Electronic warfare

US Navy: Sitting Ducks in Future Cyberwars?

For potential future global conflicts, the US Navy has adjusted its strategy. Known as "distributed lethality" the Pentagon hopes to use smaller warships in a more scattered array. Dispersing across a wider area, smaller naval vessels could focus long-range missile attacks on a single target without that target being sure where the next attack will come from.

This kind of tactic requires advanced electronic communications capabilities. When covering such large distances, all ships within the fleet would need to have instant data-sharing capabilities, as well as with intelligence satellites and targeting aircraft.

The Pentagon is concerned that networking systems are highly vulnerable. One swift electronic attack could leave the entire fleet offline and adrift.