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US Army spent $2.7 billion on a battlefield computer that doesn’t work

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DainBramaged Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 06:32 AM
Original message
US Army spent $2.7 billion on a battlefield computer that doesn’t work
It has emerged that the multi-billion-dollar DCGS-A military computer system that was designed to help the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan simply doesn’t work. DCGS-A is meant to accrue intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and provide real-time battlefield analysis and the current location of high-value targets. According to two former intelligence officers that have worked with the system, however, it has hindered the war effort rather than helped.

This story has developed over the last year, beginning with a memo sent by Major General Michael Flynn, the Army’s top intelligence officer stationed in Afghanistan. In the memo , Flynn damns the apparent ineffectiveness of DCGS-A: “Analysts cannot provide their commanders a full understanding of the operational environment. Without the full understanding of the enemy and human terrain, our operations are not as successful as they could be. This shortfall translates into operational opportunities missed and lives lost.”

The memo reached the ears of several Representatives on July 19 2010, who then asked the US Army to consider switching to another, proven system that the FBI and CIA use: Palantir. The Army refused, and instead rolled out a software update that was meant to fix any issues. Unfortunately, according to the former intelligence officers, the system is still unusable. “You couldn’t share the data,” says one of the former officers, and they both agree that the system is “prone to crashes and frequently going off-line.”

“Almost any commercial solution out there would be better,” said one. “It doesn’t work. It’s not providing the capabilities that they need,” said the other.



http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/89048-us-army-spent-2-7-billion-on-a-battlefield-computer-that-doesnt-work
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Ichingcarpenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 06:41 AM
Response to Original message
1. Lets cut NASA instead ... the military needs its toys
Oh, then lets cut social security and medicaid.


the military needs its toys.


Then education and the environment.


the military needs its toys that don't fucking work.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 06:54 AM
Response to Original message
2. Why couldn't they just use W.O.P.R.?
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slackmaster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 07:06 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. Or Colossus
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 07:40 AM
Response to Reply #5
8. Or Multivac


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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 07:02 AM
Response to Original message
3. The programming was done in... wait for it... Ada.
Yes, that's right. Ada.
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hootinholler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 09:50 AM
Response to Reply #3
9. You guys with your new fangled Object Orientation
At least Ada is better than Cobol. Sheesh.

Plus it has teh security through obscurity aspects...

-Hoot
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 09:52 AM
Response to Reply #9
10. I'm a LISP programmer by day
I love hearing the young'uns look all snooty and say it should be OO and then seeing their faces fall when they find out about CLOS, the oldest OO system in the world...

LISP: for when you're realized you don't need object-orientation...
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Fumesucker Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 07:06 AM
Response to Original message
4. Oh bullshit, it works perfectly for what it was designed to do..
Transferring taxpayer money to the MIC..

:hi:
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kickysnana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 07:10 AM
Response to Original message
6. Self delete.
Edited on Thu Jul-07-11 07:11 AM by kickysnana
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Buns_of_Fire Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 07:32 AM
Response to Original message
7. Fools. I would've sold them a computer that doesn't work along with matching software for half that.
And STILL have several hundred million left out of my profits for kickbacks!
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RC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 10:01 AM
Response to Original message
11. Or an Apple][
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WinkyDink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 10:29 AM
Response to Original message
12. The company and its CEO got BILLIONS. Mission Accomplished!
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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 10:32 AM
Response to Original message
13. Oh, that's OK. Just put some more SS cuts on the table and buy a new one.
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bemildred Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 10:32 AM
Response to Original message
14. Another stupid idea badly carried out.
Computers are not magic.
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mr clean Donating Member (106 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-07-11 11:04 AM
Response to Original message
15. lol
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