Page 14 - ADT MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

Joint future of conflict. The war-fighting characteris- [ REPORT ]

tics of the Gulf war serve as a model of required
factors; superb aerial reconnaissance; satellite
communications; highly technical firepower with
precise, accurate aiming capabilities; airborne
radar; extensive armour plating, and the nec-
Mission essary electronics. And above all, meshing the
forces of 38 nations into anything resembling
a smoothly operating military force to make
interoperability seamless, fused, and flexible.
Since the Desert Storm, interoperability in joint
operations has taken many forms from shar-
ing common doctrine and procedures, to using
each others’ infrastructure and bases.
COUNTRIES ARE PURSUING INTEROPERABILITY During the 2003 Iraq War, the cohesiveness of
AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER AND A STREAMLINER the relationship amongst the Royal Australian
OF NATIONAL EFFORTS Navy, the Royal Navy and the United States
Navy was underpinned by high levels of per-
ceptive interoperability, which manifested itself
Jay Menon in effective working relationships. Now, after
several years of major combat operations and
counterinsurgencies in the Middle East, the
After the 1991 Gulf War, U.S. Marine Corps General Harry W. Jenkins, U.S. and allied forces are much closer to real-
Assistant Chief of Staff, commented: "The war did prove that the izing the full possibilities of jointness. With new
Services will never again operate independently; jointness is in." threats targeting the core systems of friendly
Jointness or interoperability helps provide a strategic advantage countries, not just militaries but political sys-
in facing today’s increasingly complex defence challenges. For tems, infrastructure, and more, the flexibility
all nations, interoperability is likely to be a defining feature of the and resilience that interoperability can provide

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