Military Technology Causing Disruptions

U.S. military technology deployed overseas is disrupting emergency telephone service in some countries and causing other telecommunications glitches, annoying allies and incapacitating some weapons, a defense industry publication reports. Quoting an internal Defense Department review, Defense Week said multibillion-dollar systems, such as Patriot missile defenses and Predator unmanned aerial vehicles, won’t work to their full capabilities in some countries and, in others, can’t be used at all. That’s because their radio waves clash with same-frequency users in host nations, the newsletter said in its edition to be published Monday. Pentagon officials said in written responses to the audit that they generally agree with the criticism. They added that steps are being taken to deal with the problem, which they conceded is serious.