Military Communications

In Military Communications: A Test for Technology, John D. Bergen develops the thesis that burgeoning technology in communications faced a severe test in Vietnam. He analyzes the advantages and drawbacks of new communications systems and the effects these systems had on decision making and on command. In doing so, he describes the difficulties that communications systems had in keeping pace with the information explosion and shows that command and control do not necessarily improve with enhanced communications. The book illustrates that the communicator's missions of "getting the message through" was not only critical to the success of combat operations, but also as challenging as combat itself. Bergen's clear understanding and description of these issues make this a valuable work for those responsible for the future success of command, control, communications, and intelligence.

An alphabetically organized encyclopedia that provides both a history of military communications and an assessment of current methods and applications. Military Communications: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century is the first comprehensive reference work on the applications of communications technology to military tactics and strategy—a field that is just now coming into its own as a focus of historical study. Ranging from ancient times to the war in Iraq, it offers over 300 alphabetically organized entries covering many methods and modes of transmitting communication through the centuries, as well as key personalities, organizations, strategic applications, and more. Military Communications includes examples from armed forces around the world, with a focus on the United States, where many of the most dramatic advances in communications technology and techniques were realized. A number of entries focus on specific battles where communications superiority helped turn the tide, including Tsushima (1905), Tannenberg and the Marne (both 1914), Jutland (1916), and Midway (1942). The book also addresses a range of related topics such as codebreaking, propaganda, and the development of civilian telecommunications.

In Military Communications: A Test for Technology, John D. Bergen develops the thesis that burgeoning technology in communications faced a severe test in Vietnam. He analyzes the advantages and drawbacks of new communications systems and the effects these systems had on decision making and on command. In doing so, he describes the difficulties that communications systems had in keeping pace with the information explosion and shows that command and control do not necessarily improve with enhanced communications. The book illustrates that the communications missions of getting the message through was not only critical to the success of combat operations, but also as challenging as combat itself. Bergens clear understanding and description of these issues make this a valuable work for those responsible for the future success of command, control, communications, and intelligence.

Taking an applications-oriented view, this unique volume delivers a forward-looking roadmap to military communications. This hands-on reference offers military and security technology practitioners insights into the key issues related to long-term development within the battlefield communications area. The book presents the technological alternatives for communication in the battlefield in unexpected situations and environments. This authoritative resource discusses unstructured formations of actors using a holistic approach that considers key capability requirements. Professionals and officers learn how to prepare for the unexpected and start building agile, adaptive and cognitive systems that are needed in future operating environments. From scenario-based capability planning...to situational and context awareness...to unmanned ground and aerial platforms, this easy-to-understand book covers the critical topics that practitioners need to master to achieve top performance in the battlefield.