Smarter Military Bases

By Debbie Gregory.

Meeting the unknown challenges of the 21st century depends more on the creativity of those in uniform to see new connections and opportunities than it does on any killer app or new technology.

And this smart-city technology could be coming to a military base near you.

The use of artificial intelligence, analytics, automation and robotics could make military bases both safer and more efficient.

According to Ted Johnson, the Defense and National Security Research Manager at the Deloitte Center for Government Insights, he believes that the connectivity to these technologies will be an integral part of shaping out future world.

“Compare the way cities will look in the future — and are beginning to look today — to how military bases look now and have looked for the last 50 years,” Johnson said. “It’s obvious there are advantages to be realized in upgrading military bases with these new technologies. No matter what aspect of the base you’re looking at, there is a comparable smart technology and application of that technology in a city or university or an airport that allows for efficiencies to be realized and for upgrades to occur”.

While smart technologies are slowly being put to use on military bases, there are significant security, operational, and economic benefits yet to be realized. The smart military base is the key to tomorrow’s fighting force.

Smart energy initiatives are already being utilized.

For example, the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, in conjunction with Georgia Power, deploys solar panels that provides their own independent power source during emergencies.

There are also smart construction initiatives happening at an Air Force base in Colorado.

The slow roll-out is due to security concerns. When these technologies can increase security, streamline operations and deliver efficiencies, they will be more quickly adopted by military bases.

Supplemental funding coming from the Trump administration to the Pentagon, focusing on streamlining capabilities and realizing efficiencies, may provide the impetus to get the ball rolling across the board.

Johnson is a retired commander in the United States Navy where he primarily focused on cyber policy and signals intelligence.

Tell us what technologies you believe will make your base more efficient and safer.

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