Aircraft
U.S. Struggles With Networking Issues, Including 5th to 4th Gen
The next generation of aircraft must be able to interface with the current generation to prosecute modern air campaigns.
In this artist's concept, the Talon HATE airborne networking pod is shown on the centerline station of an F-15C. (Image: Boeing)
In this artist's concept, the Talon HATE airborne networking pod is shown on the centerline station of an F-15C. (Image: Boeing)

While operational commanders try to target an elusive enemy from the air over Iraq and Syria, senior U.S. commanders and aerospace academics are wrestling with an associated question: how to take advantage of tremendous advances in information networking to prosecute modern air campaigns. During the recent Air Force Association (AFA) conference, the shortcomings of current military air systems networking were explored in some frank comments during a panel session entitled “The Combat Cloud,” and in other discourse.