DoD and the untethered communications world

Summary form only given. The growth in the use of wireless communications in the commercial sector is paralleled with increased use by the military. However, the requirements for commercial and military applications, while similar in some regards, differ in substantial ways. Future network systems need to be highly mobile, flexible, and untethered. They must maintain high data rate connectivity between mobile units and command centers located both within and outside the combat theatre. Current and near-term networks are not capable of providing sufficient connectivity because of an inability to adapt to the highly dynamic operational environment resulting from the mobility of nodes in the air, land, and sea. Adaptive network protocols are required to address these issues. In addition, the traditional circuit approaches and communications systems concepts used in the commercial sector are inadequate for certain military applications. For example, there is interest for military applications in the development of ultra-wideband communications where the bandwidth exceeds the bandwidth of current spread spectrum systems by more than two orders of magnitude. Such systems offer the possibility of entirely new waveforms and coding techniques, and new approaches to circuit functionality become possible. The systems concept must provide reliable communications in a mobile, distributed network, without elevated base stations, and in demanding terrain such as urban areas. To support the development of next generation wireless systems the DoD provides basic research support both through the Services´ core programs, and through the University Research Initiative (URI) offered through the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering. Funding opportunities and program initiatives specifically focused upon wireless technologies that address DoD requirements are discussed and programs such as the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) that support tea- ing arrangements involving the academic community are described.