We need to be able to deny information to the enemy and keep the enemy from denying us the information we want. We need information conduits which are big enough to get the right volume of information to the people who need it and get it there quickly. We've got lots of details to iron out. As all branches of service and all theaters acquire new systems, those systems have to talk to one another. Right now, systems have phased in over time, but not with a grand scheme.
Connectivity is sometimes difficult at best.
We've taken steps to create a common operating environment for our combat support systems which will create common databases, put everything on a closely controlled network, and assure authorized users quick access to information. Here is yet another area where the close relationship between the commercial sector and the military is paying off. In fact, this is one of the ways we've revised our business practices in order to give us a better, market-driven product, and to save taxpayer dollars. Those space assets are giving us capabilities we have both come to rely upon and look to for still more possibilities. To be certain, though, in any conflict of the future, both outer space and cyberspace will be connected to the battleground.