Focus: U.S. Air Force Networking
The Air Force largely has been invisible as attention has focused on ground combat in Southwest Asia. Yet, air support played a key role in neutralizing many adversarial force elements, and with the end of a U.S. combat role in that region, military planners are looking ahead to future conflicts. Combat aircraft increasingly are becoming sensor platforms complementing their fighting roles, and taking advantage of the data they collect is a key task for mission planners. And, this information must be melded with that of ground forces as well. The June issue of SIGNAL focuses on how the U.S. Air Force is addressing the challenges it faces to bring networking fully into the atmospheric realm.
- The head of Air Force information systems looks 
at the networking challenges that lie ahead.
- The Joint Aerial Layer Network aims to 
link aircraft information systems.
- The Air Force Network Integration Center knits information technology into the fabric of its mission.
- Air Force East Coast units train virtually with 
Navy, Marine Corps and international partners.
Focus:Â Cyber Trends
What a difference a year makes. While cyber has been a growing area of interest for some time, in 2013 it moved to the top of the list. The U.S. director of national intelligence declared that cyber threats are more of a menace to the Free World than terrorism, and South Korea’s media and financial institutions came under attack from foreign hackers. The only aspect that has grown more than cyber awareness is the threat itself, as all government, military, civil and commercial institutions find themselves in the digital line of fire. No moving target ever proved so elusive as the cyber threat, and countering it may be the key to continued freedom and prosperity. SIGNAL Magazine’s June 2013 issue reports on the cyber threat and how Free World organizations are responding to it.
- The commander of the U.S. Cyber 
Command gives a candid assessment of the threat and options for dealing with it.
- A noted European cybersecurity expert confronts misinformed attitudes about
the severity of the online menace.Â
- CEOs at major U.S. defense companies discuss the cyber market as well as the threat and its effect on information sharing.
- The USTRANSCOM Joint Cyber Center 
has improved cybersecurity by 
combining personnel and organizations that other groups keep separate.
- Military leaders confront the challenge 
of training personnel in cybersecurity 
in a rapidly changing environment.
- A new study identifies an unforeseen vulnerability in the U.S. power grid that threatens the entire nation’s economic viability.
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