Classifying Smartphones

Plethora of communications options compound challenges at the tactical edge

The quest for comprehensive situational awareness leads to a burgeoning array of communications technologies

By John Edwards Oct 01, 2012

With comprehensive situational awareness the goal, the Defense Department is constantly seeking and evaluating new combat radios and other wireless communications systems, looking for technologies that offer cost savings, wide coverage, interoperability, and maximum size, weight and power (SWaP) benefits.

Yet as the search for effective systems continues, shrinking budgets, rapid technology turnover and a bewildering array of new communication modes are challenging DOD’s effort to equip troops and their leaders with the best possible situational awareness capabilities. "Certainly times are changing, and budgets are shrinking," said Capt. Joe Matkins, C4 branch head of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab's technology division, based in Quantico, Va.

Matkins noted that the Warfighting Lab, like its counterparts throughout DOD, is constantly working to be more efficient and effective. "Primarily, we need to meet the ever-growing information security requirements while attempting to address warfighting capability gaps that adversely impact our operations overseas."

Coping With Change

Matkins says that one of the biggest challenges he faces is evaluating a stream of different commercial off the shelf technology (COTS) communications technologies that fail to meet even minimal military standards for ruggedization and encryption. "Based upon our recent testing, we have found that most commercial off-the-shelf technology does not take into consideration Information Assurance (IA) or Certification and Accreditation (C&A) requirements," he explained. "Although they may seem technologically promising, current policy prohibits their use for official unclassified or classified information exchange on the equivalent networks."

Current acceptance requirements are both specific and demanding, Matkins said. "Industry products, to be Type I or SAB approved, are required to have a government sponsor and meet specified National Security Agency (NSA) requirements," Matkins observed. "The process can become quite lengthy, and as a result, the technology becomes obsolete before it is fielded."

Perhaps an even more pressing challenge facing both troops and military leaders is maintaining communication and situational awareness capabilities across communications systems using different operating modes, frequencies and technical standards. "There is a growing demand for interoperability," Matkins said. "Regardless of the system, we have to be able to communicate: proprietary software, hardware, and operating characteristics impede our ability to examine and experiment with emerging technology.

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