Computer Science 39 K: Information Technology Goes to War

Professor Katz, Spring 2008

Research Theme, Due 30 April

Your main assignment for this semester is to perform independent research into the topic of this class, and to write a paper describing your findings. You may choose any topic related to information technology, past/present/future warfare or national security, or governmental approaches for fostering research and development for national needs.

Your paper may be as long or as short as you want and need it to be, to make your point. It is the instructor’s earnest desire that you choose a topic you find both personally interesting and highly motivating, and that you use the justification of this class assignment to unleash your energy in its pursuit.

Your paper should be an authoritative essay, first stating a hypothesis (e.g., “Ship-to-ship radio would have revolutionized naval warfare in the First World War”), and backing up your thesis with arguments based on your analysis backed up be research citations from the literature (e.g., how naval tactics might have changed, based on being able to operate more effectively at night). While it is fine to use the World Wide Web as a research source (your instructor certainly does!), be forewarned that you can’t believe everything that you find there, and books and journals in the library provide a more trustworthy source.

Some Ideas for CS39K Research Papers

It may be a little difficult for you to identify a suitable topic. Please do not hesitate to speak with the instructor about possible ideas for your paper. I would like to know your proposed topic by Wednesday 9 April.

To give you some ideas of the scope and range of topics, we provide a suggested list below. This is only for guidance! A topic that you find personally interesting is more important than any of the ones listed below.

Describe how the use of radio could have, but did not, revolutionize World War I naval battles.

Could the Allies still have won the Battle of the Atlantic without Ultra? Take a stand yes or no and support your position.

The “Battle of the Beams” in WW II was an epic electronic warfare arms race of measures, counter measures, and unexpected technological capabilities of adversaries. Describe the elements of this race. Is it really the case that “radar won the war?” If so, what did Germany do wrong to lose this crucial race for technical superiority?

Research the concept of a Public Key Cryptosystem and explain how and why it works. Does it actually achieve an unbreakable code?

Research the concept of Operations Research and describe how it was used to formulate a strategy for organizing World War II Atlantic convoys. Was OR a useful tool?

Describe stealth technology and how it makes aircraft “invisible” to radar. Given that every “measure” has some “countermeasure,” what are the radar countermeasures to stealth technology? Do they render stealth technology obsolete? Will stealth render radar obsolete?

Describe how the Global Positioning System (GPS) works. What is its implication for precision weaponry? What are GPS’s vulnerabilities? As GPS becomes more essential for civilian uses, such as aircraft navigation and landing as well as surveying applications, can the military really disable its accuracy during times of national emergency?

What is “Identify Friend or Foe” (IFF) and describe how it works. How could it be fooled, to masquerade as a friend when actually a foe, and could it be used to target foes?

Describe the technology of Unpiloted Air Vehicles (UAVs) and how they are used to provide remote surveillance of the modern battlefield. What are their vulnerabilities?

Describe how satellite communications works and how it is used in the field by the military.

Identify plausible roles for information technology in counter-terrorism activities. You should concentrate quite carefully on what is feasible, rather than what is desirable. Which solutions are likely to be practical and useful? What are the political consequences of deploying your solutions?

The air defense process we described in class was relatively leisurely: radar operators phone fighter controllers and chat. By the end of the WWII, bombers were faster and bombs more dangerous. Investigate how air defense strategies changed as a result, and discuss the impact on how we think about computing today.

Was the strategic bombing of Germany effective? Why? What were the IT demands posed by the campaign? Can you find examples of modern technologies that were developed during this campaign?

In class, we found choosing bombing targets by committee discussion to be quite difficult. Investigate possible better solutions. Can you determine how this is done today?

Most popular writing suggests that modern terrorist organizations depend quite extensively on the fact that it is easy to move quite large sums of money around anonymously. Investigate technologies and strategies that could be used to track and/or disrupt large flows of money. What is practical? What are the political or economic consequences of deploying your solutions?