"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: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 27 2020, @02:17AM (3 children)
From the story:
"European colonies had metastasized around the world."
Spare me the left-wing Caucasian bashing thrown in just because. It detracts/distracts from the supposed main point.
(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!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 27 2020, @03:41PM
I enjoy the bashing, actually. The fact that it doesn't hinder me, or even slow me down, only proves that I am stronger than all those -other people- who are offended with such petty pettiness.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 27 2020, @02:24AM
If you should have the opportunity to tour the USS Alabama, be sure to look into Gun Plot. When I was there, much of Plot was barricaded off, and inaccessible. But, there you have one of the earliest examples of a computer capable of solving complex gunnery computations. From what I could see, there were about a dozen people in Plot, operating the computer to find firing solutions. Don't know if I'll ever go back for another look. It would be my luck to find it barricaded off again, so that I could walk through and look at things. It's much more important to keep the guns on display, I suppose.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 27 2020, @02:32AM
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(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 27 2020, @02:35AM
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(Score: 2) by Chocolate on Friday March 27 2020, @09:59AM (2 children)
Nice idea, but let's be more practical. The humans around me are potential deadly virus carrying minions of death. Can a phone app detect people around me and sound a proximity alarm if anyone gets too close?
Maybe some ultra sonic sensors or light based distance checking? There's a market for this right now I bet.
Of course, people could just keep 6 feet away but no that's not happening.
Bit-choco-coin anyone?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 27 2020, @03:43PM
I'm standing on your toes, peering into your eyes, and breathing on you, waiting for you to do something about it . . .
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday March 27 2020, @06:07PM
There is already an app for Navel Warfair. Several in fact which play the classic Battleship bored game.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.