Exercises Doctrine

Exploring Specific Measures to Improve the Quality and Effectiveness of Joint Operations Command Under Intelligentized Conditions

探析提升智能化条件下联合作战指挥质效的具体举措

PLA Daily (解放军报) 12 May 2026

Summary

A PLA-affiliated article authored by Li Wenqing, Lü Youzhi, and Zheng Yuchen prescribes specific structural and doctrinal measures to improve joint operations command effectiveness under what Chinese military doctrine terms 'intelligentized conditions,' covering command system architecture, centralization-decentralization balance, human-machine collaborative decision-making, and multi-domain action coordination. The piece is analytically useful as a doctrinal signal: it reflects PLA institutional thinking on how to operationalize 'intelligentized' joint command, particularly the push to delegate decision authority to tactical-edge units while maintaining centralized planning, and the explicit integration of AI, big data, and autonomous systems—including 'military intelligent agents'—into command processes. The emphasis on resilient, redundant command nodes and feedback-based self-organizing coordination mechanisms suggests the PLA is actively working to address command vulnerabilities identified from studying recent conflicts, including the risk of centralized command systems being disrupted or degraded in high-intensity operations.

Translation

Improving the Quality and Effectiveness of Joint Operations Command Under Intelligentized Conditions

■ Li Wenqing, Lü Youzhi, Zheng Yuchen

Introduction

"Victory or defeat in war does not lie in numbers, but in division and combination." The quality and effectiveness of operational command directly determines the outcome of combat. From recent local conflicts, as the degree of intelligentization (智能化) continues to rise, joint operations command faces circumstances including: rapidly changing situational awareness making timely assessment difficult; short action cycles making precise regulation and control difficult; frequent unexpected situations making response and handling difficult; and large-scale interdependencies making the pursuit of advantage difficult. Exploring specific measures to improve the effectiveness of joint operations command and enhance the resilience of command operations—achieving "combined without rigidity, dispersed without dissolution" (合而不僵，分而不散) among multi-domain, multi-dimensional participating forces, and thereby agilely concentrating and releasing combat power—is of significant importance for winning future wars.

System Integration to Connect Command Links

Wherever the tentacles of war extend, the tentacles of command must extend there as well. The joint operations command system is not only the organizational foundation for closely connecting multi-domain, multi-dimensional participating forces to conduct joint operations, but also a key component of the joint operations system under intelligentized conditions. Constructing a joint operations command system that integrates peacetime and wartime, operates on a routine basis, has dedicated primary functions, and is lean and highly efficient—achieving full-system integrated and connected operation of command links that reach all the way down vertically and all the way across horizontally—is an objective requirement of future joint operations command and a foundational undertaking for continuously optimizing the intelligentized military system. Connecting command links is generally carried out in sequence according to the logic of "security threat—operational mission—force employment—command relationships—information interaction"; that is, what kind of war is to be fought and what kind of command functions are needed determines what kind of command system is designed.

Scientifically organize combat forces. With an eye toward the development trend of "modular employment of forces and downward shift of the joint center of gravity," determine the operational composition based on operational missions. From the dimension of system construction, determine the basic modules for organizing combat forces at different levels across the services and arms; based on mission requirements and force scale, draw and organize corresponding task forces. From the dimension of system operation, draw and organize basic operational functional elements such as reconnaissance and early warning, joint strike, comprehensive protection, and operational support; differentiate among the strategic, campaign, and tactical levels; and combine them in modular fashion to form systemic "force packages" (力量包) matched to specific missions, organizing task forces at different levels.

Optimize and improve the command system. Following the approach of "penetrating all the way down and all the way across, covering all domains and all elements," fully construct the joint operations command system. Supported by the network information system, with strategic command organs as the top layer, joint campaign command organs as the hub, and task force command organs as the foundation, extend to the tactical edge; improve link structure, command relationships, and information interaction views; form a networked disposition and elastically redundant architecture of command nodes; enable relevant command organs or command functions to be backed up and substituted, switched in emergencies, and dynamically reorganized; and enhance the resilience and survivability of the joint operations command system.

Extend and ensure network system support. Centered on the architecture of "cross-echelon direct links, cross-service coordination links, and cross-platform kill chain links," strengthen battlefield network system support and assurance. The connection of command links must ultimately be realized through the connection of information links. On the basis of improving and constructing the command system, open up information interaction links among all command nodes; connect all levels of command organs and forces vertically; connect functional elements such as reconnaissance, strike, protection, and support horizontally; achieve interconnection among operational entities; and enhance the integrated, flattened operational capability of the command system.

Combining Centralization and Decentralization to Implement Agile Command and Control

Command is the science of mastering uncertainty and the art of realizing the possible. The combination of centralization and decentralization and agile command and control by command organs at all levels and of all types is an objective need for adapting to the rapid changes of joint operations and the treacherous battlefield environment under intelligentized conditions, and is also a manifestation of the commanders' concept of victory through the integration of technique and skill and the application of stratagems. Future joint operations command should, based on the operational missions assigned by higher authorities and the combat capabilities of the forces, comprehensively consider factors such as enemy threat, battlefield environment, tactics employment, and command means; make full use of the achievements of informatized and intelligentized technology development; flexibly employ command methods; and stimulate command vitality and improve command quality and effectiveness.

Adhere to the principle of "centralized unity." "Military authority prizes unity" and "military orders must be unified." The unified command by joint operations command organs over the combat actions of all participating forces is a basic requirement of joint operations command. Joint operations command organs must, on the basis of accurately grasping the intentions of higher authorities, conduct operational planning centered on unifying objectives, unifying missions, unifying plans, and unifying rules; uniformly design combat actions; comprehensively employ force resources; form planning outputs centered on joint operations plans, rules of engagement, and mission-type orders; and refine and break down operational missions and clarify mission indicators, providing a basic basis for subordinate command.

Adapt to the trend of "dispersed high efficiency." In future joint operations, participating forces will increase significantly, the enemy-friendly situation will change in an instant, and battlefield management and control will be extraordinarily complex; often, numerous actions in different directions and different areas will be launched simultaneously and implemented in parallel. Relying entirely on strategic and campaign command organs for centralized command and organized coordination is very likely to miss the opportunity for battle. Joint operations command organs should, on the basis of unified planning, delegate authority for on-the-spot decision-making, mission planning, and action control to the greatest extent possible; give full play to the command strengths of the various services, arms, and specialized fields; and release the situational awareness capability, battlefield adaptability, and action coordination capability of task forces at all levels, so as to efficiently respond to complex and ever-changing battlefield situations.

Strengthen the concept of "empowerment through data and intelligence" (数智赋能). The organic fusion of rational thinking based on data-driven logical reasoning and perceptual thinking based on experiential and intuitive situational judgment is the key pathway for future intelligentized command to move from "technology empowerment" to "capability generation." Following the approach of "data-driven, intelligent assistance, real-time response, and full-domain control," relying on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, proactively employ the "intelligence+" functions of military intelligent agents (军事智能体); shape a human-machine collaborative ecosystem based on a "human-machine-environment" interactive structure; conduct intelligentized, automated, and systematic design of command processes; shorten command links, accelerate operational tempo, and improve decision-making efficiency; and realize the intelligentized and innovative developmental transformation of joint operations command.

Organizing Action Coordination Immediately and Efficiently

Future joint operations involve diverse participating forces, dispersed force deployments, and varied combat actions. In order to adapt to the characteristics of informatized and intelligentized warfare and form maximum combined strength in an environment of electromagnetic complexity and intense confrontation, it is necessary to strengthen rule-based coordination (强规则协同) adapted to wide-area, multi-dimensional combat scenarios, adaptive coordination (自适应协同) closely aligned with front-line operational needs, and resilient coordination (强韧性协同) that meets the requirements for reliable survival in complex battlefield environments. Support the synchronized actions of domain-divided, distributed, and dispersed forces through conscious and proactive action coordination, producing the optimal effect of emergent system combat capability.

Precise application of coordination rules. The more informatized and intelligentized combat becomes, the more standardized and rule-based coordination must be. Without a complete set of refined, universal coordination rules, high-level joint operations based on the network information system will be difficult to achieve. From the perspective of operational processes, intelligence reconnaissance fusion, strike firepower selection, protection and counter-strike division of labor, and operational support allocation all require coordination rule support. From the perspective of action characteristics, multi-means strikes against mobile targets, multi-layered air defense and anti-missile operations, multi-scenario coordinated fire support, and multi-method emergency repair, construction, and supply all require coordination rule constraints. From the perspective of capability development, the participation of large numbers of unmanned systems, the empowerment of multiple types of intelligent equipment, and the employment of massive operational data all bring requirements for manned-unmanned coordination, efficient and rapid coordination, and data-based dynamic coordination, all of which require coordination rule assurance.

Flexible application of coordination mechanisms. In the high-intensity confrontation environment of joint operations, feedforward coordination (前馈式协同) based on planning and prediction is highly susceptible to falling into blind spots of situational awareness, causing operational actions to face the "uncertainty" predicament of disorder. If dispersed combat forces cannot obtain precise temporal-spatial reference points and higher-level orders in a timely manner, subsequent actions may descend into the chaotic situation of "each fighting on its own." To address this situation, it is necessary to advocate a feedback-based self-organizing coordination mechanism (反馈式自组织协同机制) based on situational awareness. Once interrelated combat forces lose the precise regulation and control of the central command node and find themselves in an "information island," this mechanism can be activated to leverage the advantages of on-the-spot coordination and autonomous coordination; in accordance with established decision-making plans and with reference to universal coordination rules, relying on distributed micro-perception and micro-decision-making (微感知、微决策) at the tactical edge, rapidly respond to situational changes and sensitively adjust specific actions to ensure overall operational stability.

Reliable and effective coordination means. In future joint operations, the contradictions between the specialization of combat forces and the joint nature of combat actions, and between the complexity of planning and organization and the timeliness of combat actions, will become increasingly prominent; requirements for the sensitivity, efficiency, and precision of operational coordination will grow ever higher; and organizing joint operations coordination in a timely and smooth manner will become even more difficult. More reliable and effective coordination means must be available as support. First, combine traditional methods with emerging technologies, maintaining multi-means parallel use and multi-method backup for important coordination. Second, ensure reliable fallback through specific measures by pre-positioning coded coordination and human coordination measures, and prepare means support for conducting coordination under extreme conditions. Third, fully empower through intelligent technology by integrating coordination concepts, rule application, and tool means into the construction of weapons and equipment systems, forming a new joint operations coordination paradigm that fuses "human judgment + decision support + autonomous action" capabilities.

Original Chinese

提升智能化条件下联合作战指挥质效 ■李文清吕有志郑玉晨引言 “兵之胜负，不在众寡，而在分合。”作战指挥质效直接关乎作战成败。从近期局部冲突来看，随着智能化程度越来越高，联合作战指挥面临态势变化快导致及时研判难、行动周期短导致精准调控难、突发情况多导致处置应对难、关联制约大导致谋求优势难等境况。探析提升联合作战指挥效益、增强指挥运行韧性的具体举措，实现全域多维参战力量“合而不僵，分而不散”，进而敏捷聚释作战能力，对于制胜未来战争具有重要意义。体系融合贯通指挥链路战争的触角伸向哪里，指挥的触角就应延伸至哪里。联合作战指挥体系，不仅是紧密连接全域多维参战力量实施联合作战的组织基础，也是智能化条件下联合作战体系的关键构成。构建平战一体、常态运行、专司主营、精干高效的联合作战指挥体系，实现指挥链路纵向到底、横向到边的全体系融合贯通运行，是未来联合作战指挥的客观要求，也是持续优化智能化军事体系的基础工程。贯通指挥链路通常按照“安全威胁—作战任务—力量运用—指挥关系—信息交互”的逻辑逐次展开，也就是打什么样的仗、需要什么样的指挥功能，就设计什么样的指挥体系。科学编组作战力量。着眼“兵力模块运用、联合重心下移”的发展趋势，依据作战任务确定作战编成。从体系构建维度看，确定各军兵种不同层级作战力量编组的基本模块，根据任务需求与力量规模，抽组形成相应任务部队；从体系运行维度看，抽组侦察预警、联合打击、综合防护、作战保障等基本作战功能要素，区分战略、战役、战术不同层级，模块化组合形成与特定任务相匹配的体系化“力量包”，编组不同层级任务部队。优化完善指挥体系。遵循“到底到边贯通、全领域全要素覆盖”的思路，完整构建联合作战指挥体系。在网络信息体系支撑下，以战略指挥机构为顶层，以联合战役指挥机构为枢纽，以任务部队指挥机构为基础，向战术末端延伸，完善链路结构、指挥关系、信息交互视图，形成指挥节点网络化布势和弹性冗余架构，实现相关指挥机构或指挥功能可备份替代、可应急切换、可动态重组，增强联合作战指挥体系韧性和抗毁能力。延展畅通网系支撑。围绕“跨层级直达链路、跨军种协同链路、跨平台杀伤链路”的架构，建强战场网系支撑保障。指挥链路贯通，最终要落实到信息链路贯通上。在完善构建指挥体系基础上，打通各指挥节点的信息交互链路，纵向贯通各级指挥机构和部队，横向贯通侦察、打击、防护、保障等功能要素，实现作战实体互联互通，提升指挥体系一体化、扁平化运行能力。统分结合实施敏捷指控指挥是驾驭不确定性的科学和实现可能的艺术。各级各类指挥机构统分结合、敏捷指控，是适应智能化条件下联合作战快速变化以及波谲云诡战场环境的客观需要，也是指挥员指技融合、施计用谋的制胜观念体现。未来联合作战指挥应根据上级赋予的作战任务和部队作战能力，综合考虑敌情威胁、战场环境、战法运用、指挥手段等因素，充分利用信息化智能化技术发展成果，活用指挥方式，激发指挥活力、提升指挥质效。遵循“集中统一”原则。“兵权贵一”“军令归一”。联合作战指挥机构统一指挥各参战力量的作战行动，是联合作战指挥的基本要求。联合作战指挥机构要在准确把握上级意图基础上，围绕统目标、统任务、统计划、统规则等进行作战筹划，统一设计作战行动，统筹使用力量资源，形成以联合作战计划、交战规则和任务式指令为主体的筹划成果，细化分解作战任务、明确任务指标，为下级指挥提供基本依据。适应“分散高效”趋势。未来联合作战行动力量显著增多、敌我态势瞬息万变、战场管控异常复杂，往往是不同方向、不同区域的诸多行动同时展开、并行实施，完全依靠战略战役指挥机构集中指挥、组织协同，很有可能会贻误战机。联合作战指挥机构应在统一筹划基础上，尽可能下放临机决策权、任务规划权、行动控制权，充分发挥各军兵种、各专业领域指挥优长，释放各级任务部队的态势认知力、战场适应力、行动协同力，以高效应对复杂多变的战场情况。强化“数智赋能”理念。基于数据驱动逻辑推理的理性思维与基于经验直觉情境判断的感性思维有机融合，是未来智能化指挥从“技术赋能”走向“能力生成”的关键路径。按照“数据驱动、智能辅助、实时响应、全域控制”思路，依托人工智能、大数据、云计算、物联网等先进技术，前瞻运用军事智能体“智能+”功能，塑造基于“人—机—环境”互动结构的人机协作生态系统，对指挥流程进行智能化、自动化、系统化设计，缩短指挥链路、加快运行速度、提升决策效率，实现联合作战指挥的智能化创新化发展转型。即时高效组织行动协同未来联合作战参战力量多元、兵力部署分散、作战行动多样，为了适应信息化智能化战争特点，在电磁复杂、对抗激烈的环境中形成最大合力，就要强化适应广域多维作战场景的强规则协同、紧贴一线作战所需的自适应协同以及满足复杂战场环境可靠生存的强韧性协同。以自觉主动的行动协同支撑分域分布分散力量同步动作，产生体系作战能力涌现的最佳效果。协同规则精准适用。作战越是信息化智能化，协同越要标准化规则化。没有一整套精细的通用协同规则，基于网信体系的高水平联合作战就难以实现。从作战流程看，情报侦察融合、打击火力选择、防护抗击分工、作战保障调配等均需协同规则支撑；从行动特点看，多手段打击机动目标、多层次防空反导作战、多场景协同火力支援、多方式抢修抢建抢供等均需协同规则约束；从能力发展看，大量无人装备参战、多型智能设备赋能、海量作战数据运用等带来的有人无人协同、高效快速协同、基于数据动态协同等需求均需协同规则保障。协同机制灵活运用。在联合作战的高烈度对抗环境中，基于计划预判的前馈式协同，极易陷入态势感知盲区，使得作战行动面临失序的“不确定性”困局。分散部署的作战力量如果无法及时获得精准的时空基准与上级指令，后续行动可能出现“各自为战”的混乱局面。针对此种情况，需要倡导基于态势感知的反馈式自组织协同机制，相互关联的作战力量一旦失去中心指挥节点的精确调控、处于“信息孤岛”，即可启动该机制，发挥临机协同、自主协同优势，按照既定决心计划、参照通用协同规则，依靠战术边缘分布式微感知、微决策，迅速响应态势变化、灵敏调整具体行动，确保作战总体稳定。协同手段可靠管用。未来联合作战，作战力量专业性与作战行动联合性、筹划组织复杂性与作战行动时效性间的矛盾对立将越来越突出，对作战协同的灵敏性、高效性、精准性要求越来越高，及时顺畅组织联合作战协同将变得更加困难，必须有更加可靠管用的协同手段作支撑。一是传统方法与新兴技术相结合，重要协同保持多手段并用、多方式备份；二是具体措施可靠保底，提前预置代码协同、人力协同措施，做好极端条件下展开协同的手段支撑；三是智能技术充分赋能，把协同理念、规则运用、工具手段融入武器装备系统建设，形成“人工研判+辅助决策+自主行动”能力融合的联合作战协同新形态。