Alcatel-Lucent is going to have a field day with the yank Defense Information System Agency and will show them just how good its WiMAX will fit into DISA's Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration, even if it's quite a mouthful. According to network equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent, the company's WiMAX kit made it through boot camp and will be part of what could be called communications manoeuvre.

The DISA is basically using the Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration to test 'commercial off-the-shelf ' communications kit of all sorts ' to extend global, wideband communications and services in a mobile tactical environment'. Alcatel-Lucent is going to hand over a functioning WiMAX network with all of its working parts in place, so the yanks can see if it's any good for military applications, such as Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo phoning in to politely ask to napalm, sorry, white phosphorous the posterior off of evildoers in situations in which the roof is on fire.

Network-centric warfare, which is part of the so-called Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is a big thing in the Pentagon. Pentagon thinkers believe it's a cool idea if each soldier or unit on the ground knows in real-time what evildoers are up to. Thus, an advantage can be had. In reality, it means that ITC companies can earn a major buck, whilst troops in the Middle East are laden with stuff which will help them win a battle against conventional forces, but won't show armies riding the RMA how on earth to rebuild a country they previously shelled into submission. But then the US military also has men that stare at goats. X