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"Network-centric warfare" is the hot concept in modern military thinking—soldiers fighting not just with weapons but within a web of sensors and computation, giving them and their commanders superior awareness of the battlefield. But the problems this approach was conceived to solve are timeless. I'm here, the enemy is out there somewhere. How do I find them? How do I keep track of them? Once the battle has started, how do I know where to move? Heck, how do I even keep track of my own people?
Long before IoT concepts littered the world, the navies of the early 20th century were among the first to take a systematic approach to answering these questions. Sail had given way to steam and European colonies had metastasized around the world. Warships were moving faster and required coordination across greater distances than ever. Meanwhile, telegraphs and radio allowed instant communications at previously unheard-of distances. All of this combined to create a revolution in how navies used information.
The article is an interesting vision into naval battlefield information and how it has evolved over the past two centuries.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 27 2020, @07:58AM (1 child)
It's part of the main point, since having far-flung colonies meant decisions made in western Europe had to be sent out to India, Indochina, and Indonesia, and Africa while information needed to flow back the other way. Granted that's more strategically important than tactically, but knowing what sort of forces a potential foe has in an area is useful to have before starting up a fight.
(Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Friday March 27 2020, @07:55PM
The long established British way to handle this was to "Invite your opposite number over for a nice put of tea".
And also read the local papers, and tap the telegraph network.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!