State-of-the-Art Battlefield

State-of-the-Art Battlefield
Air Force Print News | SSgt Travis Edwards | January 11, 2008

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq - Construction is scheduled to begin this month on a facility to house a state-of-the-art battlefield command and control system that will integrate air traffic management throughout Iraq.

The $30 million Battlefield Command and Control CENTAF, or BC3, will house air traffic controllers from the Combined Enroute Radar Approach facility and weapons directors and surveillance technicians from the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron. It is scheduled to be completed and reach initial operational capability by the end of February.

On top of being a modern computer-based system, BC3 will allow air traffic controllers and surveillance technicians to work closely together, thus enhancing communication, said Maj. Canyon Knop, 727th EACS director of operations.

He said the system is based on new technology and runs on a monitor the size of a standard desktop computer.

"The older systems we use are much slower. They've been beaten up over time and use computer technology from the '80s," said Major Knop. "When BC3 is up, we will be able to focus more on the mission instead of fighting the system."


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,159842,00.html

dollars toward a state-of-the-art COUNTRY? INFRASTRUCTURE? HI SPEED RAIL? HEALTH SYSTEM?

But nooooooo. . .we have to have state-of-the-art junk for war, war, war. It just makes me weep with frustration.