The next terrorist attack on the United States mainland might take the form of conventional missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction. These missiles could be launched from a number of different offshore platforms or basing systems that would give citizens in coastal cities almost no warning before impact. Either cruise missiles or short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, which are easily obtainable in the global weapons market, could be used to inflict untold devastation on any of the 75 percent of the U.S. public that lives within 200 miles of the nation's coastline.

The United Kingdom's tactical and operational commands soon will be linked by a mobile, high-capacity communications network. Designed around an Internet protocol architecture, the system replaces aging asynchronous transfer mode equipment with a scalable application that can be configured rapidly to meet the needs of an expeditionary force. It also interoperates with other digital communications technologies now entering service with the British military and provides a secure messaging channel to coalition allies.

Despite a tight procurement budget, Sweden is maximizing the benefits of battlefield awareness by embracing network-centric warfare concepts. As the country applies these concepts across its armed forces, it also is actively training its officer corps to make rapid decisions in an information-rich environment.

People talking on cell phones while behind the wheel may be an annoyance during rush hour traffic, but the ability to communicate on the go is one that commanders in a combat zone crave. So members of the U.S. Army V Corps were intrigued when they discovered that the command that focuses on joint warfighter needs was developing a system that would allow not only mobile voice but also data and imagery communications. As a result of that curiosity and the work of many dedicated experts, troops rotating into current operations can conduct command and control as effectively and efficiently while on the road as they can in headquarters.

After years of building the military's information superhighway, the U.S. Defense Department now is turning its attention to the information and services that travel on it and simultaneously is searching for ways to ensure a secure trip. To this end, the new head of the agency in charge of providing the department with the technical capabilities it requires will create a strategic vision that ensures that technology programs spiral in the right direction and lead to capabilities for use at the tactical edge. Lt. Gen. Charles E. Croom Jr., USAF, the new director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, says this vision must define roles and responsibilities clearly and that developing it will require collaboration among the agency, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the services and industry.

Changes are taking place in the world of intelligence. The creation of the new position of director of national intelligence, or DNI, illustrates how the U.S. government views

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated, "We face an enemy that is dispersed throughout the world. It does not operate the same way as a traditional enemy-it has no

An embedded technology will soon allow fighter pilots to engage virtual aircraft and ground targets during airborne training. Installed in the avionics of a basic or advanced

A long-established military event that originated as an examination of interoperability has evolved into a forum for perfecting the art and science of information sharing. Featuring

To get where it wants to go and know what to do when it gets there, the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) has incorporated satellite links with a large dose of