More IoT For The DoD

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Armed insurgents regularly use commercial drones to keep track of the movements of adversaries and US soldiers. American troops on the frontlines, however, can’t use the same technology for these purposes, under Department of Defence (DoD) guidelines.

At a recent conference, Maj Scott Cuomo, the Marine Corps air-ground task force operational planner and ground combat element integration officer, called on the DoD to reevaluate its approach to the Internet of Things (IoT) on the battlefield. Cuomo would like to see more flexibility for soldiers to use advanced connected technologies.

Cuomo and other federal officials said the the DoD and the government at large needed to “embrace commercial technologies that can aid the military on the battlefield while also balancing security concerns,” FedTech reports. They hope the government will focus on providing soldiers with useful technology in a timely manner.

“We’ve got to first understand why the policies were what they were when they were created,” Cuomo said, “and then see if it still applies.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deputy chief technology officer Robert Palmer commented that federal agencies are trying to find the “sweet spot” between providing agents and military personnel with the most advanced technology and coming up with the right policy to advance this goal while protecting operational security.

“I’m very excited about the prospect of the pendulum swinging back to the usefulness of the technology,” Palmer said. “Culturally, I think we’re moving in that direction, one of more tolerance for getting that mission done versus protecting against every possibility.”