The Future Depends on Fundamental Connectivity
As the global security landscape becomes more dependent on advanced technology, the advantage will go to the side that is most capable of projecting its technology into the world’s most challenging, remote locations. The traditional approach of moving people and things around the world has been replaced with the need to ensure rapidly scalable connectivity across disconnected operational environments.
Reliable infrastructure that seamlessly extends high tech platforms for weapons systems, communications, and logistics will be the unsung hero of any future conflict, and the United States bringing the full might of its modern defensive capabilities to bear anywhere in the world will have a significant deterrent effect.
Full Operational Capability Anywhere in the World
Today’s warfighters are equipped with an ever-growing array of advanced tools that are revolutionizing how operations are planned, trained, and executed across the globe—from the Pacific to the Middle East to the Arctic Circle. Modern technologies are replacing traditional programs, and where feasible, legacy systems are being upgraded with enhanced features to reduce cognitive challenges. However, these new capabilities also require a robust infrastructure layer to ensure seamless operation in diverse and demanding environments.
With this proliferation of new technology, data access and reliability on the frontlines are critical components of success. One of the biggest challenges facing the United States and our allies in the coming decades is how to reliably support our commanders in the field with the tools needed to adapt new technologies and react to rapidly changing operational requirements. Not only must they maintain the same level of advanced capabilities they’ve trained on, but there must be a reliable ability to rapidly scale to meet changing mission requirements, without a degradation in capability based on the location of their operation.
For operations to remain uninterrupted and efficient in even the most remote locations, commanders must have access to resilient data platforms that combine secure connectivity, scalable computing, and reliable storage wherever they are expected to operate. Training with a full set of operational technologies and then operating on a reduced level because of connectivity issues negatively impacts their ability to address mission-critical challenges. Without that underlying infrastructure layer to enable their connectivity, warfighters will be limited in the tools and capabilities at their disposal, especially when conditions on the ground inevitably change.
Maximize Taxpayer Investment
The Department of Defense spends billions of dollars each year developing and procuring these advanced technological solutions to deter our adversaries and ensure our ability to succeed should any future conflict arise. The success of these investments relies on the systems and platforms being able to connect anywhere they are fielded. However, when operations in remote locations and disconnected environments are not able to achieve the required level of connectivity necessary to fully utilize the range of tools necessary for success, those investments are wasted.
Policymakers must exercise caution: as they invest in these solutions, they must also allocate resources to the enabling technologies that ensure connectivity, resilience, and effectiveness. By only investing in the types of advanced technology that are directly in the hands of the warfighter, rather than also investing in the data infrastructure that allows that technology to be used to its full potential, we shortchange our men and women in uniform and waste taxpayer dollars. Solutions that bridge the gaps, allowing the warfighter to access a full range of capabilities in the most disconnected parts of the world, maximize the U.S. government’s investments.
The World is Watching
Our adversaries around the world, including China, are watching how the U.S. approaches the strategic fielding of advanced technology, and if we overlook the supporting layers necessary to ensure its full operational impact, we lose a significant deterrent effect. Equipping our commanders with the full range of warfighting technologies is not enough to succeed in the future. We must also invest in the data infrastructure layers that enable those technologies to rapidly scale.
