Linux meets the needs of security-critical, network-centric computing

The information age dramatically changed the modern battlefield. The U.S. military has been deploying a new network-centric framework characterized by information sharing – shared situational awareness and knowledge of the commanders’ intent throughout the force, regardless of the individual’s or unit’s precise location. Under the direction of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Office of Force Transformation (www.oft.osd.gov), all advanced weapons platforms, sensor systems, and command centers are to be linked via the Global Information Grid (GIG). Still in its burgeoning phase, Network Centric Operations (NCO), also known as network-centric warfare, has already proven that networked forces can be more effective than those using traditional means of communication.