Categories: Technology

How Cloud Computing Is Transforming Military Operations

Military spending remains one of the world’s largest and most important sources of technological development. One of the latest shifts is centered around cloud computing technologies, and defense technology is how these intelligent systems are driving the defense industry forwards.

Capable of being deployed and integrated rapidly, cloud computing is transforming modern military operations, allowing decision-makers to plan successful missions in the world’s toughest environments. Combined with instant data sharing, flexible security protocols, and advanced machine learning, cloud computing represents the next major frontier of military research.

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Military-Grade Cloud Computing Solutions

Military organizations have come to rely on data-driven weapons and systems. Increasingly, wars are being fought remotely, and information is the key to mission success. This shift has necessitated a change in the way militaries operate, and many have turned to cloud computing as a way to ensure important data is available at all points of need.

Compared to traditional computing infrastructure, cloud computing is flexible, secure, and simple to deploy, making it the ideal solution for military organizations across the world. Cloud computing solutions offer dozens of benefits to mission planning and execution cycles, and we’re going to discuss the largest impacts below.

1. Improved Communications

Access to data has changed the ways wars are fought. The ability to perform reconnaissance and share high-resolution images, videos, and sensor information allows decision-makers to plan successful missions and protect their operators.

Cloud computing solutions build on this by making this critical data available everywhere at all times. Whether it’s a team in the field, decision-makers at headquarters, or the captain of a naval fleet, up-to-date information is always on hand.

This constant flow of communications improves operations on both a tactical and strategic level. And, with advances in satellite communications, cloud computing is now fully accessible for operators in remote locations. This ensures that each part of the organization is able to communicate seamlessly in moments that count.

2. Simplified Allied Operations

An increasingly globalized world has seen a rise in joint military operations. Organizations like NATO play an important role in maintaining peace agreements and ensuring that its members are ready to deploy should a threat arise. Naturally, readiness involves performing simulations that establish relationships and common practices with allied military groups.

This has traditionally proven a challenge, with each military organization employing its own network infrastructure and protocols, further hampering cooperation efforts.

Cloud computing changes this. With information shared and served over standard internet protocols, it’s now possible to connect disparate systems at a moment’s notice. By employing cloud computing systems that are compatible with a wide range of military protocols, decision-makers can instantly and securely share information with mission partners.

In the event of a humanitarian disaster or military threat, this allows allied nations to coordinate their efforts and deliver greater mission outcomes than ever before.

3. Improved Protection For Operators

Military personnel is some of the most valuable assets on the field. Each operator represents a major investment that needs to be protected from unnecessary threats. Cloud computing enables decision-makers to protect assets at all levels, from large naval ships down to individual operators. This protection comes down to two major factors:

The availability of information – Access to personnel information enables decision-makers to optimize deployments, share medical information, contact operators, and more. This allows decision-makers to protect operators from threats and provide assistance, even when an asset is in a disconnected environment.
Robust security protocols – Personnel information is a serious vulnerability for deployed operators. By protecting the information that is being transmitted, military cloud computing solutions ensure that operators and their mission templates aren’t compromised.

These capabilities are particularly important for joint operations. The ability to seamlessly integrate personnel data from allied forces and foreign countries allows decision-makers to take full advantage of the operators and assets at their disposal.

4. More Robust Security Protocols

The last major benefit of cloud computing for military applications lies in system security. Traditional computing technologies used onsite computing and storage solutions to capture, process, and share critical information during a mission.

While this made data readily available and improved mission outcomes, it also presented a core vulnerability as warfighting evolved. Now, with cyber security threats playing a major role in modern war theatres, cloud computing offers unrivaled system security.

Many military-grade cloud computing platforms feature security built into their core. Designing a system around the need for security allows cloud computing to deliver threat-resistant networks with flexible access protocols.

This not only prevents security threats from accessing, diluting, or destroying key information, it allows decision-makers to adapt security protocols to the environment. This flexibility is a core piece of the puzzle as it allows military organizations to maintain security protocols without endangering operators or alienating allied forces.