Command and Control: Support Systems in the Gulf War

This volume follows the 1989 textbook on battlefield CIS by the same authors. It is a detailed case study of the application of the techniques and equipment described in the textbook to one of the largest and certainly the most concentrated use of conventional forces since World War II. After setting the scene, the book considers the nature of the CIS support which would have been available to the force according to the theories put forward in the textbook and the current state of technological development. It then contrasts this hypothetical "ideal" situation with the actual support in place at the time of the land battle. The largest part of the book is devoted to a detailed account of how the CIS support was built up from a combination of existing systems, adapted systems and new systems developed specifically for the campaign, using equipment procured with great urgency during the build-up phase. The account seeks to present not only the bare facts of what was procured and how it was used, but also the complex human and organization reasonswhy things were done the way they were.
The book ends with an assessment of the contribution of CIS to the campaign and the major lessons which can be learned for the future.