The Rapid Advent and Proliferation of Commercial Wireless Communications Technology: Military Technology Assignment, SUSS, Singapore

Differences Between Commercial and Military Communications

The rapid advent and proliferation of commercial wireless communications technology in recent times has resulted in capabilities that far surpass the military realm in many ways. It was not like that some decades back. During the Cold War era, military technology was ahead of technology in the commercial sector, with military technologies often advancing the state of the art.

With the end of the Cold War, military expenditure on research and development has dipped and today, the advancements in wireless communication technology are fueled by the commercial sector through its enormous advantage of scale and an incessant demand for more bandwidth.

As military establishments are no longer primary drivers of development and innovation in wireless communications technology and other related areas, many military organizations are increasingly keen to leverage or harness commercial wireless technologies and techniques to address its communications needs.

On one hand, many see the adoption of commercial technologies as an effective and affordable approach to keep pace with the rapid developments and solutions in the wireless realm, others have contended that there are risks and limitations associated with the deployment of such commercial wireless technologies for military needs.

1. Discuss the differences between the commercial and military operating environments and in your view, what are the challenges that the military will face when deploying commercial wireless technologies?
2. What aspects of commercial wireless technology will fall short when deployed for military applications?
3. How can armed forces ride on the wave of successes achieved by commercial wireless technologies and find relevance for their needs?