Marine Gen. James Mattis, US Central Command boss, asked Senate defense overseers Tuesday for their support in enabling the “effective integration and extension” of warfighting networks between the United States and its coalition partners. Such connectivity “from maritime environments to the aerial layer and over rugged mountainous terrain” is essential to CENTCOM’s success, he wrote in prepared remarks to the Senate Armed Service Committee. Mattis said networks currently are “divided” among various services, agencies, and combatant commands, “resulting in degraded and delayed actions that have allowed our adversaries to exploit this fundamental cyber shortfall for too long.” However, one “bright network spot” is the Afghan Mission Network because it allows US and coalition forces and civilians to remain connected and synchronized on the battlefield and linked to supporting assets throughout the world, he noted.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.