The Army needs a mission command network that is adaptable, secure, and intuitive regardless of user or location, said a panel of experts at AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare Hot Topic Forum on Army networks."A complex world presents conditions where the threat – the enemy – is becoming increasingly capable and elusive," Brig Gen. John A. George, director of capabilities development for the Army Capabilities Integration Center, said.In complex environments, George said commanders face four primary challenges to mission command: understanding the environment, executing the role of command, partnering and building teams, and influencing audiences inside and outside the chain of command.Simplicity and enhanced situational understanding are key to overcoming these obstacles, George said."Mission command networks must be designed to enable the warfighter," not distract or hinder them, he added.The future network must be able to adapt to a wide variety of situations, and it needs to be secure in congested and contested environments.A mission command network based on these principles "will enable leaders to make the right decision at the right time," George said.Brig. Gen. Willard M. Burleson, director of the Mission Command Center of Excellence, said that from a mission command perspective, commanders must be "enabled to understand, visualize, describe, and direct."In order for the network to enable mission command, it must be integrated, adaptable and rapidly deployable, Burleson noted.Uninterrupted communication at all levels will be critical to any future Army operations."One of our enduring capabilities giving us an advantage over our enemies is our ability to procure and disseminate information," said Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, the principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology.Williamson added that as new technology is increasingly available to our potential enemies, it is imperative for the Army to craft one solid network that is protected from our adversaries.Also on the panel were Col. Michael Thurston, project manager for mission command, PEO C3T; William Weiss, vice president and general manager of ground systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems; and panel moderator Brig. Gen. James Moran, USA, Ret., vice president, Army systems, The Boeing Company.