"Airborne networking - approaches and challenges"

The initiation of several major acquisition programs related to airborne communications and the Department of Defense´s emphasis on network-centric operations has sparked significant efforts in establishing the concept of an airborne network. This paper outlines the major activities underway to establish an airborne network within the Department. These major activities are addressed in the context of the emerging airborne network architecture. In addition, significant technical challenges in supporting the overall architecture is discussed.