The Australian army is to bring a whole new meaning to the terms 'wardriving' and 'hotspot' when it equips troops with Wi-Fi-enabled communications kit later this year.

Part of the army's Wundurra hi-tech combat support system, the Wi-Fi devices will be used as VoIP radios, connecting individual soldiers up and through the chain of command.

There's even a 'push-to-talk' button attached to each soldier's rifle, allowing them to talk and fight at the same time - 'Don't panic! Don't panic!'.

Around 1,000 radios developed by Marconi were acquired for evaluation purposes, Australian IT reports.

According to Defcon Systems, a Sydney-based defence equipment supplier which handled the purchase, the kit comprises off-the-shelf technology. Defcon MD Nick Stokes admitted that - for the trials at least - the Wi-Fi network would not be encrypted, though there is some "level of security". Is this enough to stop Pringle-tin equipped Aussie hackers from causing grief to the grunts? ®

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