NETWORK CENTRIC WARFARE: MYTH OR REALITY FOR BANGLADESH ARMED FORCES?

Abstract

The emerging theory of 'Network Centric Warfare' (NCW) has proved to be a
force multiplier of battle space in the recent past. It enables military commanders
to take the information advantage that can significantly increases the fighting
power of a force. It also helps operational and tactical level commanders in taking
quick decisions to self-synchronize their actions. The concept of NCW is not very
familiar to the Bangladesh Armed Forces. But many modern armies have
introduced the concept of NCW to enhance the synergetic effort required in the
battle space. Therefore, it is important to analyse the necessity of conducting NCW
in the context of the requirement of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. This primary
research attempts to identify the implication and feasibility of NCW. The option of
adopting NCW for the Bangladesh Armed Forces have been suggested in this
paper. Because of rapid development in information technology, the means of
connecting sensor, shooter and the commander may vary but the idea of
networking forces by any means remains the basic consideration of NCW. The
author attempts to show that the concept of NCW is very applicable for Bangladesh
and can be implemented with existing communication infrastructure and facilities.
This paper also suggests ways of implementing the concept of NCW into reality. A
brief proposal for training personnel on NCW has been included to familiarise the
subject and help develop expertise to undertake Network-Centric Operations in the
future.