Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), Global Broadcast Service (GBS), and the warfighter

A basic premise of the DoD Global Broadcast Service (GBS) is the leveraging of commercial technology and the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Driven by the high cost associated with new development and "militarization", and the reality of decreasing defense budgets this trend is likely to continue and expand. It is important to ensure that military capability is not unduly compromised in this process, and that COTS equipment and components do not become a "weak link in the chain". This paper examines the use of COTS in the GBS program and draws conclusions regarding the appropriateness of these actions.