(Business 2.0) – Call it plug-and-play warfare. A network of small electronic devices carried aboard airborne drones and mud-caked Humvees could soon allow U.S. soldiers to create ubiquitous wireless networks from the moment they first set foot in hostile terrain. For civilians, the technology may eventually lead to wireless connectivity anytime, anywhere--no Starbucks required.

With little fanfare, the Pentagon is preparing to deploy a technology called mesh networking to solve many of its battlefield communication headaches. At its heart is the Adaptive Joint C4ISR Node, a phone-book-size box that works as both data access point and wireless router. C4ISR devices mounted on tanks, planes, boats, and trucks will also serve as "universal translators" for the military's currently incompatible welter of radio and data communications systems--allowing, say, an Army sergeant to coordinate attacks with Marine counterparts a few miles away. The devices will even do a little espionage work, sniffing for signals from enemy troops so they can be pinpointed and targeted.

DARPA, the Pentagon research agency that created the Internet, originally developed C4ISR, and now Raytheon and BAE Systems are competing for the contract to build the devices. Mesh networking probably won't be ready in time for a war in Iraq, but the technology should get its first serious test next year.

Civilian applications are on tap too. Nokia already sells basic mesh networking gear that allows companies to provide Internet access to homes by bouncing signals from one rooftop to another. General Motors spinoff Delphi Automotive is testing a system that would use the technology to deliver bandwidth to moving cars by shuttling signals between vehicles. It won't be much good for calling in air strikes, but if you need to call a tow truck, it'll work just fine. --Brian Caulfield