As far as I am aware, the War Barge is responsible for the NPC OB strikes, and it has limited weaponry for this role, primarily being a strategic command centre and logistical hub.
The MCC is more of a tactical/field command centre, but plays a vital role in the 'network' that must be in place to ensure safe clone transfer in real time. Essentially each drop suit is an end device, carrying the consciousness of the user (in his head until otherwise opened up by incoming fire), with the MCC acting as a router (when present), and the Warbarge acting providing the heavy lifting, computationally, to ensure that data stream remain corruption free, transfers are conducted swiftly and so forth. Note that due to Assault matches, it is clear the MCC is not required to ensure cloning goes smoothly, but may in fact also assist with the hacking of 'hardened computational systems', in this case NULL installations.
In this way, a dropsuit equipped force of clone soldiers represents the most advanced 'smart-battle' force in the cluster, with fully networked resurrection and the ability to crack the security counter measures of super-heavy ordnance in the field, in a matter of seconds.
That's just my musing, but looking at the move towards distributed system in civil and military applications today, I can certainly see such a situation being at the bleeding edge of network/communications technology as applied to warfare in the EVE cluster.