Evolving agents for network centric warfare

The advances in information technology largely influence our life style in various aspects. The changes in the underlying economics, information technology, business processes and organizations are affecting the very character of war and are leading to the fundamental shift from platform-centric warfare to network centric warfare (NCW), also known as network centric operation (NCO) [1]. Since its emergence in 1983 [10], the debate between proponents and opponents is hotly continuous. The proponents suggest that networked entities may produce information superiority, which in turn dramatically increases combat power. The theory that power is increasingly derived from information sharing, knowledge sharing and command speeding up has been supported by results of recent military operational experience [4]. The advantages of NCW have been recognized as:Small-size networked forces can perform missions effectively at a lower cost;