Mobile multimedia communication for the tactical battlefield

This paper defines and develops a future technical network architecture to support mobile multimedia communications on the future army tactical battlefield, from corps rear areas to the foxhole. The paper first addresses the technical need and utility of multimedia communications in the battlefield, and then presents a structure architecture to support those emerging requirements. The architecture focuses on two specific technical problems, i.e., (1) the need for high bandwidth (>T1) mobile transmission for dispersed network nodes, and (2) the dynamic network capabilities of a multitiered, integrated terrestrial, UAV, space-borne network environment. The architecture supports both multi-access and point-to-point transmissions switching technologies, (including IPv4-v6, N-ISDN, ATM), and proposed enhancements to commercial protocols to provide additional survivability and mobility. Specific enhancements to the commercial protocols include: (1) support for integrated terrestrial, UAV and space-borne access and control protocols, (2) reliable multicast protocols for networks of mixed or integrated switching networks, dynamic addressing and reconstitution protocols and, (3) efficient wireless transport protocols. Future efforts will also incorporate selected capabilities from the GloMo program, which is addressing the next generation of communication systems