UPI, Jan 05, 2006
Researchers are developing sophisticated networking technologies that enable military commanders to share tactical information — right from the battlefield, in real-time, experts tell United Press International.
As if out of a scene of the TV counter-terrorist drama "24," the networking software enables commanders to share — or fuse — information from an array of air and ground sensors. This will make the tracking of enemy ground troops, friendly troops and artillery and aircraft easier, experts said.
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The software can be used for real-time battle scenarios or for strategic planning, to predict and simulate potential movements of friends or foes. The battlefield scenarios are displayed in 3-D perspectives on a computer screen or laptop, complete with accurate representations of a region’s topography. (more)
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This entire article is worth the read. It provides a good example of the visions and promises which are an important part of network-centric warfare and military transformation. A couple things to note:
- The third paragraph above paints an interesting picture in which a number of boudnaries get blurred. For time, the boundaries between past, present, and future become blurred as the same platform can be used in real-time, as well as for planning and prediction. Additionally the boundary between the real and the simulated is blurred.
- Many of these technologies are designed with flexibility in mind from the beginning. Their meanings, functions, and future capabilities are, in many ways, left intentionally ambiguous. They are meant to be whatever their users want and need them to be.