US Defense Advisor: Blockchain ensures the security of combat data and will completely change the rules of the game in the field of warfare

Vince Alcazar is a retired Air Force colonel and defense consultant.

If the Department of Defense can deploy blockchain, a new data management technology, the destructive power of data attacks in recent years will be reduced, and the authenticity of data in the hands of combatants can be guaranteed.

The importance of blockchain technology is mainly reflected in two aspects: avoiding potential risks and improving operational advantages. The existence of downside risk means that operators must reduce operational risks and errors as much as possible when the authenticity of data is unclear, because the effectiveness of our combat systems mostly depends on specific data. Blockchain can effectively prevent the enemy from tampering with and leaking military data. From the above two advantages, the importance of the first advantage is incomparable, while the second advantage will completely change the rules of the game in the field of war.

What can blockchain do?

Blockchain is a source of power. Through its trustless nature, blockchain removes the role of central authorities. The absence of central control power can bring scalability to blockchain networks, allowing them to operate efficiently at any capacity threshold.

Blockchain can give a new definition to data protection warfare. The data encryption standard of blockchain ensures that it is impossible for the sender to tamper with the content backward. Even if the enemy has such financial resources to crack this barrier, I believe that in the fast-paced war period, they will not easily take such a big risk.

Blockchain is not a system with piles of data, but a data network. If data is as valuable as gold, then the accumulation of data is likely to bring huge risks. The decentralized processing of data by blockchain - data is distributed in various blocks, making it impossible to tamper with the content in the future.

Blockchain can manage Battle Network Objects (BNO). Blockchain connects BNO objects and thousands of BNO devices together, and the transmission and reception of data are recorded in the ledger of each object or the ledger of the BNO device group. Blockchain can become a synchronization mechanism for BNO devices.

Blockchain can effectively control the device group. The distributed management mode of blockchain and the algorithm established in the device group can ensure the normal operation of the device group and unlock its militarization potential. The decentralized ledger logic of blockchain and the algorithm of the device group can activate the weapon status and construct the robustness and scalability of the device group.

Operational Model

The blockchain network is mainly composed of miners and blockchain hosts. The function of miners is similar to that of computing machines, which can solve complex equations. Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm ( ECDSA ) is an algorithm of blockchain, and Asymmetric Key Cryptography Key Cryptography is a related encryption algorithm. When a data transaction enters the network, miners will use computing power to repeatedly calculate the ECDSA equation of the transaction until the final output data string is completely consistent with the sender's data string.

Once the data output matches, the data block is complete and can be added to the ledger - a record of the complete transaction in the network. The paired public/private key technology can prevent the data in the network from being corrupted by third-party attackers. The encryption technology of the blockchain is adjustable; that is, the difficulty can be adjusted accordingly. In military blockchain applications, this feature can ensure flexibility in expeditionary operations.

Potential Use Cases

Operational orders and document planning. Blockchain technology ensures the storage of the corresponding operational data in data blocks. In this way, the chain reaction caused by the collapse of the headquarters network will not lead to a complete paralysis of the network. In this case, the superior network only needs to transmit the data directly to a miner in the subordinate network. The miner who receives the data can then update the corresponding block and other relevant information to the data book of the blockchain network.

Device group control. The distributed design of the blockchain network allows specific algorithms to be programmed into each device. Combined with the daily activities of the device, the transmission speed of the device group can be shared among all devices. Ultimately, the device group will exert its capabilities as a single entity.

Logistics (military logistics). The operating logic of the blockchain ledger can ensure the credibility of the sender and receiver of data. In logistics, the process of establishing contracts, agreements, purchase orders, and purchase requisitions can all benefit from blockchain.

The main advantage of blockchain is to ensure the security of data transactions and prevent tampering. This feature does not conflict with software or hardware updates; on the contrary, this feature can completely reconstruct the Department of Defense (DoD) network and combat data attackers: data authenticity is guaranteed through hardware updates.