With the maturing of computing, network and information infrastructures, many organizations are shifting their attention toward finding ways to use all this new technology effectively to support decision-making. "Decision Support" is a general term that refers to the orchestrated application of diverse technologies to improve individual and organizational decision processes.

The lead article, "Decision Support Tool Enhances Air Traffic Control," reviews some of MITRE’s efforts to improve civilian Air Traffic Control (ATC). As the Federal Aviation Administration’s research and development center for ATC, the MITRE Center for Advanced Aviation System Development is a leader in ATC decision support.

A particularly difficult military Command and Control (C2) problem is real-time targeting. The second article, "Air Strikes Include Fourth Dimension," exploits technology and lessons learned in civilian ATC to the military problem of real-time air space deconfliction ("deconfliction" is the technology that keeps aircraft safely separated). "Choose Your Weapons and Targets" (on the back page) addresses the problem of real-time target selection.

The third article "Tactical Decision-Making Seizes Initiative" examines advanced decision support for a less time-constrained operational planning problem. The following two articles examine some of the foundations of decision support. "Information Monitoring for Decision Support" describes an approach to integrating decision support and information management technologies. "Collaborative Computing Improves Decisions" describes an instance of MITRE’s extensive work program supporting DoD experimentation with new operational concepts and decision processes. In this regard, it is important to remember that the introduction of new technologies does not, by itself, improve decision making. Also required is a careful examination of how decision processes need to change to take advantage of new technologies.