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![1105 Media [justice]](/images/ds1_pntmlogo.gif "1105 Media [justice]") |
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home > May/June 2007 issue > article
A look beyond the art of the possible
By John Stein Monroe
Warfighters cannot wait for a long-term solution to the spectrum crunch. Somehow, some way, the Defense Department must ensure that essential wireless communications are available when needed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots worldwide. It’s a classic case of the art of the possible.
At the same time, however, DOD officials realize that a stopgap solution is not enough. Even as the federal government auctions off more airwaves to sate private-sector demands, military commanders are dreaming up new tactics and systems that turn wireless networks into a tactical advantage. If more spectrum is not an option, then what? As Greg Slabodkin reports in our cover story, beginning on Page 20, military experts are devising new approaches to accessing and managing the radio airwaves.
DOD is taking a similar approach to mobile ad hoc network technology, which has been under development for several years. Even as they continue to finesse the existing concept, some defense networking gurus are calling for a fresh, paradigm-shifting concept. Writer John Moore explains their thinking in his report, which begins on Page 26.
Wireless technology has a history of inspiring such blue-sky thinking. Each new development tends to lead users to envision bigger and better applications. Although no one can afford to lose sight of current demands and limitations, this issue of Defense Systems is intended to give you a brief but invigorating glimpse of a broader horizon.
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