Ensuring that deployed U.S. troops can communicate and exchange information is critical to the military’s missions. That said, there are numerous challenges in deploying the high-speed tactical networks that make this communication possible. How, for example, do you make sure these networks are available when needed? What is the best way to maintain data integrity? The accuracy of the data—such as troop location—is just as important as network availability.
Defense Operations Blog
Nominations for DON IM/IT Excellence Awards Due December 5
October 3, 2016
Nominations are now being accepted for the DON Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) Excellence Awards. Submissions are due by December 5.
DARPA Launches New Podcast Series
September 27, 2016
DARPA is hearing voices. And now, so can you. The Defense Department's renowned research arm has launched a new podcast series, Voices from DARPA.
After Active Duty: Making Connections
September 19, 2016
Former Navy lieutenant Ryan Cox is a non-techie who thrives in a technical world. His secret to success: connecting wherever he goes.
Consolidation Requires a Whole New Level of Network Monitoring
There is no escaping the barrage of technology and devices ever-present in our modern lives. Consider that many middle school kids today are iPhone-wielding and Fitbit-wearing youngsters. The public sector workplace is no different. Federal IT professionals must consider the sheer volume and variety of devices connecting to their networks—from fitness wearables to laptops, tablets and smartphones, with a dash of IoT and cloud for good measure.
After Active Duty: Making it Happen
August 29, 2016
Maj. Gen. Jennifer Napper, USA (Ret.), vice president, Defense and Intelligence Group, Unisys Federal Systems, says she respects people willing and able to accomplish the mission regardless of obstacles.
After Active Duty: A Marine in Transition
August 15, 2016
Master Gunnery Sgt. Arthur Allen III, USMC (Ret.), left active duty this past summer after a 31-year career that included deployments to Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. He does not yet know what his next professional position will be, but he knows his life after active duty will include volunteer work.
Not Your Mama’s Army Depot
August 4, 2016
The workload for the Army’s organic industrial base facilities—depots, arsenals and ammunition plants—is nearly the same as it was prior to conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. For example, Tobyhanna Army Depot is an Army center of excellence for C4ISR, electronics, avionics and missile guidance and control. The Air Force has designated Tobyhanna as its technical repair center for C4I and tactical missiles, and the Marine Corps has declared it the source of repair for their newest radar.
Supporting Readiness Worldwide
August 4, 2016
The Army Materiel Command (AMC) is modernizing and deploying pre-positioned stocks in Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific to ensure the service can rapidly and effectively respond to threats as they occur. Those so-called activity sets include the latest in communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment.
U.S. Navy Communications Satellite Experiences Post-Launch Difficulty
August 2, 2016
A new U.S. Navy communications satellite, which launched in late June, experienced a difficulty on its way to its geosynchronous orbit and has been delayed, a Navy official says.
After Active Duty: The Importance of Mentorship
August 1, 2016
When asked about the highlight of his career, retired Brig. Gen. Kevin Nally, USMC, could provide a lot of different answers. The highlight, in his eyes, was mentoring young Marines and “passing on my knowledge and what I’ve learned from others so that they don’t make the same mistakes and have the chance and the resources to succeed.”
After Active Duty: A Student Never Forgets
July 25, 2016
Rear Adm. Carlos Rodolfo, PRT NA (Ret.), was studying science and electrical engineering in 1974 at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School when AFCEA recognized him for being the top student in his class. That moment sparked a lifelong commitment to the association and its efforts to promote education.
Getting Military Communications Battlefield Ready
June 2, 2016
No one needs reliable connectivity more than the nation’s armed forces, especially during the heat of battle. But reliable connectivity often can be hampered by a hidden enemy: latency and bandwidth concerns. The Army is working a network solution and has laid out a communications blueprint that other defense organizations can—and should—emulate, writes SolarWinds' CIO Joel Dolisy.
Value and Speed in Acquisition Grow Through Flexibility and Innovation
May 20, 2016
The Air Force can move down the cost/schedule curve to benefit value delivered to the warfighter, and the key is communications and dialog, said Lt. Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., USAF, military deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, during his address to the AFCEA International/GMU Critical Issues in C4I Symposium.
Cultural Changes Needed in Both Government and Industry
April 21, 2016
The key to incorporating advanced capabilities in the U.S. military lies not so much in technology as it does in cultural changes in government and industry that will clear the way for innovation to take hold.
Digital War Defines the State of Cyber Today
April 20, 2016
The bad guys have gotten badder as military cybersecurity experts face a war in the virtual environment.
DISA Reorganization Addresses Contracting Challenges
April 20, 2016
Government-industry cooperation, all the more important in tight budget times, is being redefined in DISA with an agency reorganization aimed at contracting and delivering services more efficiently.
Space and Cyber Domains Combined Create 'Synergistic' Safeguards, General Says
March 24, 2016
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Every military operation conducted around the world is enabled by space as well as cyber operations. “As it is with cyber, and as the world is certainly witness to, our space domain is critically important,” said Maj. Gen. Roger Teague, USAF, director of space programs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition for the U.S. Air Force.
There's Money to Fund Cyber—For Now
March 22, 2016
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Cyber right now is the the cat’s meow—a notion sure to keep funding flowing for technological solutions, at least in the near term, to counter the emerging threats, according to Col. Gary Salmans, USAF, at AFCEA's inaugural TechNet Air symposium in San Antonio.
Pacific Fleet Bears Brunt of Maritime Challenges
February 18, 2016
The stresses facing the U.S. Navy are magnified in the Asia-Pacific region where most of the forward-deployed fleet will find itself in the near future. Two peer rivals, maritime challenges to international law and diverse threats confront the Pacific Fleet to an increasing degree.
