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October 17, 2002

Sometimes newer isn't better. During World War II, and for decades after that, the U.S. Navy has a low power radio system for communications between ships close together in a task force. The low power, and short range, enabled this radio to be used without giving away the task force's position. But now, in the age of satellite communication, the Navy has no effective ship-to-ship communication system. Even when in line of sight, signals between ships must go via satellite. And when ships of the Atlantic Fleet are operating with ships from the Pacific Fleet, the signal goes from the ship to the satellite to the Fleet communications center, to the other Fleet communications center, to the satellite to the ship.