Military and aerospace computing has long enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with the consumer electronic market, each taking their turn at driving computing technology to the next highest level. The computing- and video-intensive consumer market driving technological advances. With microprocessor-based products such as high-performance desktop and laptop computers, gaming platforms, smart phones and most recently tablet devices, consumer electronics has taken the lead in the development of technologies that also benefit the military and aerospace arena.

This white paper will look at how the initiatives such as these, many driven by the U.S. Department of Defense, can be said to have carried both the military and aerospace market and consumer electronics market into the modern Information Age.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. David Shannon (left), and Senior Master Sgt. Jeff Flor, information assurance analysts, 102nd Information Warfare Squadron, maintain network security at Lora Naval Base, Croatia, during Exercise Combined Endeavor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kelly L. LeGuillon)