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Handheld Net-Centricity

Aug-17-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

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By Patrick Chisholm

Personal digital assistants are not just for storing contacts or scheduling meetings anymore. In the military, ruggedized versions of them are bringing the foot soldier fully into the fold of net-centric warfare.

Rugged-PDAs (R-PDAs) have begun to be fielded to units in the U.S. military. Though the number of them in use is currently very small, within the next couple of years the number is expected to increase dramatically. Dismounted leaders down to the platoon or even squad level will have them in hand.

The devices are giving rise to capabilities never before possible. Soldiers can have instant access to maps, operational plans, schematics of buildings, medical information, maintenance records or even language-translation capabilities. They can send and receive e-mail and other electronic communications. When used with the global positioning system (GPS), Blue Force Tracking is available to the dismounted leader, resulting in better mission coordination and a much lower potential for friendly fire. [...]

Recently, General Dynamics successfully tested the use of the CDA to transmit command-and-control and situational awareness information between mounted and dismounted units involving the Stryker combat vehicle. “This capability allows the dismounted leader to disembark from a Stryker and communicate back into the tactical Internet, and provide Blue Force Tracking and messaging information into the tactical Internet via FBCB2,” explained Rost.


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