U.S. Army Says Software System in Afghanistan is Crap

After a limited test in May and June, the Army Test and Evaluation Command concluded that the system is "Effective with Significant Limitations, Not Suitable, and Not Survivable."

It's the backbone of the U.S. Army's intelligence network in Afghanistan. And, according to the Army's own internal testers, it's a piece of junk: difficult to operate, prone to crashes, and extremely hackable.

The $2.3 billion Distributed Common Ground System-Army, or DCGS-A, is supposed to serve as the primary source for mining intelligence and surveillance data on the battlefield — everything from informants' tips to drone camera footage to militants' recorded phone calls. But after a limited test in May and June, the Army Test and Evaluation Command concluded that the system is "Effective with Significant Limitations, Not Suitable, and Not Survivable."