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Homeland defense initiatives and the global war on terrorism are reshaping

Better intelligence and information management are key elements of a NATO

The role of networks in various environments was the topic of discussions

As director of the Command, Control, Communication and Computer Systems Directorate at U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), the question of which technology will most impact this command is not easily answered. In our network-centric, global-reaching environment, technology will be the fulcrum around which success or failure will pivot. The level of measured success for the warfighter will depend directly on how evolving technologies are used to enable JFCOM's role within of the U.S. Defense Department as an organization where the military services, combatant commands, multinational partners, industry and other governmental agencies rely on each other in a truly interdependent relationship.

A little more than a month ago, the United States observed Memorial Day, during which it remembered the men and women who have given their lives in support of freedom. Many other AFCEA-chaptered countries celebrate the equivalent of Remembrance Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, commemorating the coming of peace in Europe after World War I and honoring those who have given their lives for freedom or another noble cause. Here in San Diego at Camp Pendleton, Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski, USMC, commanding general, 1st Marine Division, was the keynote speaker for Memorial Day services held May 30, 2005, at Camp Pendleton. He paid tribute to the 420 U.S. Marines who have died in the past 365 days of the global war on terrorism. Quoting George Orwell, he said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

The U.S. Army is leading the charge in securing the new networking frontier: wireless communications. Recognizing the benefits and vulnerabilities of staying connected without being tied to wires, the Army's leadership has developed a policy that highlights security and that has become the model for all the services as well as for the U.S. Defense Department. Industry offers critical components to help the Army and others comply with these policies by designing solutions and sharing best business practices.

Location and intelligence information that only recently was introduced to U.S. Army ground combat vehicles soon may find its way into the hands of the individual soldier. Army engineers working with industry partners are finding ways to move vital position-location information down past the command level. The result may be a two-way flow of intelligence between headquarters and individual soldiers on the ground.

Optical fiber may be losing one of its last advantages over wireless as military experimenters have demonstrated the ability to establish secure Internet radio frequency links over more than three dozen miles. This capability can be established to serve land forces on the move, aircraft operating in a small area or ships sailing near unfamiliar coastlines.

The North American wireless market is poised for the introduction of next-generation applications that deliver sophisticated multimedia and data products to handheld devices. Within the next 24 months, a variety of third-generation technologies services will become available, allowing consumers and enterprises to conduct business and to access data more efficiently.

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite is designed for point-on-demand instant communications, providing protected worldwide command and control access within fractions of a second to U.S. and allied warfighters. This spacecraft is taking shape with substantial technical improvements-new phased array antennas, advanced integrated circuits, more efficient waveforms and novel space-based thrusters.