C5I2 Command and Control System and Role of Computers

Nowadays nature of war has changed into information war in which information superiority plays a vital role. As a result, the main aim of military commanders and planners is to exercise superiority of command and control in information systems and computer and communication networks, which is called C4I. What makes C4I effective is the “cohesion” among its components in the light of “unity of efforts” which has resulted in a new system called C5I2. In a bid to offer a comprehensive concept of C5I2, this article addresses the role of computer, its necessities and also threats emanating from its application. As an applied and descriptive study, this article was developed employing library, internet and professional URLs. It could then be concluded that “all communication systems, automatic information and the equipment contributing to commander in planning, guiding and controlling forces in line with unity of efforts” are called C5I2. Any successful command and control efforts lie in their connection to computer systems capable of mass data processing as quickly and accurately as possible. That is why in major wars such as the Persian Gulf one control and command system played the major role. Application of IT specially computers in C5I2 infiltrates into the information systems of the enemy, which justifies further attention to the issues like security and customization in C5I2 and proposes a comprehensive customized architecture for the army of the I.R. of Iran.