The networked force that defines military superiority makes interoperability for coalition operations more than important then ever.
Defense Operations Blog
The Army’s Future Is a Digital Convergence
March 9, 2017
With the battlefield capabilities being wielded by peer adversaries, the Army will need to develop and protect its network to a greater degree than ever.
Obsolescence Looms, Innovation Beckons
March 9, 2017
As with all the military services, the U.S. Army wants to improve its communications-electronics systems to keep up with emerging innovations. But it also faces a looming problem as more systems are plagued by creeping obsolescence.
Drone Use Influences Choice to Start or Escalate Conflicts
March 7, 2017
A significant majority of people support deploying drones rather than manned aircraft into contested territory, according to a study by the Center for a New American Security and the Future of Warfare Initiative.
U.S. Army Set to Meet Its 2025 Data Center Reduction Goal
February 15, 2017
The U.S. Army is well on its way to meeting federal goals for reducing data centers, cutting about 38 percent across the force and saving the service $56 million, officials state.
A New Trainer for Airmen: Skynet From 'Terminator'
February 9, 2017
They can extinguish shipboard fires and deliver explosive devices to kill suspected shooters, and now robots can help U.S. airmen with the 27th Special Operations Wing in New Mexico practice for intense missions, such as hostage situations.
DARPA's SideArm Project Helps Aircraft Stop Short
February 8, 2017
A full-scale technology demonstration system that repeatedly captured a 400-pound Lockheed Martin Fury unmanned aerial system (UAS) accelerated to representative flight speeds via an external catapult. The test was part of the DARPA's SideArm research, which focuses on creating a self-contained, portable apparatus that can horizontally launch and retrieve UASs that weigh up to 900 pounds.
Secure Wireless Warfighter Comms Available When Troops Need Them Most
January 30, 2017
The ability of warfighters to be mobile and nimble is not a luxury during combat operations. It is an absolute necessity. Staying ahead of the enemy or avoiding attack often means an entire command post must move, and quickly—a mammoth challenge if the command post relies on a wired communications network with cumbersome and costly cables and equipment.
China Returns Seized U.S. Navy's Unmanned Vessel
December 20, 2016
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Chinese naval forces returned a U.S. Navy underwater, unmanned research vessel on Tuesday, near the location where it was unlawfully seized late last week, according to a U.S. Defense Department statement.
Chinese Navy Seizes U.S. Underwater Vessel From International Waters in South China Sea
December 16, 2016
A Chinese military ship seized a U.S. underwater, unmanned research vessel, prompting the U.S. Defense Department to launch “appropriate government-to-government channels” with the Chinese government to immediately return the vessel. On Thursday, China unlawfully seized the unclassified ocean glider while sailing in the South China Sea, according to a Defense Department news release.
Hanscom AFB Kicks Off Data-to-Decisions Experiment
November 29, 2016
The Kill Chain Integration Branch at Hanscom Air Force Base has begun an experimentation campaign, known as Data-to-Decisions, to look at ways to provide warfighters data in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
Asia-Pacific Communicators Offer Technology Wish Lists
November 17, 2016
At AFCEA TechNet Asia-Pacific, a panel of U.S. military communications officers stationed in the Asia-Pacific region told the defense technology industry what they most need to accomplish the mission. The list included capabilities ranging from next-generation authentication tools to airborne command and control network modeling.
Halvorsen: Not Adopting a Hybrid Cloud Solution Would Be Dumb
November 17, 2016
Taking advantage of the hybrid cloud environment is the smart thing to do, said Terry Halvorsen, U.S. Defense Department chief information officer, at AFCEA TechNet Asia-Pacific.
The Good and the Bad on America’s Adversaries
November 15, 2016
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The good news, according to Rear Adm. Phillip Sawyer, USN, deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, is there is little likelihood the U.S. will go to war with China, Russia, North Korea or Iran, the country’s top four nation-state adversaries. Furthermore, ISIL will not be able to hold onto its territories. On the other hand, North Korea is utterly unpredictable and ISIL will probably rebuild somewhere else.
C4ISR Systems Must Be Migrated into the Cloud
November 9, 2016
An impression exists among senior U.S. government officials that moving C4ISR systems into the cloud is overhyped. They question whether the migration would improve operational effectiveness. The answer is yes, and its time has come, writes Ralph Wade, a vice president within Booz Allen Hamilton’s Strategic Innovation Group with a focus on digital solutions/C4ISR across government and military organizations.
Navy's Newest MUOS Satellite Reaches Orbit
November 3, 2016
After experiencing some initial difficulties, the Navy’s fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-5) satellite has reached its operational orbit and has successfully deployed its arrays and antennas.
Air Force Hardens Networks Against Cyberthreats, Boosts Capabilities, General Says
November 3, 2016
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The U.S. Air Force is placing a heavy emphasis on command and control, hardening against cyberthreats the service’s enterprise networks that control everything from state-of-the-art fighter jets to weapons systems. Competing priorities of speed, security and cost will drive cyber-based programs. “It’s all about the data,” said Maj. Gen. Dwyer Dennis, USAF, wrapping up the MILCOM 2016 conference in Baltimore.
Years of War Have Taken Serious Toll on Military Communications and Readiness, Panelists Say
November 2, 2016
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Fifteen years of continuous combat on multiple global battlefields has made U.S. military troop readiness one of the most critical challenges facing the services and Defense Department in spite of advances in communications, networking and other computer technologies. Efforts to sustain troops and equipment have taken a toll on training in particular, making operational priorities and capability needs a highly relevant topic toward shaping the force of the future.
U.S. Military Network Modernization Efforts Go Smaller, Simpler and Standardized
November 1, 2016
Efforts to modernize U.S. Marine Corps networks might have begun when the service worked to blur the lines between garrison and tactical networks, when nearly two decades of continuous war left the military with little opportunity for modernization beyond what troops needed immediately on the battlefield.
Autonomous Systems to Surge for Defense Operations
November 1, 2016
Over the next decade—if not sooner—the U.S. Defense Department wants more of its military systems to operate autonomously, capable of independently determining the right course of action no matter the situation. The Defense Science Board predicts the department will get there.