Network Centric Warfare (NCW) promises to bring tremendous new capabilities to the military and transform the way the U.S. fights. Core technical requirements for NCW include a Common Operating Picture (COP) and a Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). These technologies enable more potent actions including increased speed of command and the self-synchronization of forces. The implicit assumption NCW proponents make regarding self- synchronization is that it will always produce beneficial results. In order for this to happen, all the forces must have the same fundamental understanding of warfare and operate with a common rule set. Tactical units in the same service will not be the issue; they use the same doctrine, training, and equipment. At the joint level, because the services have different cultures, the ability to successfully self-synchronize is considerably hampered, and in some cases self- synchronized forces will do more harm than good.
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