COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKS
Abstract
The overarching objective of this activity is to develop high throughput dynamic wireless communications and network technologies critical to the mission performance and robustness of naval communications for widely dispersed, mobile air, land, surface and submerged platforms. These platforms are often size, weight and power (SWaP) limited, and will operate under constraints of cluttered RF spectrum, harsh electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) conditions. The technical payoff is increased network data rates, interoperability across heterogeneous radios, dynamic bandwidth management, and greater mobile network connectivity. The operational payoff is that warfighters from the operational command to the tactical edge have near real-time access to information, knowledge and decision-making necessary to perform their tasks, including coalition and allied forces. Emphasis is on tactical edge communications and networks to fully realize net-centric warfare, bridging the Global Information Grid (GIG) and the 'disadvantaged user', e.g., small-deck combatants, submarines, unmanned vehicles, distributed sensors and ground units in urban and radio frequency (RF) challenged environments. The current specific objectives are: a) Radios and Apertures: Develop technologies for high band radio, electrically-small and actively scanned antennas, addressing critical issue of radio spectrum bandwidth efficiency, spectrum contention and clutter, agile frequency communications with dynamic spectrum access, all-digital front-end with wide dynamic range, power amplifier efficiency, multipath effects, saltwater propagation and BLOS communications. Develop algorithms and signal processing for space-time-frequency diversity communications, including measures for electronic protection, such as low-intercept, antijam waveforms and modulation. Develop affordable antenna technologies for small size and weight, high radiation efficiency, and wideband operation with rapid beam-steering. Develop alternatives to RF communications in airborne and terrestrial environments as well as high data rate underwater communications for undersea warfare (distributed sensor netting, unmanned underwater vehicle data exfiltration, submarine Communications at Speed and Depth) using electro-optic/infra-red (EO/IR) technologies. Develop secure, high bandwidth communications systems and the exploitation of existing and emerging network protocols that will avail development of new, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) based data transport mechanisms. b) Tactical Networking and Network Control/Management: Develop advanced networking techniques for robust, highly dynamic environments; interoperable networks for secure communications and protocols, bandwidth and network management techniques that manage and allocate bandwidth across tactical and theater levels in support of net-centric operations. Develop rapidly auto-configuring and self-organizing networks with efficient and survivable routing, secure authentication, mobility management and Quality-of-Service guarantee, while optimizing network resources. Address low bandwidth, synchronization and reliability for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)/middleware architecture in both mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) and infrastructure-based Internet Protocol (IP) backbone networks. Develop cognitive network planning and operations engines whose criteria are based directly on mission objectives, while self-adapting and managing the spectrum allocation and radio resources in such a way that network operations, SOA community of interest, and computer network defense are integrated to form a single common tactical network picture that requires a minimum of human intervention and skill. Develop technology for improving tactical edge networking and for improving voice communications. The following are non-inclusive examples of accomplishments and plans for projects funded in this activity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2017
- Source ID
- ca8bd3c160efa72b26d50ccd1fc53939