Benchmark Application Development Manager Steve DeWaters offered a holistic view of the challenges and promises of the connected battlespace in Aerospace and Defense Technology Online. Identifying key enabling technologies to collect, detect, process, and respond to battlefield data, the article outlines disconnects between the implementation of these technologies and the current U.S. defense manufacturing supply chain. He summarizes essential investments in photonics and micro-scale modules to allow defense leaders to make the connected battlespace a reality.