desired effects in joint and coalition warfighting. It offers the potential for dramatic increases in tempo—the ability to make better quality decisions and act more quickly and with greater agility, control and precision.
The Ministry of Defence has commissioned research to assess the positive impact of Network Centric Warfare, which we in the United Kingdom refer to as Networked Enabled Capability. At this stage, the preliminary results of this study indicate that Networked Enabled Capability will have a very positive impact on the operational effectiveness of our armed forces. The study is due to report next year and it is anticipated that it will produce detailed results demonstrating the benefit. Additionally, the MOD is collaborating and providing data for a United States Department of Defense (US DOD) study which is looking at the benefit delivered by Networked Enabled Capability. The outcome of this work is expected in the summer of next year.