Col. Brian Russell, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps' II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, has said the service branches must integrate information capabilities early in planning procedures ahead of conflict, C4ISRnet reported Wednesday.
Russell said at an Information Professionals Association podcast that partners such as allies and interservice entities bring arrange of capabilities that Marine Corps authorities can leverage to address the military branch's limitations.
“Establishing the relationships with some key allies [and] with some key joint force partners to collaborate as early as possible at the planning level, campaign planning before we’re at the point of action where it’s too late to perhaps consider a partner’s equities, perspectives or authorities and capabilities,” said Russell.
He noted that the U.S. military needs to foster close integration within its branches as competition with other nation-states continues in the information space. Russell added that his team is working to reach out to joint force and allied partners to synchronize their activities.
“It’s not any of those individual capabilities or individual authorities that’s most important, it’s how we weaponeer them together to produce outcomes for the MEF commander. It is combined arms for the 21st Century,” Russell concluded.
