Department of Defense (DoD) Sets Sights on IPv6

The Department of Defense is ready to begin trials of equipment and applications based on IPv6 protocol within 30 days, said John Osterholz, director of architecture and interoperability for the Department of Defense, in a keynote address at the IPv6 Summit in San Diego. The DoD, which has an annual IT budget exceeding $30 billion, will focus its information resources to create "predictive battlespace awareness" that combines intelligence and operations technologies in a connected, real-time environment.


In a memorandum issued earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense adopted a new policy for the enterprise-wide deployment of IPv6. John Stenbit, the DoD's Chief Information Officer, stated that the achievement of net-centric operations and warfare, envisioned as a Global Information Grid of interconnected sensors and systems, depends on the effective implementation of IPv6. The DoD is planning for a complete transition from IPv4 to IPv6 by FY 2008. The memorandum orders that as of 01-October-2003 all equipment developed, procured or acquired be IPv6 capable. The memo is online.
http://www.defenselink.mil/nii/org/cio/doc/IPV6.pdf