Kierunki rozwoju technicznych środków dowodzenia siłami powietrznymi

The basis to command and control air forces is to have reliable, on time and current information concerning the enemy (its potential and real capabilities), conditions to carry out operations, and also own forces’ potential. Contemporary command and control systems enable prompt acquisition and collection of information, as well as its analysis and processing. They support commanders in the decision making process. Furthermore, they enable transferring tasks to their executors. Wider and wider engagement of the allied and other organisations’ armed forces in crisis response operations enforces increasing the interoperability level of armed forces’ command and control, the air forces including. Serious challenges for the air force command and control result from the network centric fighting. This concept stipulates the operational capabilities increase of forces smaller in strength which result from information advantage and common situational awareness of all participants in the operation. Using forces in conditions of network centric battlefield will require effective process of commanding. It will be conditioned by, among others, access to technologically advanced assets such as technical devices (equipment) which are to ensure efficient and durable information flow, necessary to command and control subordinated forces. They supply the command and control system with information which they receive, process, gather and present. In literature these means are divided into five basic groups. These are: reconnaissance, communication, information processing, information imagery and location of the personnel and equipment. The aim of the article is to present development directions of technical means to command and control air forces. Technical and operational aspects of their development have been analysed. The article is divided into parts reflecting the division of technical command and control means into reconnaissance, communication, information processing, information imagery and location of the personnel and equipment.