Clarity at the Edge
AFCEA Hawaiʻi and Hawaii SCRA (Signal Corps Regimental Association) co-hosted a luncheon in September as part of Pacific Signal Regimental Week 2026. The chapter was proud to bring together warfighters, government, industry and community partners to exchange ideas and better understand the operational challenges facing the Joint Force across the Indo-Pacific. The panel featured Maj. Andrew Patton, S6, 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF), and CW5 Yrume Fernandez, senior Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) warfare technician, U.S. Army Pacific, who shared valuable perspectives on operating, sensing, communicating and making decisions across the vast and contested Indo-Pacific.
A central theme throughout the discussion was that the challenge is no longer simply collecting more data-it is getting the right data, in the right format, to the right place at the right time to enable commanders to act. The panel discussed data backhaul across distributed operations, interoperability between sensors and command-and-control systems, and the realities of operating in high-latency, low-bandwidth environments. Patton highlighted the complexity of connecting distributed sensors and effects across the 3MDTF, while Fernandez emphasized defining minimum data requirements rather than attempting to move everything across the network. Both reinforced the importance of open standards, common data formats, joint and coalition interoperability, and ensuring emerging technologies can securely connect to DOW networks and meet authorization requirements.
The discussion reinforced that achieving decision advantage at the tactical edge requires more than additional bandwidth or new technology. It requires an interoperable, secure and resilient ecosystem capable of moving, translating, protecting, fusing and prioritizing data across a distributed battlespace. As the Joint Force continues advancing multidomain operations, coalition interoperability, AI-enabled capabilities and tactical-edge modernization, collaboration across government and industry will remain essential.
Mahalo to Hawaii SCRA for bringing the military community together, to Leidos for sponsoring the luncheon and especially to the panelists for sharing their time, experiences and insights with the Hawaiʻi defense community.
A central theme throughout the discussion was that the challenge is no longer simply collecting more data-it is getting the right data, in the right format, to the right place at the right time to enable commanders to act. The panel discussed data backhaul across distributed operations, interoperability between sensors and command-and-control systems, and the realities of operating in high-latency, low-bandwidth environments. Patton highlighted the complexity of connecting distributed sensors and effects across the 3MDTF, while Fernandez emphasized defining minimum data requirements rather than attempting to move everything across the network. Both reinforced the importance of open standards, common data formats, joint and coalition interoperability, and ensuring emerging technologies can securely connect to DOW networks and meet authorization requirements.
The discussion reinforced that achieving decision advantage at the tactical edge requires more than additional bandwidth or new technology. It requires an interoperable, secure and resilient ecosystem capable of moving, translating, protecting, fusing and prioritizing data across a distributed battlespace. As the Joint Force continues advancing multidomain operations, coalition interoperability, AI-enabled capabilities and tactical-edge modernization, collaboration across government and industry will remain essential.
Mahalo to Hawaii SCRA for bringing the military community together, to Leidos for sponsoring the luncheon and especially to the panelists for sharing their time, experiences and insights with the Hawaiʻi defense community.