For nearly two decades, NATO members have dreamed of fielding a fleet of ground surveillance aircraft that would be similar to the U.S Air Force’s Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft in their ability to map features beneath the clouds and spot moving vehicles.

    Former Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell has made himself the fly in the ointment of the Obama administration’s plan to rely on public-private partnerships to defend the country’s privately held critical infrastructure against cyber attacks.

    Seven years ago, the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to develop a new kind of communications terminal as a linchpin in the service’s plan to assure command and control of the country’s nuclear-armed bombers during a nuclear war.

    Finding targets beneath the leaf canopies of forests and jungles hasn’t been a high priority in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, U.S. military researchers are planning tests of foliage-penetrating lasers and radars for tomorrow’s wars and to uncloak today’s smuggling operations, which often take place in tropical regions.

    A NATO system to distribute, store, archive and retrieve full-motion video to coalition units is in place in parts of Afghanistan. The capability for coalition forces everywhere in the country is scheduled for summer’s end.

    There was a lot of fanfare when the Wall Street Journal reported that insurgents were hacking video downloads from U.S. drones using $26 software. This sensationalized reporting was great for selling newspapers, but the media should have focused on the value of unencrypted video, why the lack of encryption might not be as egregious as it sounds and, most important, the technical steps that will be required to improve these systems without rendering them useless.

    By now, the U.S. Valiant Angel video management computers were supposed to be aiding in the hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. Instead, the equipment will be delivered to Arizona later this year for more testing.

    It is time to break down the technical and bureaucratic barriers that are preventing frontline American troops in Afghanistan from talking directly to U.S. intelligence analysts. This is the only valid conclusion from a string of errant airstrikes that have killed dozens of Afghan civilians and undermined the credibility of the allies in the eyes of many Afghans.

    I read with interest Army Maj. John Ives’ commentary, “They deserve better” [April]. His analysis of the problems facing our collection management system was spot on. As the chief of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division at U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC) in Qatar, I’d like to expand on his analysis and note the steps we have taken to address some of the issues.

    Better late than never. That’s how the Pentagon’s decision to increase the number of camera- and antenna-equipped aerostats in Afghanistan should be viewed. These tethered airships are not fancy but they prove that basic equipment can make a big difference in se¬curing bases and nearby roads. Engineers must continue their work to devise smaller, more portable versions, so they can be set up at remote outposts in addition to large forward operating bases.