Abstract: The Australian Army has been attempting to develop a computerised command support system since the mid-1970s and appears to have finally succeeded with the 1999 deployment of the Battlefield Command Support System (BCSS). The development path was a long and difficult one, beset by the nature of the software engineering approach, challenged by the rapid explosion of information technology and constrained by the nature of relationships between the user, sponsor, acquirer and developer. This paper describes the background to the development of the Australian Tactical Command Support System (AUSTACSS) and its eventual evolution into the Battlefield Command Support System. The paper also outlines the new management approaches, evolutionary development principles and contractual arrangements utilised to produce success and win the battle for an Army command support system.