Editor's corner.

• Position: Editorial

As Navy aircraft carriers deploy at a faster-than-usual pace, in preparation for possible conflict in the Persian Gulf, technology developers back in Washington, D.C., are seeking ways to speed up the flow of combat intelligence to the cockpit of aviators flying off those carrier decks. They want to be able to collect, process and disseminate information about enemy targets in less than 10 minutes. Further, they want to be able to share the data with the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps.

The technology to make this happen falls under the Joint Fires Network project, which used to be known as the Naval Fires Network. Its goals are ambitious, but not unrealistic, according to program officials. To find out more about the JFN technology, turn to page 22.

While the world's attention focuses on Iraq, U.S. Army soldiers in Kosovo continue their fight for peace in the volatile province of former Yugoslavia (now called Serbia and Montenegro). As part of a NATO force that has been in the area for nearly four years, soldiers from the United States and other countries are responsible for more than just standing watch. They are challenged daily by the sheer intricacy of the Kosovar culture and the high expectations that the Western world has for the future of the region. They do not expect the NATO mission in Kosovo to end any time soon. The story begins on page 26. It is...