The Digital Battlefield: Transforming Military Operations Through Data and Connectivity

What you’ll learn:

• What are the core elements of a digital battlefield?
• The role of wireless connectivity in a digital battlefield, and associated benefits and challenges of mmWave wireless networks.

The modern battlefield is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting from traditional voice-centric, analog Command, Control, and Communications (C3) approaches to a more intelligent, data-driven, and digitally connected space. This evolution, spanning land, sea, space, and air domains, demands cutting-edge technologies and innovative practices to gain tactical advantages.

The recent conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the critical role of data in modern warfare. It’s showcasing how social media, satellite imagery, and drone surveillance (IMINT) can augment conventional signals intelligence (SIGINT) and human intelligence (HUMINT) information to shape military strategies.

As militaries worldwide adapt to this new paradigm, understanding the intricacies of data collection, analysis, and intelligence dissemination becomes paramount for defense strategists and field commanders.

The Foundation of the Digital Battlefield: Data Collection

At the core of the digital battlefield lies an expansive array of sensors and data-collection methods that are the cornerstone of situational awareness for tactical forces. The various sensors that play crucial roles in gathering intelligence include:

• Electronic-warfare (EW) sensors: Capable of detecting emissions from adversary weapon systems and communications.
• Optical and laser systems: Used for target illumination and precision guidance.
• Robotic platforms: Employing technologies like LiDAR (light detection and ranging) or video cameras with AI-driven analysis for autonomous navigation and threat detection.
• Aerial surveillance: Utilizing drones at various altitudes (low, medium, and high) to capture video and imagery of the battlefield.
• Identification friend or foe (IFF) systems: Providing critical information on the location and identity of friendly and adversary forces.

This diverse sensor ecosystem forms the foundation of what we commonly refer to as the "common operating picture" and situational awareness. These are essential elements for effective command and control in modern military operations.

In addition, open-source intelligence (OSINT) and HUMINT are important “data points” for a battlefield commander to consider. Do these reports corroborate the frontline representation or are they outliers? All source, real-time intelligence is rapidly becoming possible, giving local (and higher echelon) decision makers the digital tools to make the best choices for their forces.

Connectivity is the Nervous System of the Digital Battlefield

The true power of the digital battlefield lies not just in data collection, but in the ability to process, relay, and act upon that information in real-time. The key connectivity technologies for military leaders to consider are local-area networks (LANs), which facilitate communication between nearby units in tactical scenarios, typically line-of-sight (LOS) spanning a few kilometers, and wide-area networks (WANs) linking tactical units to command posts and support services.

Modern WAN technologies are evolving and some of the most common types of WAN communications are:

• High-frequency (HF) communications: Still widely used but extremely limited in data capacity; thus, it’s less suited for modern scenarios involving sensor or intelligence data.
• Satellite communications is evolving rapidly from large, fixed, or transportable geostationary dishes to more agile on-the-move systems like low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellations (e.g., Starlink, OneWeb, Kuiper) that are gaining traction in modern warfare.
• Troposcatter: A technology gaining renewed interest for its ability to provide beyond-LOS communications without relying on satellites. This method of propagation uses the tropospheric scatter phenomenon, where radio waves at UHF and SHF frequencies are reflected over a large distance as they bounce off the upper layers of the troposphere.

The challenge of integrating these diverse communication methods into a cohesive network that can support the data demands of the digital battlefield—while remaining resilient against EW and other threats—is ongoing and yet to be resolved.

mmWave Connectivity as the Backbone of LANs

If we look at LANs in a high threat environment, e.g., at a mobile command post or on the battlefield, such tactical networks are subject to harsh environmental conditions, EW targeting, and jamming. In this type of environment, military forces need a stealthy tactical network with low probability of detection (LPD). In fact, on the tactical edge, robust networks need to be able to operate independently of the core, Warfighter Information Network (WAN).

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology is well-suited to provide high-performing, stealthy networks at the tactical edge. It can link manned or unmanned weapons platforms, (mobile) command posts, ISR, and C2 (fiber optic) with the edge. Importantly, one flavor of mmWave technology exploits the license-exempt, non-commercial spectrum frequency bands (V-Band) at 57-71 GHz, a wide swath of 14 GHz of contiguous radio spectrum.

V-band is unique because it causes radio signals to resonate almost perfectly with oxygen molecules in the air—a phenomenon called oxygen absorption. The oxygen creates an incredible spike in attenuation that almost appears like a brick wall at a distance and creates a curtain of invisibility between a tactical team and its adversary. Within the V-band, connectivity truly has an LPD (stealthy) quality.

What are the Challenges on the Digital Battlefield?

As militaries adopt the digital battlefield concept, several challenges emerge.

One of the most important is possibly an information overload. While more data can lead to better decision-making, there's a risk of overwhelming commanders with information, potentially leading to decision paralysis.

Another challenge is combat effectiveness. Equipping individual soldiers with advanced communications gear must not interfere with their primary combat roles. Therefore, developing communications systems with low size, weight and power (SWaP) for dismounted soldiers remains a major focus for engineers of military communications equipment.

Finally, cross-domain integration across land, air, space, sea, and cyber domains is yet to be achieved. Seamless communication and data sharing across these domains is complex but it will be crucial for coordinated operations.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the Digital Mix

While artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) hold immense potential for the digital battlefield, their tactical implementation faces significant hurdles. The computational power required for deep-learning algorithms is often not available at the tactical edge.

However, AI is finding applications in areas such as autonomous navigation for robotic platforms, rapid analysis of sensor data, predictive maintenance for military equipment, and pattern recognition in signals and open-source intelligence.

As AI capabilities evolve, their integration into tactical decision-making processes will likely increase, but always under human oversight, especially in matters of weapons engagement.

The Future of the Digital Battlefield

Looking ahead, several trends are shaping the evolution of the digital battlefield. Advanced analytics will play a key role in redefining situational awareness, arming commanders with actionable intelligence from the vast amounts of data collected in real-time.

Another powerful technology making an impact is edge computing. We’ve mentioned that edge computational power currently doesn’t support big-data analysis and ML in tactical scenarios. However, this will change, and by bringing more processing power closer to the point of data collection will reduce latency and support implementation of AI and ML.

We’ve noted a lack of cross-domain integration. Better integration of land, air, sea, space, and cyber capabilities through advanced IP communications networking technologies is looking possible via LEO WLAN and mmWave mesh networks. The latter can connect a peer-to-peer tactical network to higher echelon C2 networks. Finally, a wideband, fully interoperable solution is envisioned that can provide end-to-end strategic and tactical connectivity while operating with critical LPD and anti-jam features.

The digital battlefield represents a paradigm shift in military operations, offering unprecedented situational awareness and decision-making capabilities. However, it also introduces new complexities and vulnerabilities that must be carefully managed.

No battle plan survives contact with the enemy, and the same holds true for digital systems. The key to success lies in developing flexible, resilient, and integrated systems that can adapt to the fog of war while providing clear, actionable intelligence to commanders at all levels.

For defense leaders, the challenge is clear: Create technologies and systems that harness the power of data and connectivity while remaining robust, secure, and effective in the highly complex environment of modern warfare. As the digital battlefield continues to evolve, those who can best navigate this landscape will hold the tactical advantage in future conflicts.