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Army transforming Intel, IO amid war

by Maj. Chris Conway

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 11, 2002) - Despite the demands of the war on terrorism, the Army's senior intelligence and information officers agreed April 9 at a symposium here that the Army is on track with transforming intelligence and information operations to meet the nation's new needs.

"You're looking at a nation that was basically sucker punched on 9/11," said Lt. Gen. Robert W. Noonan Jr., the Army G-2, responsible for both current intelligence support to the Army leadership and formulating Army intelligence policy, plans and programs.

"And now we've taken a force, and within six-months time, gone into Afghanistan so that nation is no longer a sanctuary for large-scale transnational terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda," Noonan said.

But neither Noonan, nor Maj. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle, the Army's director of information operations, networks and space, CIO/G-6, said they underestimate the terrorist threat and the daunting task of transforming the Army to meet other threats of the 21st Century.

During a candid 90-minute media-roundtable discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army's Intelligence, Information Operations and Asymmetric Warfare Symposium, both men noted current challenges related to their fields.

"Almost everything we do today is commercial off-the-shelf technology and the enemy can buy it just as quick," said Boutelle, who recently returned from visits to Afghanistan and other Middle East countries. "The enemy has a vote. He has in those mountains (in Afghanistan) commercial portable satellite terminals that he buys like any other commercial customer."

According to both Noonan and Boutelle, winning the war on terrorism and transforming the Army will require even more improvements in technology and enhanced "C4 and ISR" - command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

"C4 and ISR are critical to The Army Vision," Noonan said, "You have to be able to see first, understand first, act first, and finish decisively. All of those critical tasks are based on improved C4 and ISR capability."

Boutelle also said the Army is relying more on C4 and ISR by moving away from increasing armor protection, a practice that often increased vehicle weight and limited the ability of the Army to rapidly deploy.

"You're making a trade. You're trading heavy armor, steel, and guaranteed survival of a first round enemy hit for C4ISR, stealth and other technology capabilities," Boutelle said.

"At the same time, you have to be able to fight the full spectrum of operations, from the peacekeeping missions that we continue to provide throughout the world to classic armor engagements like we saw during Desert Storm in Iraq," Noonan said. "You can have the best technology in the world, but if you don't have the right people, then you're in deep trouble."

The key to effectively transforming Army intelligence and information operations will be to get the right information to the right people at the right time, said Noonan and Boutelle. As an example, Noonan noted that significant progress had been made with automated translation devices for soldiers.

"Within eight years we should have automated translators," said Noonan. "The goal is to have them with soldiers on patrol so they can have a dialogue on the street."

Both Noonan and Boutelle said they are convinced they have the right people on the right path to meet the Army's C4 and ISR needs. "We're revitalizing the workforce, we have a much better pictures of the science and technology and we're truly beginning to understand what network-centered warfare is all about," Noonan said.

(Maj. Chris Conway works media relations issues for the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs.)