Mission Command; a Perceptible Solution for Future Challenges of the Army

Abstract

Command and control (C2) is an essential element of the art and science of warfare. C2 is the lifeblood, through which, commanders initiate and integrate all military functions and operations toward a common goal—mission accomplishment. The C2 has been considered one of the battlefield operating systems, which the Army uses to address the conduct (planning, preparation, execution, and assessment) of operations in discrete subsets. Though the term command and control is well known throughout the Army, there are doubts whether it is well understood or not. The term ined as what a commander needs to do to get his force to accomplish the mission. As warfare has Similarly the nature of conflicts, too, had been evolved through generations. There is no doubt that the same evolution will continue and the magnitude and the complexity of conflicts and the nature of military operations will be much more complex in the future. Therefore, situations where the army has to perform in future would definitely be demanding much more professionalism and effectiveness. Hence only a complex friendly C2 system would be able to compete with a complex enemy system. Each of this system consists of numerous components that may also be complex systems, each interacting and affecting many other systems. The results of those interactions are complicated, often unpredictable, and perhaps uncontrollable. Thus, military operations may increasingly demand orderly, efficient, and precise control. Historically, commanders have employed variations of two basic C2 concepts: mission command and detailed command for their functions. Militaries and commanders have frequently favoured detailed command, but an understanding of the nature of war and the patterns of military history clearly highlights the advantages of mission command.Mission command is a command approach that is based upon the exercise of local initiative within the framework of command intent. This is enabled by an appropriate delegation of authority and responsibility that allows subordinate commanders the latitude to plan and conduct operations based upon their understanding of the local situation.Having been fighting and defeating terrorism for three decades, the Sri Lanka Army possesses a wealth of experiences in operating under complex situations. Hence there is a need to evaluate the own experiences and to draw lessons for future effectiveness. Hence this paper intends to discuss the advantages of mission command by studying history of warfare and to propose the advantages of inculcating mission command policy in Sri Lanka Army to increase its combat effectiveness. This study will be conducted using secondary sources and qualitative evaluation methods of social science research.