DARPA eying adaptable, scalable networks to help soldiers communicate

DARPA's latest initiative is far from revolutionary -- we've seen a number of installations aimed at improving communication in times of war -- but the Wireless Adaptive Network Development (WAND) project looks to "exploit commercial radio components, rather than custom ones," to "keep soldiers linked with each other on the battlefield." Essentially, soldiers would be equipped with $500 handheld radios that would form far-reaching ad hoc networks that could "shift frequencies and sidestep interference" to make communications more pervasive and more reliable. Interestingly, WAND is reportedly set to be demonstrated as early as January of next year, but there's no telling how long it'll take for the project to become fully operational.

[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of SOCOM]

[Andrew @ Nov 4th 2007 4:32AM]

Wake me up when they start making headway in the foreign diplomacy department.

[Matt H. @ Nov 4th 2007 5:38AM]

Pfffft... "Diplomacy" There is no room for such hippy non-sense in The War On Terror! (or TWOT for short;)

[kenny @ Nov 4th 2007 9:24AM]

I thought it was The War Against Terror....(I'll let you do the abbreviating), which is what I really think that is what it should be called.

"...you go to war with, declare war on, fight war against..." shay7

[Dan Jensen @ Nov 4th 2007 12:34PM]

Um, the purpose of the military is to kill people and break things. DARPA helps them achieve that end. Now, if the headline said "state department eying adaptable communication.." then your comment wouldn't sound so left-winged and ignorant.

[Matt H. @ Nov 4th 2007 8:16PM]

I thought the role of the military was to achieve peace... I know thats what I served for.
Maybe I'm wrong though, because if the military ever reached that goal they'd put themselves out of work.

[Andrew @ Nov 4th 2007 4:39AM]

That does sound like the plot of a low budget action flic.

Sarge: "Squad A I repeat squad A.......SQUAD A oh fubar gents our radio is down...."
PVT Pile: "What do we do sarge?!"
Sarge: "Get boomer on the horn, we're going to need to hack the enemy radio towers"
[Batman-like cut screen]
Mohammed: "Oh Shiite, they hacked our radio towers! Quick, cut all power at the mainframe! What's that? You know, the mainframe...."

[sub @ Nov 4th 2007 7:47AM]

please change the spelling of "Eyeing" in the headline..please use spell check!!

[tomatoqueen @ Nov 4th 2007 9:44AM]

Please don't, it's funnier as is.

[jvcalin @ Nov 5th 2007 10:10AM]

It looks like the guy is trying to communicate with that poor soldier's brain.

"Hello! Anyone in there?! Talk to me darnit!!"

[Aikions @ Nov 9th 2007 2:10AM]

Communication is the key to victory in most wars. I just wish the military could develop a device that use their enemy network when their is down. =D

[Jagannath A @ Nov 4th 2007 2:52AM]

you think they dont have one ;)

[Kurian @ Nov 4th 2007 3:11AM]

You have no clue what you're talking about. Stop pulling shit out of movies.

[patsy @ Nov 4th 2007 10:43AM]

Dude, the last time the US fought an enemy on equal technological footing was in WWII. What "enemy network" in Afghanistan or Iraq exactly should they use?