The Change Mariner

US Navy dumps Microsoft, makes network the weapon

The Inquirer

THE UNITED STATES Navy is quietly and aggressively touting its horn on adapting a Network-Centric philosophy, one that will win them brownie points with Donald Rumsfeld and the current wave of "transformational" thinking flowing through the Pentagon. To rework the old cliche, the network is the weapon, more specifically the glue that binds together sensors and weapons, allowing warfighters to view the battlefield more precisely and apply the force necessary to achieve desired "effects." The new way of fighting is built around Internet standards, including web pages, routers, Ethernet, instant messaging, and chat rooms. Casualties appear to be both expensive customized systems and Microsoft software.