Monday, October 30, 2006

On cell phones and troops...

Strategypage discusses the evolution of cell phones vs. military radios.

This is one place where COTS could really cut down on expenses. My latest cell phone has a camera, plenty of storage with a mini-SD card, and would be almost perfect for virtually any mission. It even fits into a shirt pocket. The traditional radioman (like Luz in Band of Brothers) may be obsolete. now a days, the CO may have his cell phone and a Bluetooth headset.

1 comment:

Ken Prescott said...

This is one place where COTS could really cut down on expenses.

Then again, maybe not...

My latest cell phone has a camera, plenty of storage with a mini-SD card, and would be almost perfect for virtually any mission.

Except for the following problems:

1. It is not designed to operate in any but the most permissive electronic warfare environments.

2. It is extremely short-ranged. There is a huge infrastructure needed to make the system reach out more than a mile.

3. You cannot talk directly to another user, even if he is in range; you must go through a cell phone tower.

4. It is most assuredly not secure against hacking. Making it secure would consist of shutting down most of those useful features.