A podcast sponsored by Systematic
Listen to the 'Command and Control' podcast by Peter Roberts
As the nature of war and the methods of warfare evolve, there is an increasing imperative to have efficient and effective command and control.
A new defence podcast called ‘Command and Control’ hosted by Dr Peter Roberts and sponsored by Systematic explores how our understanding of C2 needs to flex with modern requirements. It includes high profile guests from the UK, US and Australian Armed Forces as well as thinktanks and industry experts to debate hot topics such as AI and Multi-Domain Integration.
Here below, you see an overview of all the available episodes of the 'Command and Control' podcast – and further down on this page, you will find short introductions and direct links to each of the episodes.
In this section, you can read about and listen to all the available episodes of the 'Command and Control' podcast. In addition, you will also find the podcast on a number of podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. See the list of platforms here.
If you want to make sure that you stay in the loop, you can also sign up to receive an email as soon as new episode is released.
Episode 1: The quest for certainty
As C2 technology becomes ever more sophisticated, the successful meshing of this with human intent is vital in contemporary warfare. General Mick Ryan (Rtd) of the Australian Army discusses the command and control pinchpoints where human endeavour ends and that of the machine begins.
Episode 2: Adaption under fire – a Ukraine case study
If the Ukraine conflict has taught us anything, it is that cutting edge, available technology tips the balance in a big tech, peer war. Listen to Dr Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute discuss how Ukraine’s combination of effective, multi-level C2 with a trusted Battle Management System is at the heart of their battle-winning strategy.
Episode 3: What makes a great commander?
The nature of war is unpredictable for a myriad of reasons – not least because it is a human endeavour. But how much does personality and politics play a part on battlefield outcomes? Professor Mike Clarke, former Head of RUSI explores how exemplary command and control can overcome this ever-present factor.
Episode 4: A New Orders Process
It is not just the sharing of a common operational picture among allies and own forces that changes the game. It is now the additional functionality – speed, usability, integration of feeds, and ability to overcome degraded comms that is a necessity in today’s era of peer warfare argues Lieutenant General (Rtd) Ben Hodges of the US Army in this latest episode of Command & Control.
Episode 5: Familiarity ≠ Trust
Trust has always been a central concept in military command and control: it can be based on a ‘Band of Brothers’ construct or something a bit more complex with allies and partners. Yet this human-to-human rubric is not the same when we consider the concept of trust as it applies to human-machine trust. Or is it? Peter talks to Christina Balis, who wrote a paper in June 2022 about human-machine trust, about how we should be thinking about this – something that has been missing from the discussions as more C2 systems are added into military forces. What emerges is a demand for less coders (or software savvy commanders), and more about diverse education sets and inquisitive minds. Especially if the philosophies of delegated and mission-command are to remain more than rhetoric.
Episode 6: Artificial Intelligence in C2
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are the latest buzzwords to hit defence. Yet, what do they really mean? Former Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force Henrik Dam and Brigadier General (Rtd) Henrik Sommer separate fact from science fiction and explain what industry can really provide to militaries.
Episode 7: Confidence and the initiative
Warfare rarely exists within one domain. Combined arms, multi-domain integration and allied partnering makes a common BMS essential. Maj Gen Zac Stenning of the British Army discusses how the West must work together on technology to ensure continued relevance.
Episode 8: Question time – live Q&A at DSEI London
In this final episode of the series, we are bringing the political, military, and industry expert views on modern C2 – recorded live at DSEI London 2023. Join our expert panel of Royal Navy Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Burns, Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Major General Zac Stenning of the British Army, and Group Senior Vice President of Defence at Systematic Andrew Graham discussing the challenges and opportunities of modern command and control.
Among the themes discussed are: What will C2 look like in the future? Will C2 survive in its current form? What’s the role of the commander in the future? And do we train and educate our future commanders well enough?
Trailer
The big questions: What is it all about, why is it important, and why now?
The show is about military command and control, sometimes considered the panacea of battles and campaign, and what it might look like for the fight tonight and the fight tomorrow. The hypothesis is that command is human and control has become increasingly technical – and that that the growth of C2 systems calls for consideration on how to effectively synchronise between the key functions of command and control.
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The 'Command and Control' podcast aims to open up the conversation about command and control – or C2 – which is often over looked in the race to acquire more technology, arms and personnel, but is a necessity when it comes to battlefield strategy.
The present era of a return to peer warfare and high-end warfighting amid a technological boom has resulted in a blend of human decision-making and cutting-edge technology. But how does this really look? Can AI really substitute for human factors? And how will dynamic control shape military command in the future. Check out the 'Command and Control' podcast to find out!
The podcast host: Dr Peter Roberts
Dr Peter Roberts is the host of the 'Command and Control' podcast. He is both a Royal Navy veteran and the former Director of Military Sciences at the Royal United Services Institute.
In addition, he is a regular global commentator on military affairs and the host of a popular defence podcast called Western Way of War.
The podcast episodes and release
The ‘Command and Control’ podcast is planned to have 8 episodes.
The first episode is released on June 2023, and the last one will be a live Q&A session at DSEI London on September 12 2023.
Where to find the podcast
You can find and listen to the 'Command and Control' podcast right here on this landing page – and on a number of podcast platforms, including: Amazon Music/Audible, Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Boomplay, CastBox, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, JioSaavn, Libsyn, Player FM, Resso, Spotify, Stitcher.
